WASHINGTON  After four years of harassment by an aggressive Republican minority, House Democrats evidently absorbed a lesson along with all those political blows: the route back to Congressional power is paved with frontal assaults on the practices and policies of the majority.

In the opening days of the 112th Congress, members of the new Democratic minority have been unrelenting in their attacks on the way Republicans have begun their reign.

Via news conferences, Web videos, floor speeches, media appearances and a steady stream of critical statements and e-mails, Democrats have accused the new regime of ignoring the deficit implications of repealing the new health care law, breaking promises to run a more open House and, for good measure, letting lawmakers who were not sworn in cast votes.

House Democrats would obviously prefer to still be in charge. But falling from power  and relinquishing the responsibility of running the House  has freed them to unleash the same kind of attacks that Republicans and their allies so effectively employed against Democrats, particularly over the last two years.