Hi again, OCU:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/06/25/120625fa_fact_klein?currentPage=all
I briefly scanned your New Yorker piece with dismay. Three points.
1. It points out that, heaven forbid, the Republicans engaged in partisan warfare on an important issue. Bet that's never happened before!!
2. It points out that Repubs have been involved in healthcare issues over the decades, and this proves Republican participation in crafting Obamacare.
3. It tries to compare Obamacare to Romneycare. Romneycare was passed in Massachuseets with bipartisan support in a relatively wealthy and benevolent state, during good economic times, with a stable population base to serve.
Obamacare was passed in the midst of the Great Recession, at a time of massive budget deficits, with millions of poor people being created, and millions of illegal immigrants already in country and pouring over our borders daily.
In other words, there was no stable target population upon which to forecast or control costs or consequences. Obamacare partially and temporarily avoided those little problems by ignoring illegal U.S. residents and pretending they don't exist or get sick.