people really do have the shortest memories…
By American Girl in Italy on September 10, 2009 at 6:01 PM in Current Affairs, Health Care, Obama Administration, Sara in Italy
People are all a twitter because Joe Wilson yelled out *You Lie* last night when Obama said illegal immigrants would not be covered under his plan.
But, in the very same speech, just seconds prior, Obama accuses Sarah Palin and other Republicans (and the media) of LYING.
However, they have since removed the provision that Palin was referring to, and Democrats rejected the amendment to require verification and close this loophole allowing illegals to be covered.
Despite statements to the contrary, the Obama administration could force the American people to pay for the healthcare of millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S.
The Democrats’ bill in the House, H.R. 3200, contains gaping loopholes that will allow illegal immigrants to receive taxpayer-funded benefits. And these loopholes are no accident.
The legislation contains no verification mechanism to ensure that illegal immigrants do not apply for benefits. Republicans offered an amendment to close this loophole — it would have required verification using the existing methods that are already in place to verify eligibility for other federal benefits programs. But, when they were asked to put the language of the bill where their words were, in a party-line vote, House Democrats rejected the amendment to require verification and close this loophole.
The bill also leaves open the possibility that if one citizen family member is eligible for benefits, then the entire family — including illegal immigrants — is also eligible for the benefits.
From Legal Insurrection – The House Bill Does Cover Illegals
Technically, Obama was correct that his plan does not cover illegal aliens because Obama has no plan that has been released, only concepts. So if Obama says his plan doesn’t cover illegals, then by definition it does not cover illegals — at least until we see the language in his plan. Similarly, the Senate HELP Committee bill defines an “eligible individual” in numerous places throughout the bill to include only citizens and legal residents (including for the public option, at page 111 of the bill).
So using the two measures, the non-existent Obama bill and the draft Senate HELP Committee bill which was not a full Senate proposal, Obama was correct.
But if the standard is the full House Bill, HR3200, then it appears that Obama was incorrect. There is nothing in HR3200 that excludes illegal aliens from the various coverage provisions (with a few limited exceptions). The Congressional Research Service agrees with this assessment (full report embedded below). For example, with regard to health care exchanges, the CRS found:
H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently—participating in the Exchange.
Since the Obama administration wanted a full House vote passing HR3200 prior to the August recess, Obama was okay with a bill that included illegal aliens.
Obama, in his speech Wednesday, also accused people of using scare tactics:
“But what we’ve also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have towards their own government. Instead of honest debate, we’ve seen scare tactics.”
But then turns around and makes this statement:
“Everyone in this room knows what will happen if we do nothing. Our deficit will grow. More families will go bankrupt. More businesses will close. More Americans will lose their coverage when they are sick and need it most. And more will die as a result. We know these things to be true.”
Talk about scare tactics.
People are also complaining about the loss of civility in the Congress. They are shocked that a member of Congress would disrespect the President in such a manner.
I have also read many complaints about the Republicans and their refusal to stand and clap at certain points in the speech. Are people’s memories really that selective?
After eight years of calling Bush a mass murdering, Nazi style Hitler, dumbass and worse, Obama supporters run screaming and crying because of some comparisons of Obama to Hitler. (Many of which are coming from the far left!)
And who could forget about Obama hiring Van Jones? A guy who called Republicans assholes, said white polluters steer toxins into minority neighborhoods, said only white people were prone to mass murder in schools, and charged the former President with involvement in 9/11. And even after Glenn Beck exposed all of this, Obama stood behind him, and didn’t speak out against Van Jones’ comments or behavior. Van Jones was not fired, he resigned.
And let’s not forget about Obama’s old buddy, loves him like an uncle, Jeremiah Wright. Still slinging that hate speech!
The left was also outraged last week because some people rejected the lesson plan sent around by the White House, asking students to write essays on how they can “help the President”. But yet, the last time a President (George HW bush) spoke to schoolchildren, the Democrats were outraged, even going so far as to hold hearings.
Obama lectured on the need for civility in the debate, which is quite comical after the Democrats and liberal media spent the last few months calling anyone who opposes the reform, or current plans racist, teabagging, swastika wearing, evil mongering dangerous violent mobs spreading lies, innuendo and rumor. (Despite the fact that violence and disfigurement has come from the Left.)
And Hot Air pointed out: Guy who joked about Hillary being a “mad bitch” lectures GOP on civility.
I guess Dana Millbanks forgot about his little Hillary Gets Mad Bitch Beer skit he performed recently…
And as for lies, how about msnbc when they edited their video to eliminate the fact that this “white guy showing up with a gun strapped to his waist” was actually black?
Two wrongs don’t make a right. But seriously, people need to quit the whining and crying about all the “attacks on Obama” and remember that just a mere short time ago, the shoe was on the other foot.
I don’t think anyone is smearing Obama, or intentionally spreading misinformation and lies about the health care reform. People are looking at prior statements made by Obama and the Democrats, and they are looking at the facts in the bills.
Check out the Fact Check by AP from Wednesday nights speech and Reason’s Obama’s Lies Matter, Too. Read them and then ask yourself if people have a right to be concerned and a right to question the rhetoric.
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