Posted by: ST on September 11, 2009 at 10:37 am
Don Surber has a good round-up of latest attacks on Rep. Joe Wilson coming from, you guessed it, Obama’s willing helpers in the MSM. He reports on a story from The Hill about how Wilson admitted in 2007 that he was a pill-popper … a NoDoz caffeine pill-popper. Gasp!
Better still was a story from the Newsweek blog insinuating that Wilson was a hypocrite on the issue of “government healthcare” because his sons – all enlisted in the military – get “free military healthcare.” The title of this absurd Newsweek post?
Joe Wilson’s Dirty Health-Care Secret
I swear – you cannot make this junk up.
James Joyner smacks down the idea that having “free military healthcare” makes you some kind of hypocrite on the issue of government healthcare:
But it’s patently absurd to argue that, because your employer is providing benefits to you in exchange for your labor — let alone the very real danger of being sent to war for years on end, risking life and limb — that you’re a hypocrite if you oppose having the taxpayer provide them to everybody. Let alone to people who aren’t even citizens!
I’m only slightly less annoyed by the related trope that Congressmen who won’t vote to extend free health care to all citizens should give up their own taxpayer-provided benefits. Our health care system has evolved as one where employers provide benefits for their workers. For government workers — be they military personnel, file clerks at the Commerce Department, or Members of Congress — their employer is the United States taxpayer. It simply doesn’t follow that taking the benefits agreed to as a condition of employment requires extending said benefits to non-employees.
Last but not least, and on a good note, Fox News reports that as a result of Wilson’s outburst, the Senate is moving to close the illegal immigrant loophole he brought to light:
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., was criticized for interrupting Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress to accuse the president of lying about his health care reform plan prohibiting coverage for illegal immigrants. Wilson quickly apologized, and the White House accepted the apology.
Wilson apologized again Thursday morning, though he also says a massive loophole could wind up in the health care bill: no requirement to prove citizenship for health care coverage.
Among three House committees to pass bills for health reform, only one expressly bans federal funding for proving health coverage to illegal immigrants.
“The Congressional Research Service has indicated that indeed the bills that are before Congress would include illegal aliens,” Wilson said. “And I think this is wrong.”
Indeed, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service study found that the House health care bill does not restrict illegal immigrants from receiving health care coverage.
House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner amplified the complaint that without proof of citizenship, illegal immigrants could be insured.
“There were two opportunities for House Democrats to make clear that illegal immigrants wouldn’t be covered by putting in requirements to show citizenships,” he said. “Both of those amendments were, in fact, rejected.”
In the Senate, Democrats in the so called “Gang of Six,” a group of bipartisan senators on the Senate Finance Committee which is the last panel yet to release its bill, began moving quickly to close the loophole that Wilson helped bring greater attention to.
“We absolutely assure that those who are here illegally would not get the benefit of any of these initiatives,” Sen. Kent Conrad said.
Will the House follow suit? Stay tuned.
Want to thank Joe Wilson for refusing to be muzzled? Click here. The site is understandably overwhelmed, so please be patient.
Update: Here are a couple of alternative contact links: Link 1, link 2.
Related: Make sure to check out John Hawkins’ interview with Wilson.
The idiots in Washington and the disgusting MSM will continue to talk about Joe Wilson … anything to keep the story off Obama.
I am glad, however, that Mr. Wilson opened this can of worms. He didn’t back off totally when he was “forced” to apologize. Deep down we know where his heart is.
And, of course, we all know where Obama’s heart is … with the Muslim community, not the American people who remember what really happened on 9/11.
Joe Wilson is indeed a dishonest, partisan hack who deeply disgraced himself and his party by calling the President a liar. Bush should never have sent him to Niger to investigate those yellowcake rumors in the first place.
It matters that restrictions to criminal alien health care coverage are in the proposed bills, but, IF any bills are passed (as should not happen in anything resembling present form) it is mandatory those restrictions be in place in the final version.
In other words, the real watch will be in the conference version.
That being said, when will Congress, who is so worried about the spiraling costs of health care, start addressing the causes of that upward spiral? Seems to me everything in writing so far is designed to increase the bleeding, not stem it.
Neo – Cheney asked the CIA in good faith to investigate the yellow cake rumors. Dishonest, partisan hack’s wife (but NOT a spy) recommended the career mid level bureaucrat for a mission that he was clearly not qualified for (except that his approach entailed sitting all day in the bar and drinking) and some nitwit at the CIA agreed with her.
