The Stuck Pig Squeals
You can tell that Paul Ryan really stung the Democrats last night, by what the party’s leaders are telling their faithful. This is from Barney Frank, in an email titled “clever:”
John –The Democrats can’t get through an email without mentioning the Koch brothers. Can these ritual references possibly have any effect? You wouldn’t think so.
Paul Ryan is a rigid far-right ideologue and a clever politician.
That’s a dangerous combination — especially in an election where ultraconservative billionaires like the Koch Brothers are spending millions to ensure that their extreme right-wing agenda becomes a reality.
Unlike some of these Tea Party Republicans, Ryan understands that much of what he wants to do is very unpopular with the American people. He’ll do everything he can to avoid the specifics of his plans to end Medicare, privatize Social Security, and give Mitt Romney a 1% tax rate.Notice that now Ryan is “a clever politician” who tries to hide his agenda from voters. That is, of course, the exact opposite of the Democrats’ line when Mitt Romney announced his choice of Ryan as vice-presidential nominee. Then, the Democrats claimed they were licking their chops because Ryan is such a blunt spokesman whose positions are well known. Oh–that reference to “giv[ing] Romney a 1% tax rate”? What is that all about? I have no idea; sheer fiction, apparently.
This one came in just a little while ago, from Mike Ryan, Policy Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. It is titled “it was brazen.” (The Democrats apparently don’t like capital letters.)
John –Well, that settles that then! As it happens, the GM plant in question closed in April 2009, when this local television report aired:
Last night, Paul Ryan brazenly lied to the country. Repeatedly.
He lied about Medicare. He lied about Obamacare. He even attacked President Obama for a GM plant that closed while George W. Bush was still President.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archive...ig-squeals.php
To be fair to the Democrats, they might actually believe that George W. Bush was president in April 2009. I say this because they always attribute the spending during the first year of the Obama administration to Bush.
What all of this means is that Ryan hurt the Democrats badly last night. As usual, rather than responding in any substantive manner–but then, how would they?–they lash out blindly. The one thing I can’t figure out is how Ryan could have hurt them so seriously when so few people were watching.
