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Democrats on Capitol Hill are treading carefully in the wake of this weeks surprise enrollment success for President Obamas healthcare reform law.

While lawmakers are hailing the news that 7.1 million people have gained insurance through ObamaCare exchanges ahead of the first enrollment deadline a number exceeding the initial goal set by the administration many are also eager to direct the focus away from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and concentrate instead on bread-and-butter economic issues ahead of Novembers midterms.

House Democratic leaders emerged Wednesday from their weekly caucus meeting to trumpet an economic agenda that focuses on raising the minimum wage, extending jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and overhauling the nations immigration system. And while a handful of Senate Democrats staged a Tuesday press briefing to cheer Obama-Care enrollment, there were, notably, no vulnerable Democrats in attendance.

Their desire to shift the emphasis, even after a week of good press is, at least in part, a concession that the healthcare law remains a liability for Democrats, particularly in swing areas theyre hoping to pick up in the House and keep in the Senate.

And its a political liability some members readily acknowledge, even as theyre defending the laws underlying policies and touting its benefits.

When you consider that the ACA has been trashed for four years, and people have been led to believe there are really death panels, and youre going to end up with rationed healthcare, a substantial portion of the American public still believes that stuff, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said Wednesday. Our goal is to win the election.

Cleaver said hell soon head to Arizona to campaign for an unnamed Democrat in a close race and hell be avoiding the topic of ObamaCare.

Im not going out there talking about the Affordable Care Act, he said. Im not going to go to a district thats just on the line a possibility for us and start damaging people. Thats crazy.

Obama on Tuesday was quick to trumpet the new enrollment figures, which came at the end of an open enrollment period that was severely crippled by the botched rollout of the administrations online marketplace. The president went after the critics for cheering for the law to fail.

I dont get it, Obama said from the Rose Garden. Why are folks working so hard for people not to have health insurance? Why are they so mad about folks having health insurance?

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Democrats dont spike ball on ObamaCare