Let's defend 'Obamacare,' some Democrats say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Democrats say it's time to stop hiding from President Barack Obama's health care overhaul — even in this year's toughest Senate elections — given that enrollments are higher than expected and costs are lower.

Republicans practically dare Democrats to embrace "Obamacare," which is the GOP's favorite target in most congressional campaigns. Yet pro-Democratic activists in Alaska are doing just that, and a number of strategists elsewhere hope it will spread.

President Barack Obama recently announced that first-year sign-ups for subsidized private health insurance topped 7 million, exceeding expectations. And the Congressional Budget Office said it expects only a minimal increase in customers' costs for 2015. The budget office said that over the next decade the new law will cost taxpayers $100 billion less than previously estimated.