Posted by
Patrick Henry on Sunday, November 08, 2009 9:46:06 AM
When President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of congress, he stridently and aggressively made
certain claims about the bill Democrats were trying to pass and that he supported. At one point he was
interrupted by Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) who shouted, "You lie." Wilso was subsequently
pilloried in the media and disciplined by Democrats in the House for his outburst. Ensuing events have
proven beyond a shadow of doubt, however, that Obama did lie, and did it repeatedly. So the real
question is not why did Joe Wilson shout, "You lie?" The real question is what will it take to muster
the intestinal fortitude in the rest of us to do the same?
The facts speak for themselves. Obama claimed that the proposed healthcare reform would not allow
coverage for illegal aliens, A Sebate committee spent the entire week after the promise had been made
stripping out the loophole that proved Wilson's contention. Now, the Houseof Representatives, caving
in to the Hispanic Caucus, has put it back. Illegal aliens will be able to get insurance through the "public
option." Democrats point out that they will have to use their own money to do it, but ignore the fact that
the reason they will be able to afford it is because it will be subsidized by your tax dollar. Wilson was right!
Obama lied then, and he's lying now if he says that the House bill just passed will not cover illegals.
Obama promised that healthcare reform would not provide federal dollars to pay for abortion. It was a
lie when he said it, and it was a lie up until an hour before the health vote in the House. Democrat Bart
Stupak (R-MI) put together a coalition of pro-life Democrats and threatened to join Republicans in
blocking the healthcare reform bill's passage unless it strictly prohinited any use of federal dollars to fund
abortion. His amendment to that effect was known as the Stupak-Pitts amendment. House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi prevailed upon pro-choice elements to agree to its passage in order to bring the bigger bill to the
floor for a successful vote. The amendment passed 240-194. Does anyone want to bet that Pelosi didn't
promise the pro-choiceers that Stupak-Pitts would be stripped out of the final bill in conference? If so,
you're on! If Obama was telling the truth, then why was Stupak-Pitts necessary? Clearly, it wouldn't have
been. Obama lied through his teeth.
The president promised that "if you like you;re healthcare plan, you can keep it." To ten million seniors
on Medicare Advantage that was a lie, because all the existing bills de-fund Medicare Advantage in order
to pay for healthcare reform. This means that those seniors will not. as Obama promised, be able to keep
the healthcare plans they are happy with. They will eventually have to purchase a medicare supplement
plan which is several times more expensive and does not cover much of the preventive and maintenance
care that Medicare Advantage allows. Obama lied to ten million seniors, and he did it knowingly and to
gain political advantage. How much lower can it get?
It's not okay for presidents to lie to congress or the American people. When Democrats became convinced
that George W. Bush had deceived congress and Americans about the reasons for invading Iraq, they labeled
him a liar and pressed the assertion through the remainder of his term and throughout the 2008 election
campaign. They had far less proof that Bush lied that we now have that Barack Obama did. When it comes
to prevarication, America has allowed its leaders a good deal of slack (Johnson, Nixon, Clinton, et al). But
when deception becomes the daily modus operandi of an entire administration -- from the White House right
down through the congress -- Americans are unlikely to be so charitable. It is a painful thing for a nation
to admit that its elected leaders were elected and continue to govern supported by a tissue of premeditated
falsehoods. Obama promised that if opponents said things that weren't true about his beloved healthcare
reform "we're going to call you out." Well, Mr. President, you have lied to us, repeatedly and premeditatedly.
Now we're calling you out. That's what comes just before we throw you out!