Obamacare has a long way to go to deliver Dems a powerful talking point

The Obama administration reports that the latest enrollment figure -- 8.8 million, which covers all signups through Dec. 31 -- prove that interest in 2017 coverage is still high even as the Trump administration and Congress get ready to repeal Obamacare. But the administration was vague: It claimed the current total beat last year's, but didn't give any specifics on how much.

The highlights:

• 2.2 million new customers
• 6.6 million returning

What it means: The administration will have a powerful talking point if it hits its goal of 13.8 million signups by the time open enrollment ends Jan. 31, but it still has a long way to go. It's notable that the administration didn't say how much enrollment improved over last year, as it has in past reports.