Let's see the republicans and Joe Wilson were on the ropes, the president delivers a knockout speech, and now our favorite neighborhood "centrists" are snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/...
The controversy over Republican Rep. Joe Wilson’s shouting out "You Lie!" at the President over his claim that illegal immigrants wouldn’t benefit from health-care reform apparently sparked some reconsideration of the relevant language. "We really thought we’d resolved this question of people who are here illegally, but as we reflected on the President’s speech last night we wanted to go back and drill down again," said Senator Kent Conrad, one of the Democrats in the talks after a meeting Thursday morning. Baucus later that afternoon said the group would put in a proof of citizenship requirement to participate in the new health exchange — a move likely to inflame the left.
These guys have now single-handedly lent policy credence to the whole "illegal immigrants being covered" lie. Joe Wilson is now more powerful today than he's ever been.
On a practical note, we are now prepared to prohibit illegals from purchasing, with their own money, health insurance from the private market!
Who does this help?
Now if an immigrant, who might otherwise have insurance, gets sick, he now has to go to the emergency room for his care!
Every toothache, stomach pain, baby crying uncontrollably in the middle of the night, earache, common cold, flu, and broken leg will now be redirected to the most expensive place in the country to receive medical care, an emergency room. AND IT'LL BE FREE!
Mr. Yglesias makes the same point, but if the goal is to keep illegals from benefiting from public services why stop there?
- Citizen checks to ride a city bus, subway, or airplane
- Checks to get on an interstate highway
- Checks to visits a national park
- Any federal money for drug research? Where's your green card to buy that Lipitor?
Baucus and Conrad have not just surrendered to lies, but to stupidity. And the whole country pays the price. A heavy price to pay for spite.