Campaign committees

House Democrats are reserving almost $32.5 million in broadcast television airtime for the fall, a show of strength that also offers a detailed look at what Democrats see as their path back to the majority.

It's the earliest the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has ever placed such a buy, which reserves the airtime while prices are less expensive and leaves the committee with the flexibility to decide later how to divide up the time.

"By placing early, the DCCC is saving a significant amount of money and ensuring the ads have good placement," a DCCC official said.

In all, the committee has purchased time in the media markets covering 26 incumbent Republicans, seven incumbent Democrats and three open seats.

In Pennsylvania, the DCCC has reserved more than $3.5 million in Philadelphia, allowing them to potentially target Republican Reps. Patrick Meehan (Pa.), Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Charlie Dent (Pa.),  Michael Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Jon Runyan, whose New Jersey district uses the Philadelphia media market. 

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Mitt Romney and the GOP are suffering from a major gap in the polls with Hispanic voters.

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The GOP campaign arm reserved air time in Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Montana, Nevada and New Mexico

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"If Nancy Pelosi would resign, the approval rating would skyrocket by 20 points," said GOP Chairman Reince Priebus.

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The ads claim Republicans who backed Rep. Paul Ryan's budget voted to "end Medicare to give tax breaks to millionaires."

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House Republican doctors donned their white coats Tuesday morning to blast the healthcare reform law as critics prepared to challenge its individual mandate in the Supreme Court.

Most of the Republican lawmakers' complaints focused on why the bill was bad policy, not why it was unconstitutional. In case the political ramifications of their comments were too subtle, a banner hanging over Republican National Committee's doorway read "Happy birthday, Obamacare! We didn't forget you."

"The 2010 healthcare takeover was an attempt to provide something good for the American people that unfortunately represents very bad medicine," said Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.), an ophthalmologist. "Our motto … as doctors is 'First, do no harm.' The 2010 health law does grievous harm: It disrespects what has made American medicine the greatest in the world." 

Hayworth went on to say that Congress needs to "expand that opportunity to far more Americans," a reference to Republican plans to craft replacement legislation that are currently under discussion as House leaders seek to devise alternative solutions ahead of the November election.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised more than $6.3 million last month in what it said was its best February ever.

House Democrats ended February with $16.4 million in the bank and no debt. The DCCC spent $3 million in February and has raised more than $73 million so far this cycle.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has not released its totals, which aren't due to federal officials until Tuesday. In January, the NRCC raised $4.8 million while the DCCC raised $6 million. Republicans had $17.5 million on hand, putting them about $4.5 million ahead of Democrats as of the end of January.

Senate Democrats announced earlier Monday that they had raised $5.3 million in February, marking three straight months of raising more than the month before.

The Republican National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee both refocused their attention on healthcare Monday morning.

The DCCC announced robocalls against vulnerable House Republicans on Medicare, while the RNC put out a memo sardonically titled "Happy Birthday, ObamaCare."

Healthcare is likely to reemerge as a major issue in the coming weeks: House Republicans plan to vote again on a budget that would include Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) plan to privatize Medicare, while President Obama's signature policy achievement will face Supreme Court scrutiny.

The RNC memo argues that the law will hurt Obama in November, and lays out a series of polls showing the law is unpopular nationally.

"As we move into the fall of 2012, what will be on the minds of voters, ObamaCare? No one bears more responsibility than Obama for his namesake law, and no one will bear more responsibility for the toll it's taking on Democrat incumbents and candidates," writes RNC political director Rick Wiley. "All this has got to give Obama a headache, and probably a tummy-ache too. Perhaps Joe Biden can find him an aspirin ... if a bureaucrat somewhere approves of it."

The DCCC's robocalls target 41 potentially vulnerable House Republicans, arguing they have repeatedly pushed to cut Medicare. "Republicans in Washington have a new budget that chooses millionaires over Medicare," says one version of the script. "House Republicans ... demand seniors who earned their Medicare benefits spend thousands more, but refuse to end tax loopholes and giveaways for millionaires. It's just not fair and it's not right. We all agree Washington needs to cut spending, but it should be done the right way, not on the backs of seniors."

How the parties describe their positions on healthcare in general — and Medicare specifically — is crucial to their electoral success, especially in states with large numbers of senior citizens such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. The next few weeks are likely to see another battle to frame the issue, as both sides seek to say the other wants to dismantle Medicare.

The Republican National Committee raised $11.3 million in February, outperforming its January haul and adding more than $3 million to its war chest.

The RNC raised $10.4 million the month before, although the figures don't reflect what the GOP presidential candidates have raised. The RNC had $23.4 million cash on hand at the end of January, and has increased that total to $26.5 million.

Almost $6 million of what the RNC has raised this year has come from major donors, the committee said.

The Democratic National Committee hasn't announced its February tallies, but must report those numbers by March 20.

Sen. Patty Murray said she hadn't talked to ex-Gov. King, an independent, about the Senate race; doesn't rule out support

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