The problem with America's public discourse

When the Press reports manufactured Republican outrage, not facts, the public gets easily confused. Last night, President Obama's Health Insurance Reform speech was interrupted by a Republican who yelled "You lie!" when the President said his plan would not cover illegal immigrants. This is reminiscent of the Town Hall screamers orchestrated by Glenn Beck and Private Insurance this summer.

From MediaMatters

The [R]ight long ago figured out that most people go for "the truth is in the middle" as an idea of deciding what to believe. By pushing the debate as far to the right as possible they can create a fake middle close to their real ideas. [It's] the same reason they floated the death panel stuff.

And here:

On some level, it's almost irrelevant whether the bill includes language covering or denying coverage to illegal immigrants.

If an illegal immigrant shows up at an emergency room with appendicitis, hospital staff are not going to shove that person to the sidewalk and watch him/her writhe in pain. They're going to treat the illness.

And if that illegal immigrant can't pay for it, you and I are going to pay, just like we pay for true US citizens who don't have insurance.

I'm a huge bleeding heart Obama fan and I want his initiatives to pass, but I think concentrating on the bill's language on this issue is a moot point. The fact is, we as compassionate humans must care for others, and that's going to cost us.