Health Care Bill To Cover Undocumented Immigrants? False.
Over at Media Matters, Eric Boehlert calls out the media for covering Rep. Joe Wilson's interjectory fireworks during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night without delving into whether Wilson was correct in his assertion -- that Obama was lying when he said that illegal immigrants would not qualify for credits for the proposed health care exchanges:
What's been completely glossed over by the press is the fact that the "You Lie!" was itself built upon a lie. That the rude outburst was yet more GOP misinformation. Instead, too many in the press treat the exchange as a he said/he said. i.e. Obama claimed illegal immigrants won't be covered, and Wilson called him a liar. What are the facts? Which man was telling the truth? The press won't say.
In an update, Boehlert credits Michael Scherer at Time Magazine for digging into Wilson's claim. But he should also dole out a kudo to MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, who invited Politifact's Bill Adair on the show to provide fact-checking of the speech. Ratigan got right to it, leading off the segment by asking Adair to rate the accuracy of Wilson's outburst, citing it as "the obvious [item] to fact check." Adair, noting that it was the first time he'd ever "fact-checked a heckler," said that he rated Wilson's assertion "false."
ADAIR: Obama is right. When you look at the bill, it does go to some lengths to make sure that illegal immigrants do not get the credits for the health care exchange that would allow them to get free care. They'd have to pay for it, like everybody else. False for Wilson.
Source.
10 comments:
shaw,
LOL!
Shaw: I googled Wilson's votes to see if he was for going easy on people that hire illegals and was attacked by some bad stuff.(Virus and trojan horse.) I'm hoping somebody else is able to do that. I would suspect he would be willing to look the other way if tobacco farmers in his state hired them.
shaw,
Joe Wilson is a GOP hero?
Oh, wait. I understand. They admire liars and bigots.
I get it.
The videos are great.
Seen on a rightwing blog:
Comrade Barry chose to give a highly partisan, full-of-lies speech to his cheering toadies, thus drawing lines in the sand against any hope for compromise or statesmanship. So now we know clearly: this is a Chicago thug hack communist we have in charge of the executive branch and our armed forces. Joe Wilson is the only Congressman representing the people of this country. Of what value is "decorum" in a cheerleading [sic] pep rally when the Public Enemy Number One is arrogantly using his power to destroy this country?
Thank God one man came forward to tell the only truth heard last night.
I don't believe a damn thing he ever says!
It wouldn't take anyone very long to search the "intertubes" to find more of the same turgid, unhinged, and deeply paranoid rantings.
Apparently President Obama's speech was really, really good, and has driven the crazies of the rabid right into uncontrolled apoplexy.
Whew.
Shaw: I dislike frivolous use of the "communist" epithet for Obama, just like I dislike the frivolous use of the "nazi" or "Hitler" epithet for him.
"There's no provision for how the prohibition would be enforced, or any requirement for people to prove they are citizens or legal residents before getting health care benefits. In fact, Democrats on the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees defeated Republican-offered amendments that would have required people to verify their legal status before getting care, with some Democrats saying such requirements would be unnecessarily burdensome for people legally entitled to coverage."
Source: Associated Press.
Absent a means of verification and penalties for violation, anyone, legal or not, can get the coverage. It's like a bar owner posting a sign reading "No One Under 21 Admitted" but neglecting to check IDs. Such negligence would open the owner to criminal penalties and lawsuits. But the president and his pals don't want enforcement of the provision, so they voted it down, twice.
A reasonable observer can only conclude that the president is offering a fig leaf to cover his intention to provide insurance for illegals at public expense.
Another example of GOP "integrity":
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/11/2063918.aspx
Just in case anyone is wondering whether Wilson had a good point behind his bad manners, he didn’t. His comment followed Obama’s assertion that his health plan would not benefit illegal immigrants. Wilson, who apologized for his conduct but didn’t withdraw his opinion, claims that Obama would indeed give benefits to illegals. Wilson’s defenders argue that because health plans lack specific enforcement mechanisms against illegal immigrants, some could obtain phony Social Security numbers and sneak onto the rolls. That’s like saying Obama’s health plan benefits thieves and murderers, since they could theoretically do the same.
It’s a bogus point that demonstrates how badly some opponents want to demonize the president and the cause of universal health care. Obama yesterday accepted Wilson’s apology, and there’s no point in adding to the incivility by piling on. But Americans seeking to cut through the thicket of claims and counterclaims should look hard at the messengers and try to assess their motives.
Dave guy: I generally agree with what you say.
Would you support a provision of the health care plan for "ID check" to see that the SSN's are valid, and that the recipients are qualified US citizens (or naturalized immigrants, if that category is approved too)?
Wilson also is an extremely unpatriotic man who has glorified the treasonous Confederacy.
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