WASHINGTON -- To hear Senate Republicans tell it, the defeat of their attempt to repeal the Democrats' health care overhaul was really a victory of sorts on the long the march to the 2012 congressional and presidential elections.

The repeal effort sank Wednesday along party lines, 51-47 as expected. But in the process, Republicans forced Democrats on the record in favor of President Barack Obama's signature overhaul and launched what they described as a two-year effort to discredit it in the lead-up to a bid for a second term.

"These are the first steps in a long road that will culminate in 2012, whereby we will expose the flaws and the weaknesses in this legislation," said Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the party's campaign chief...