Hard to tell at this point. If they ramp up the assholism, that may counter their advantage in attacking a health care bill with no visible benefits for anyone until 2013.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opin...

Recall that with solid Democratic and Republican backing, the 2002 Iraq resolution was far more "bipartisan" than any health-care bill will ever be. Yet, Democrats turned right around and used the Iraq war to criticize Republicans — and because the conflict was so wildly unpopular, Americans in 2006 and 2008 were willing to overlook the contradiction and vote for the only major party echoing any semblance of an antiwar message.

The lesson, then, is simple: If Democrats hypocritical Iraq criticism only worked because the war was such a disaster, then the GOP's inevitable health-care attacks — however hypocritical — can be thwarted only by making health-care reform the opposite of Iraq (i.e., a major success). For Democrats, in other words, good health-care policy is great politics, and bad policy is the worst politics.

Whether passed by one congressional vote or 50, real reform that improves the system (i.e., a bill with a public option, tough insurance regulation and universal coverage) will transform the Democratic Party into an election-winning force forever known as "the generous protector of middle-class interests," as GOP strategist William Kristol admits.

Conversely, even if passed unanimously, bad legislation that makes the system worse (i.e., a bill empowering insurance companies, preventing a public option and leaving millions uncovered) will make GOP criticism of Democrats extremely effective.