DCCC hits Republicans for healthcare focus

House Democrats said Thursday that the Republican majority spent too much time last year on healthcare — roughly the same attack the GOP made against President Obama in 2010.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hit healthcare harder than any other issue in a statement criticizing the first year of the Republican majority. Arguing that Republicans aren't focused on jobs, the DCCC cited 21 floor votes on healthcare measures, including proposals to privatize Medicare and repeal all or part of Obama's healthcare law.

The DCCC statement faulted Republicans for "nearly shutting down the government so they could defund Planned Parenthood [and] ending Medicare so they could protect tax breaks for Big Oil."

During the 2010 campaigns, Republicans — as well as some Democrats — said Obama should have focused his first year in office on the economy and unemployment, rather than waging a yearlong fight over healthcare.

Although the healthcare law hasn't gotten much more popular since it passed, it's a fixture of Democrats' appeal to their base. And Republicans' proposal to privatize Medicare allowed Democrats to play offense on healthcare.