The President should not be called a liar, but.....

First, let it be said that Joe Wilson's outburst at the President's address to congress was totally inappropriate. He said "You're lying!" in reference to the issue of insuring illegal aliens under the proposed healthcare reform. Such behavior simply cannot be tolerated by a representative in such a venue.

That being said, it must also be pointed out that because Barack Obama says something, that does not automatically make it true. He can say that illegals won't be insured, that the plan won't add to the deficit or that there will be no "death panels", but that does not mean that they are true statements.

Technically, there is language in HR 3200 that says no illegal aliens will receive benefits under the bill. Practically, there are many ways that they will be able to gain benefits.

The statement that the plan will not add to the deficit is laughable. It will add billions to the deficit and no honest, rational human being can say otherwise with a straight face (except for Barack Obama, I guess)

As to "death panels", no, there won't be panels of grim reapers in black robes telling Mrs. Smith that it is time to die. There will be well groomed, efficient bureaucrats effectively making the same rationing decisions in much more subtle and nuanced ways.

Technically, you cannot call the President a liar, because everything he talked about is prospective. Still, any thinking person can read HR 3200 and see clearly that if it is passed, much of what the President said will prove to be false. At that point, we still won't call him a liar, just gravely mistaken.