Soup kitchen in Ryan photo op losing donors

[proud2BlibKansan]

When Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan rinsed a few dishes in the back of a soup kitchen in Youngstown, Ohio, he couldn't have known the photo op would still be a story almost a week later. It is, but not for anything positive.

According to The Huffington Post, the Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society is losing donors as a result of the photo.  "It appears to be a substantial amount," charity president Brian Antal told the Post. "You can rest assured there has been a substantial backlash." Antal declined to mention specific numbers, citing privacy concerns.

For those who haven't been following, er, soup kitchen-gate, here's what happened. Rep. Ryan stopped by on Saturday morning and offered to wash a few dishes. However, according to Antal, the Ryan camp wasn't exactly invited.

"We are apolitical because the majority of our funding is from private donations," Antal told The Washington Post. "It's strictly in our bylaws not to do it. They showed up there, and they did not have permission. They got one of the volunteers to open up the doors." Antal also said that "If this was the Democrats, I'd have the same exact problem."

A spokesperson for Ryan told the Washington Post that a staff member reached out to the charity before stopping by and was told that "it would be fine for the congressman to stop by."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/soup-kitchen-ryan-photo-op-losing-donors-203033279--election.html

[sasha031]

1. they are also getting clobbered with hate mail and phone calls

[KurtNYC]

6. I keep seeing this blurb but they don't say that the backlash is coming from the Right

They make it sound like Dems are pulling donations because they let Ryan in but isn't RWers punishing them for outing Ryan's fraud?

[sasha031]

7. Huffinton has different spin, conservs were the donors and the ones doing the harassing

Antal's charity represents the kind of organization that conservative Republicans might champion. But that was before the Ryan incident went viral a few days ago. According to The Washington Post, Antal said that the moment should never have happened. He told the newspaper that the photo-op was not authorized and that the campaign had “ramrodded their way” inside.

Ryan supporters have now targeted Antal and his soup kitchen, Antal said, including making hundreds of angry phone calls. Some members of Antal's volunteer staff have had to endure the barrage as well, he said. "The sad part is a lot of [the callers] want to hide behind anonymity," he said, adding that if someone leaves their name and number he has tried to return their call. In addition to phone calls, people have posted a few choice words on the charity's Facebook wall, including statements like "I hope you lose your tax [sic] emempt status," Anyone who is thinking about donations to you should think twice" and "Shame on you Brian Antal!"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/soup-kitchen-paul-ryan-photo-donor_n_1980541.html

[joeybee12]

2. Maybe Mittens can make up for what his vice-idiot cost this charity...

It's too bad, because they didn't want the putz there in the first place.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I am sorry to hear that.

I wonder why it's happening.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Right wingers are just full of hate

And they don't play by the rules.

That's why.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. There's more info in this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021574811

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Thank you........that's very useful info. I'm going to help out. n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

8. This sucks...

even if they had invited him, which they didn't, so what? The only people that are getting hurt are those who cannot afford it. Partisanship has to stop somewhere..