But I appreciate the sentiment. When I first saw “Joe Wilson” I recoiled in horror. Even the Washington Post finally relented and called THAT idiot a liar.
THIS Joe Wilson is a hero who may save us from paying for health care for 30 million illegals. Of course there are those who say health care is just the foot in the door to get them all citizenship and voter cards.
What the hell does yellow cake have to do with Obama lying to the American people and dismantling our country?
joewilsonforcongress.com send him money. Show your support it took b-lls to do what he did.No matter what the message got out-BO was lying.
Soooo obviously Joe Wilson spoke truth to power when he said that Barry lied. Sounds resonable to me. Remember when dissent was patriotic?? – Lorica
Joe Wilson is my kind of congressman. He told the truth when he called the president a liar. He said what a lot of people including other congress members wanted to say.
My comments to Mr. Wilson–
I applaud your actions during the President’s speech on Health Care Reform, which has now become Health Insurance Reform earlier this week. I would have apologized just as you did for your interruption of the speech.
It was interesting to note that soon afterward, the President said that if anyone misrepresented what is contained in the bill, he would ‘call you out’ on it. Well, you ‘called him out’ first!
You publicly voiced what was going on in our family room and many, many others all over the United States. You gave us our voice, and I am grateful for it.
Let me guess….the people who are indignant about Congressman Wilson using NoDoz are the same people who think Obama’s past use of cocaine and marijuana is unimportant. Was I right?
Wilson is just “speaking truth to power” and the leftists are going bats**t crazy over it because (1) they think they’re the only ones allowed to do that and (2) they can’t imagine anyone would actually tell the TRUTH in those cases.
Why is it OK for Obama to call Palin a liar, but not OK for Wilson to call Obama a liar?
I think that mister (or miss) Neo was making a little joke there.
On the bright side, it seems to me their enemies list could get so long as to be unmanageable.
I think Glenn Beck has risen to Limbaugh level of leftist hatred. And they have to now try to destroy Beck, Limbaugh, Palin, Wilson, even one of their own, John Mackey. Not to mention all the Tea Party/Townhall/9-12 protesters.
I mean, it’s it inevitable that eventually there will be so many of us they simply can’t take on everyone? Couldn’t their heads actually explode at some point?
Pelosi agrees On Plan To Scold Rep. Wilson For ‘You Lie’ Outburst.
Good. Bring. It. On.
Wilson should go to the floor with a television set, and play the video of the Dem caucus booing Bush during the State Of The Union address in 2005. This should be followed by his reading the Associated Press fact check of Obama’s speech to the Joint Session. The story is evidence that Obama is fact challenged. Pelosi has all but called the Tea Party liars, and Reid, Pelosi, and Obama have consistently talked about stopping the spread of lies about the healthcare bill. In order for their to be lies, there must be liars, so with their accusations, the three stooges just called a majority of Americans liars…
The answer to your question, Vatar, is because anyone who criticizes Obama is a racist.
I find it ironic that the usual Starbucks liberals are the ones calling Wilson a speed freak for taking NoDoz…you can’t make this stuff up can you?
Ugh. Why are we having to fight tooth and nail!? They are just stupid. I try not to name call, but srsly! I feel stupid even talking anymore.
I can’t wait for tomorrow. Going to a Tea Party and I think I’m getting a puppy for my b-day.
God Bless America
I hope he hangs in there and does not apologize. If I can ever get to his site I’ll send a contribution.
You go JOE! He was and is a liar. I not sorry that you are new to the Washington “Game”. Please dont let ‘them’ (career politicians) spend my grandchildren’s furture. I am sorry than American News media has become so slanted in favor of socialistic leaders and causes. Im happy you called it as you saw it. Don’t get blinded.
It’s true–there is quite a lot of “hype” surrounding the Joe Wilson affair. Certainly a lot more than is actually necessary. Yet, as you all point out, this has probably ended up giving Wilson a political advantage within his own party. And probably with anyone who appreciates a guy who sticks to his guns. He sure seems to be doing that. Although he gave a true apology to Obama and recorded a nationally-aired announcement video, I believe he is still refusing the need to speak/apologize before the house. Like you said, he can’t completely deny what he sees as a huge problem–the potential for illegal immigrant coverage.
Earlier today, I watched a short summary video on the whole Joe Wilson affair and the reactions it generated at newsy.com. The video shows a few different perspectives and cites various sources–it’s worth taking a few minutes to watch and comment on:
LINK
It is an excellent idea to have a vote on Joe Wilson calling the President a liar. The more time we spend noting how much of a serial liar our President has turned out to be, the better. By all means, let’s keep the “President as liar” meme alive.
