This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sen. Mike Lee and many Republicans have always feared, not that Obamacare would fail the American people, but that it would succeed. Along with Social Security and Medicare, successful health care reform would provide another pillar to Americans' social safety net, all brought to you by the Democratic Party.
In truth, the GOP was never really concerned about a "government takeover of health care," "rationing," "the doctor-patient relationship" or mythical "death panels," but that an American public would become grateful to Democrats for access to health care.
Since its inception, the GOP has fought each of the social safety-net programs initiated by our government. Republicans attempted to kill Social Security, and when they could not, tried to convince Americans of the benefit of turning SS revenues (the most successful government program ever) over to Wall Street for "management," or in GOP terms, "privatizing" it.
After all, nearly $1 trillion a year would produce billions in management fees. Then it was Medicare. No need to provide actual access to medical care, just issue a voucher, reducing the cost of insurance to the well-off and placing insurance out of reach of many.
Obamacare is already working, and that scares the GOP.
Larry LaCroix
Lehi