Democrats Turn To Damage Control

Now it's time to pay up. Meanwhile, Obama wants to start on amnesty for illegal aliens.

"The American people got too close a look at how Congress actually legislates and that's an ugly thing," said Jim Jordan, a Democratic campaign strategist. "Once the legislative process is done, the debate turns to what's in the bill," adding that what's in the bill is, "by and large, extremely popular with the public."

But in fact, the political battle is just beginning.

The party now must live or die with its landmark legislation in hundreds of congressional districts across the country, in the most hostile midterm election climate Democrats have faced since the Republican landslide year of 1994.