Posted by
Steve on Thursday, September 10, 2009 4:53:18 PM
Barack Obama gave his highly touted speech last night to both Houses of Congress. I was unable to hear the speech live because I work evenings and could not turn in a radio to listen. So, I had to wait until after work to find anything out.
In reading the speech, he starts telling whoppers at the beginning and continues until the end. He said nothing in this speech that he has not been saying in speeches around the country for the past couple of weeks. The highlight of the night came when Obama made his usual lie that the bill will not cover those here illegally. That was too much for Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina. He yelled out that Obama was lying. Everything came to a screeching halt for a few seconds while everyone caught their breath. Democrats were livid. Republicans were privately cheering him on while appearing uncomfortable.
Today, all the talk is about the fact that Representative Joe Wilson yelled that Barack Obama lied during the speech. To hear Democrats talk, you would think that this is the first time in the history of the Republic that this has happened. They conveniently forget speeches President Bush gave to Congress where the Democrats accused him of lying. The Democrats even went to the fuss of walking out on the President. Joe Wilson just yelled out that Obama lied when he could not take it any longer. He did speak out of turn and he did apologize for that mistake. He did not apologize for saying that Obama lied. He still insists that is true.
Let’s look at the facts on whether Obama or Wilson is correct. Obama said that under his plan no person who is here illegally will be covered by the plan. The bill actually says that in the language included in the bill. But, there is no way to know whether someone is here legally or illegally under the bill and you cannot check to see. In other words, the bill does not cover those here illegally, but if they happen to apply to be covered there is no way for Obamacare to know whether he can be covered or not. So, he would be covered under Obamacare if he asked to be covered. That would mean that a person here illegally could be covered under Obamacare if they took the time to come down and apply for it. So, technically Obama was correct that the bill does not cover illegal aliens. But, Joe Wilson is correct that illegal aliens will be covered under the bill as written. When the Republicans tried to put enforcement into the bill, the Democrats voted it down under a party line vote. In other words, the Democrats intend for illegal aliens to be covered under the bill. They just put the language that they will not be covered into the bill to make people think that illegal aliens will not be covered. Joe Wilson was correct. Barack Obama was wrong.
There was no reason to call a joint session of Congress to listen to this speech. Nothing was said in this speech that had not been said many times over during the past few weeks. Obama added nothing to the information available for the public to use to know where the discussion is on the merits of the bill.
Every reason the Republicans had for not supporting the bill before last night are still there this morning. Barack Obama did not move the ball in any direction. All that happened was a lot of publicity for a regular campaign speech that may or may not have added to the debate over healthcare today. When you add it all up, Obama gave us nothing at all last night in his speech except more of the same old rhetoric that we have heard before and will hear again. With all the build-up you would have thought he could have come up with something new to break the ice. He came up with nothing. That means in the debate, he is a cipher. That is not a good place for the President of the United States.