Out to lunch

So after watching Obama a little last night, and reading some more stuff, I have a few thoughts. I thought Obama (as always) made it sound like a very good thing. Frankly, if everything he said happens I think I, along with most of America, would be very pleased. A better healthcare system without fraud and waste, available to everyone without raising deficits? Count me in!

The trick, as always, is how to do it within budgetary constraints, especially if we're serious about not raising spending levels. If it can be done, and if he holds to his word about refusing to sign anything that spends more than we already are, I think it would be a good thing for America.

Just as big a news story is the heckling he received with regards to illegal immigrants not receiving the public option. He (Obama) said that these benefits would not be available to illegal immigrants, and some Republican yelled out 'You lie!' Then, on the Today Show this morning, McCain said he didn't see anything in the bill that would give illegal immigrants the right to participate.

Well, I think the yeller dude was right. Incredibly disrespectful, but right. How do we plan on restricting this to only U.S. Citizens? When someone shows up at the hospital without insurance, are we going to start asking them if they're a U.S. Citizen? It's illegal for hospitals to do that now - are we going to start? I realize we can probably restrict their ability to sign up for the public option, but healthcare reform is in a large part about taking care of those uninsured that just show up at the hospital - exactly the demographic that most illegal immigrants find themselves in.

I think the President is out to lunch thinking that we won't be paying for healthcare for illegal immigrants, McCain is right there with him not looking at the practical aspects of this, and the yeller dude is out to lunch on his place in American politics.