The Washington Times article you linked to brings up a separate point, one on which you and President Obama clearly disagree. As I see it, there are two distinct camps on illegal alien amnesty. The first group, of which President Obama is a member, feels that whether we like it or not, there are a lot of illegal immigrants in our country. President Obama feels the best solution to that problem is to try to convert these immigrants into productive taxpayers, albeit at an initial cost to taxpayers. His hope is that if we give illegal immigrants who are already here enough incentive to declare themselves (amnesty plus full citizenship), the amount of taxable income that will no longer transacted under the table will largely offset if not eliminate the cost of offering citizenship benefits to the illegal immigrant population.

The second camp, of which I think you’d agree that you are a member, says that we cannot acknowledge any legitimacy or entitlement on the part of illegal immigrants. That would supposedly create a tantalizing incentive for more impoverished immigrants to enter the country illegally and leech money from government programs without contributing to the tax pool.

I will not place myself on either side of the argument, since that is beside the point. The fact is, the immigration debate is a separate one. You are correct in saying that, if illegal immigrants were granted amnesty, the recently passed healthcare bill would cover them. However, the bill does not intend to cover illegal immigrants, only citizens of the United States. Based on your viewpoints, you should vociferously oppose an illegal immigrant amnesty bill if one is proposed. But given that the only government services still provided to illegal immigrants are emergency medical care and K-12 education, I have trouble seeing how this bill will support illegal immigrants on its own.

Also, it’s probably best not to cite the Washington Times as a source. It’s funded by a church and known for its severe conservative bent. There’s not any glaring problems with the article you linked to, but you definitely would not want to cite a Washington Times opinion piece.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/18/obama-ties-immigration-to-health-care-battle/?page=2