Obama: Health Care for Illegals (Video, Transcript)

If I had been in the audience for Obama's speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, I wouldn't have wanted to shout "You lie!"

I would have wanted to yell "You can't be serious!"

Obama made some very revealing statements last night.

Video.



Transcript

OBAMA: Now, as you know, there's been a little controversy about who exactly will be covered under reform. I want to be clear. If someone's here illegally, they won't be covered under this plan. That's a commitment I've made.

But I also want to make this clear: Even though I do not believe we can extend coverage to those who are here illegally, I also don't simply believe we can ignore the fact that our immigration system is broken. That's why I strongly support making sure folks who are here legally have access to affordable, quality health insurance under this plan, just like everybody else.

And we certainly should not let this debate on health care, one that's so essential to Hispanic Americans and all Americans, get sidetracked by those looking to exploit divisions and kill reform at any cost. That's what they always try to do.

If anything, this debate underscores the necessity of passing comprehensive immigration reform and resolving the issue of 12 million undocumented people living and working in this country once and for all. That's what I've said from the start. That's what I say tonight.

Obama says he wanted to be clear.

He made himself very clear.

From the Washington Times:

Republicans said that amounts to an amnesty, calling it a backdoor effort to make sure current illegal immigrants get health care.

"It is ironic that the president told the American people that illegal immigrants should not be covered by the health care bill, but now just days later he's talking about letting them in the back door," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.

"If the American people do not want to provide government health care for illegal immigrants, why would they support giving them citizenship, the highest honor America can bestow?" Mr. Smith said.

To quote Charles Krauthammer:

Obama doesn't lie. He implies, he misdirects, he misleads -- so fluidly and incessantly that he risks transmuting eloquence into mere slickness.

Slickness wasn't fatal to "Slick Willie" Clinton because he possessed a winning, nearly irresistible charm. Obama's persona is more cool, distant, imperial. The charming scoundrel can get away with endless deception; the righteous redeemer cannot.

Obama is busted on this one.