Rick
Outcry from left-wingers over NO-DOZ, but were any of them concerned (or covered their ears and eyes) when their Boston patron saint, Sen. Ted Kennedy, showed up for almost anything snockered out of his gourd? And hey, did you hear the latest joke about Chappaquiddick?
To Rep. Joe Wilson: I live in Arizona, but my husband and I donated to your campaign fund yesterday. God bless you for your courage and your spine. Leftists only attack that which they fear. Thanks for taking the heat off Sarah Palin for a little bit.
For contributions: I located another website for making campaign contributions to Rep. Joe Wilson that is operating just fine: give this one a try if you want to shoot over a small or large contribution… size doesn’t matter, support does: Joe Wilson, Republican for Congress. Here’s another secure link to a donations site to make a campaign contribution to Rep. Wilson that was posted this morning on Drudge.
Unfortunately, Wilson’s Nodoz addiction may just be the beginning. I have heard rumor that Wilson also has an addiction to another substance far more dangerous than caffiene.
That’s right…..I’m talking about Hostess Twinkies.
OH, the horror!!! THE HORROR!!!!!!
Linda & Carol, the “Joe Wilson” referred to by Neo was a mid-level State Department partisan hack whose wife, Valerie Plame, may at one time have been a “covert” CIA agent, but at the time in question had spent several years (more than five, a magic number) as a mid-level desk jockey for the CIA. Her name was leaked in a commentary piece in the WSJ that she worked for the CIA. All hell broke loose from the left because the writer had “outed” an active covert agent, definitely against the law. That’s what “Plamegate” was all about, and hence the reference to the incompetent turncoat Wilson.
This Joe Wilson, on the other hand, seems to have his head screwed on pretty well, and was gracious enough to apologize to the president after calling him out on the floor of the House, a definite no-no according to House rules. I personally wouldn’t have apologized because there was nothing to apologize for.
But he did. And I hope that now he sticks to his guns and tells the donks, especially Nazi Pelousy, to pack sand.
My bad I didn’t get the joke. I just get so damn angry watching Obama get away with lie after lie after lie.
Last but not least, and on a good note, Fox News reports that as a result of Wilson’s outburst, the Senate is moving to close the illegal immigrant loophole he brought to light:
Surely those provisions for preventing the illegals to get coverage are already there in the proposed bills. Otherwise, Joe Wilson is right. But, he was a NoDoz pill-popper and Obama who was a dope user said he was wrong. Dope trumps NoDoze, so Obama is right. So, why do all senators try to add things that are already in there? *head explode*
There is a general statement in the House version, Wallace, but absolutely no way of enforcement. When Wilson, amoung others, brought this up as a specific amendment it was voted down handily by the donks who don’t ever want to see such “discrimination”, especially against one of their favorite voting blocks (and yes, illegals do vote).
They (the donks) can cry all they want to that the provision is already in, but until they put specific enforcement rules in you can pretty well count on the government welfare classes to allow coverage for those who “are just trying to make a better life for themselves”.
At my and, I might add, your expense (provided you are a common working stiff like me.)
It’s so hard to keep up. If a politician’s offspring are not in the military, he is a murdering chickenhawk sending others’ “children” to war but protecting his own.
If they are serving, then the entire family are freeloaders on the public dime. Is implying our troops are deadbeats and welfare cheats new code for “supporting” them?
You could get whiplash keeping tabs on the intellectual consistency. Yet one more reason I am not smart enough to be a leftist.
Yes, Steve, we knuckle-dragging, unthinking conservatives are just mental couch potatoes unable to keep up with real mental gymnastics. A pity, really, since such activities are so symbolic of the Kumbaya love libs have for those they enslave and support so eagerly.
Wallace, it doesn’t matter if the bills contain some boilerplate forbidding illegals from getting coverage. As Carlos says, there’s no way to enforce it. In fact, doctors and hospitals may not check whether anyone is an illegal. If they do, it’s “racial profiling” and Obama would be the first one to condemn them for asking.
Steve, you’re expecting the left to put thought into their reactions. There’s your trouble. No – they operate on instinct. Rational thought is impossible once the mental disorder known as liberalism metastasizes, so they can only function using pre-programmed responses. They think about what they’re going to say about as much as a two-month old infant thinks about when to relieve himself.