09/21/2009
This is the speech in which Obama clarified his big picture of healthcare/amnesty, namely that when the millions of illegal aliens get to steal citizenship, they will receive freebie Obamacare on the backs of the American taxpayers.
Now, we face enormous challenges as a nation. Many of those challenges are felt far more acutely by Latinos. But our ability to solve any of the problems we face — from health care to education, from economic recovery to immigration reform — depends on our willingness to recognize that our destiny is shared. We've seen this starkly throughout this economic crisis, as fortunes linked the small business owner on Main Street and the bond trader on Wall Street, the young family looking to refinance a mortgage to the large bank whose profits depend on their staying out of foreclosure. But this has always been true, in good times and bad. Our success has long depended on our willingness to see our challenges as ones we have to face together; our willingness to live up to a simple ideal: Todos somos Americanos. We are all Americans. (Applause.) [ … ]
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 is 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 simply ignore the fact that our immigration system is broken. (Applause.) 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. (Applause.) And we certainly should not let this debate on health care — one 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. (Applause.)
I've asked Secretary Janet Napolitano to lead the conversation with stakeholders both on and off Capitol Hill. And I know that she’s met with many of you. This is a tough issue — we all know that — which is why it is so important that we develop the strategy and the policy that’s going to get us over the finish line. My commitment is real and so is my desire to get this done. In fact, the changes we've made administratively are already making a difference. The American people did not send us to Washington to ignore problems just because they're tough. They sent us here to solve them. And that’s what we can and must do on immigration reform. (Applause.)
On all — on all these issues you understand what’s at stake because you see it, you experience it in your communities every single day. Whether it’s health insurance reform or immigration reform, fixing our schools or reviving our economy, it is essential that we put aside the petty and the partisan, that we don’t fall prey to arguments that would divide us, that would suggest that progress in America is a zero-sum game. We know the opposite is the truth. We know that here, in America, we can only prosper as one nation, as one people. We know that here in America we rise or fall together. Todos somos Americanos. (Applause.)[Remarks By The President At The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 32nd Annual Award Gala
September 17, 2009 ]
Here’s a clip of the juiciest payback talk:
Here’s a Lou Dobbs report on the subject.
This is a content archive of VDARE.com, which Letitia James forced off of the Internet using lawfare.