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Behind the Ryan Facade
Author: BobR
Date: 08/15/2012 12:38:04
The selection of Paul Ryan by Mitt Romney as his running mate in this year's presidential election has helped shine a light on a person who has mostly benefited with controlling his own lighting. Ryan has successfully crafted an image of himself as a man of the people interested in taming the madness of Washington. That facade is falling off, and the reality beneath is not what most people believe, and will not help the Romney candidacy.
What most people don't know is Ryan's work background. Ryan graduated from college in 1992. His very first job was as a staff economist for Senator Stan Kasten. He continued to work for various political figures before running for office himself (and winning) in 1998. For the past 14 years, he has been a member of Congress. He did work some minor jobs along the way, but his focus has always been working in politics, and - for the most part - for the government. By Mitt Romney's standards, that means that Paul Ryan is not qualified to be president:
To quote Rick Perry: "Oops".
Living up to his reputation as a flip-flopper, Romney is ignoring this and focusing instead on Ryan's "insider" knowledge of Congress. Ryan has indeed been in the belly of the beast for 14 years. One wonders what he has to show for all that time. One would think he's passed a lot of legislation curtailing the power and scope of government, but of course - that would be false. While he has glommed on to others' legislation (known as "co-sponsoring"), he has gotten 2 - count 'em - 2, bills passed into law:
So while he's been the mouthpiece of a Republican agenda in the House, he really hasn't accomplished much that would distinguish himself from any other party-line-voting Republican. As a mouthpiece, though, he has had plenty to say.
He has been the leader in attacking "entitlements" (aka the safety net, aka Social Security and Medicare, hardly "entitlements") via his famed budget proposal that has gone nowhere. The ugly crux of that budget proposal is that Medicare and Social Security are definitely "on the table". Republicans have always had disdain for these programs, but they consider it political suicide to go after them. Ryan apparently did not get the memo.
What's interesting about that is that Ryan has already been a beneficiary of Social Security:
Ryan's plans for Social Security and Medicare will not be popular with elderly voters and shouldn't be popular with middle-aged voters either who have been paying into the systems for several decades. Ryan's "bootstraps" disdain for those who rely on these programs is evident in an incident from Sept of last year where he mocked a senior who protested Ryan's plans for Medicare. Romney can likely kiss Florida goodbye as voters there become more informed about Congressman Ryan.
Perhaps the largest sector of voters that might be put off by Ryan, however, are women. With all the focus on the Ryan budget, his draconian social views often get overlooked. He has consistently taken the most extreme positions possible on numerous issues that affect women, including abortion, contraception & fertilization (he supports personhood for fertilized eggs), and healthcare access (the aforementioned Medicare, plus Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, and the ACA). Check out that link for a very good summary.
If you combine his entire adult work history getting paychecks from the government, his lack of effectiveness in Congress, his desire to gut programs that protect the most vulnerable from destitution, and his disdain for women's health, one has to wonder what he really brings to the ticket. There's really something there to offend everyone.
What most people don't know is Ryan's work background. Ryan graduated from college in 1992. His very first job was as a staff economist for Senator Stan Kasten. He continued to work for various political figures before running for office himself (and winning) in 1998. For the past 14 years, he has been a member of Congress. He did work some minor jobs along the way, but his focus has always been working in politics, and - for the most part - for the government. By Mitt Romney's standards, that means that Paul Ryan is not qualified to be president:
...according to a proposal laid out earlier this year by Mitt Romney, [Paul Ryan] probably doesn't have the business accumen to serve as president.
Speaking at a campaign event in May, Romney appeared to endorse a supporter's idea for a constitutional amendment stating that a “president has to spend at least three years working in business before he can become president of the United States."
Romney continued, "You see, then he or she would understand that the policies they're putting into place have to encourage small business, make it easier for business to grow.”
To quote Rick Perry: "Oops".
Living up to his reputation as a flip-flopper, Romney is ignoring this and focusing instead on Ryan's "insider" knowledge of Congress. Ryan has indeed been in the belly of the beast for 14 years. One wonders what he has to show for all that time. One would think he's passed a lot of legislation curtailing the power and scope of government, but of course - that would be false. While he has glommed on to others' legislation (known as "co-sponsoring"), he has gotten 2 - count 'em - 2, bills passed into law:
1) In 2000, Paul Ryan passed a law that that changed the name of the post office in Janesville WI. The post office is now called the Les Aspin Post Office Building.
2) In 2008 (Or 4 election cycles later) Ryan introduced a bill that changed the way arrows used in bow hunting are taxed. From HuffPo, “Specifically, his bill amended the Internal Revenue Code to impose a 39-cent tax per arrow shaft, instead of a 12.4 percent tax on the sales price. The bill also includes points suitable for use with arrows in the 11 percent excise tax on arrow parts and accessories.” Ryan, an avid bow-hunter basically wrote a piece of legislation into the tax code, that would save him and his buddies from having to pay sales tax. Arrows average anywhere from $35 to $185 dollars.
So while he's been the mouthpiece of a Republican agenda in the House, he really hasn't accomplished much that would distinguish himself from any other party-line-voting Republican. As a mouthpiece, though, he has had plenty to say.
He has been the leader in attacking "entitlements" (aka the safety net, aka Social Security and Medicare, hardly "entitlements") via his famed budget proposal that has gone nowhere. The ugly crux of that budget proposal is that Medicare and Social Security are definitely "on the table". Republicans have always had disdain for these programs, but they consider it political suicide to go after them. Ryan apparently did not get the memo.
What's interesting about that is that Ryan has already been a beneficiary of Social Security:
From the age of 16, when his 55-year-old father died of a heart attack, until he was 18, Ryan received Social Security payments, which, according to a lengthy profile in WI Magazine, he put away for college. The eventual budget czar attended Miami University in Ohio to earn a B.A. in economics and political science, and landed a congressional internship as a junior.
Ryan’s congressional ascent, all the way to the top spot on the Budget Committee, began with his Social Security-funded college education.
Ryan's plans for Social Security and Medicare will not be popular with elderly voters and shouldn't be popular with middle-aged voters either who have been paying into the systems for several decades. Ryan's "bootstraps" disdain for those who rely on these programs is evident in an incident from Sept of last year where he mocked a senior who protested Ryan's plans for Medicare. Romney can likely kiss Florida goodbye as voters there become more informed about Congressman Ryan.
Perhaps the largest sector of voters that might be put off by Ryan, however, are women. With all the focus on the Ryan budget, his draconian social views often get overlooked. He has consistently taken the most extreme positions possible on numerous issues that affect women, including abortion, contraception & fertilization (he supports personhood for fertilized eggs), and healthcare access (the aforementioned Medicare, plus Medicaid, Planned Parenthood, and the ACA). Check out that link for a very good summary.
If you combine his entire adult work history getting paychecks from the government, his lack of effectiveness in Congress, his desire to gut programs that protect the most vulnerable from destitution, and his disdain for women's health, one has to wonder what he really brings to the ticket. There's really something there to offend everyone.
