Democrats, hoping people will forget the government-run health care legislation they pushed through, have decided to ban the use of the word “ObamaCare” in congressional mailings. Why, it’s almost as if they’re not proud of their clusterfark.

In the latest battle in the Congressional franking wars, Democrats have been vetoing use of the word “Obamacare” in taxpayer-financed mass mailings, saying it violates rules against using the franking privilege for “personal, partisan or political reasons.”

Their objections are irking Republicans as the calendar advances toward the 2012 elections.

“It’s telling that Democrats are fearful of taking ownership of the president’s signature piece of legislation,” a GOP House aide said. “The White House and Congressional Democrats exhausted all of their political capital and a Congressional majority to move the bill across the finish line and into law. You would think given how much it cost them, that they would embrace the end result and proudly attach the president’s name to it at every opportunity.”

“You know, if it was popular they’d be all about calling it Obamacare,” another Republican source added.

Indeed. Liberals have long whined about Republicans using the term “ObamaCare”. But if the legislation is so great, why wouldn’t they want Obama’s name linked to it? The only reason you would want to insulate the president from legislation would be if the legislation is awful and unpopular. Food for thought.

At issue is the ability to send provocative communications using Congressional funds. The franking commission reviews official mail, email and social media for overtly political or inflammatory content.

Ah, Democrats object to using taxpayer funds for partisan content. So they’ll refrain from “Bush tax cuts”, right? Or attacking Republicans for supposedly wanting to lower taxes for the “rich”? Or is partisan rhetoric okay just so long as Democrats are the ones benefiting?

When the commission decided in a bipartisan manner that lying about Paul Ryan wanting to “end” Medicare — which he doesn’t want to do — isn’t okay in official mailings, prominent Democrats labeled the decision “censorship” and “Orewellian”. But now we’re banning the accurate term ObamaCare — one that Obama himself has used in the past — and that’s okay? Hypocrites, all of them.