Illegal Immigration watchdog-in-Congress Tom Tancredo has an op-ed piece out today about the hubbub over Joe Wilson, and he makes an important point about all of the loopholes that were (and still are) in the various health care bills, specifically when it comes to illegal aliens.

Conservatives tried to bring these facts to the forefront of the healthcare debate, but the media and the Democrats simply ignored them or repeated their lie that illegal aliens would not receive government funded healthcare.

But Joe Wilson forced them to face the facts.  On Friday night, Obama announced that he wanted to use the SAVE program and bar illegals from the Health Insurance Exchange.   

This does not mean Obama was telling the truth when Joe called him a liar.  On the contrary, it is an admission that before Joe called out Obama illegals were eligible. ...

In other words, if Obama wasn't "lying", then why the hurry to make that change in the bill?

Exactly.

At President Obama's latest media extravaganza (I have to write this quickly before that line becomes outdated), Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouted out at one point what many of his fellow Americans were thinking, "You lie!" (Video) I'd say he's a great example to the rest of us, but unfortunately he quickly apologized. Even so, Vice President Joe Biden said that Wilson had "demeaned the institution" of the US Congress. Biden and other Democrats repeatedly said they were "embarrassed." Republicans, including Senator John McCain (R-AZ), said it was "inappropriate" and "disrespectful." House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) even discussed taking punitive action against Wilson.

It seems like some perspective is in order here. Plenty of bloggers have pointed out Democrats' hypocrisy. Sharon Soon has a great piece here. Many point to Youtube videos like this one from 2005 where Democrats showed Bush the same level of respect that Republicans showed Obama last night.

But the truth is, if Bush couldn't handle some boos from his fellow countrymen, there was no way he'd be able to handle Saddam Hussein or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong-Il, and the same goes for Obama. The office of the President is the most powerful office in the free world, and the policies of the President affect every American and many non-Americans as well. If the President can't even take as much in-your-face criticism as comedians do, how is he going to justify those policies to the American people and to the world with any kind of clarity and strength of purpose?  read more »