Paul Ryan Tells Fox: ‘I Didn’t Know About’ The Letters I Signed Asking For Stimulus Funds

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Paul Ryan Tells Fox: ‘I Didn’t Know About’ The Letters I Signed Asking For Stimulus Funds
By Igor Volsky on Aug 18, 2012 at 1:32 pm

During an interview with Fox News’ Carl Cameron on Saturday, Paul Ryan tried to explain why he denied requesting stimulus funds for a local energy company in 2009 after voting against and demagoguing the Recovery Act. “My office sends tens of thousands of letters to various federal agencies and this goes through what we call a case work system and we treat it as a case work for constituents,” Ryan said:


RYAN: I didn’t know about the letters until recently and they were brought to my attention, they were to the case work system and I take full responsibility for that. The point I’m trying to make is stimulus was a failure.


Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/18/710751/paul-ryan-tells-fox-i-didnt-know-about-the-letters-i-signed-asking-for-stimulus-funds/

[Angry Dragon]

1. You Lie

[rucky]

43. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt

and assume he's incompetent

[Angry Dragon]

51. perhaps an incompetent liar

his lies are so easy to throw in his face

[Gman]

2. What? Does he have Radar O'Reilly as his aide or something?

[FiveGoodMen]

12. Beat me to it!

First thing I thought of as well.

[Kennah]

14. Henry Blake was a man who cared about people

[Kablooie]

3. He's probably telling the truth.

He didn't know anyone had discovered the letters he signed.

He didn't say that he didn't know what they were when he signed them.
Just that he didn't know anyone had found them.

[louis-t]

4. This is a guy you want in a position of power?

This shows total incompetance.

[PD Turk]

5. Video of Ryan signing papers

&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[wordpix]

11. I've gotta watch that movie again, classic!

[Blue_Tires]

16. brilliant

[peace frog]

6. What's that stench?

Oh yeh, Ryan's speaking. Don't step in the BS.

[Kalidurga]

7. New headline "Paul Ryan, doesn't read the chit he signs.'

I can't believe no one is nailing him on this.

[Politicalboi]

8. He's so Reaganesque

"I don't recall".

[jpbollma]

9. So...

Next question. Would he ask the company to give the funds back?

[Ebadlun]

49. Bit harder to pull off

when you're only in your early 40s.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. Ryan should be called out

many of the republican voters were suppoerting him because he was against the stimulus

[Doctor_J]

13. So he was against taking the money, but didn't tell his staff that

Moron, liar, both?

[philly_bob]

15. Not a big deal. Entirely possible he didn't know. Concentrate on other Ryan weaknesses. (nt)

[Blue_Tires]

19. I say bollocks to that

Too many red state pols got away scot-free with their public grandstanding against the stimulus while their states were struggling, only to beg for it on the sly later...

If Ryan gets to criticize it in his speeches to voters, we get to remind them how he benefitted from it...

[tabasco]

42. LOL!

Yes, let's overlook the lying and/or incompetence.

Let's focus on important things.

You lost?

[alfredo]

47. His staff had to trick him into doing something good for his state.

[Cali_Democrat]

53. He didn't know? Who signed the letter then?

[philly_bob]

61. It's plausible he signed them in a stack of constituent service letters.

Again, folks, choose your battles.

Ryan is awful. His beliefs are heartless and irrational. But attack those beliefs, not GOTCHA technicalities.

I think a stronger case for his hypocrisy can be made by looking at his Bush-era vote for stimulus package. No explaining that away.

[csziggy]

62. Sure, let's remind people of how Ryan wholeheartedly supported stimulus

When it was under President Bush:

VIDEO: Paul Ryan defended stimulus in 2002, when George W. Bush wanted it
By Sal Gentile
Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:40 AM EDT
<SNIP>
But in 2002, when then-President Bush was seeking a roughly $120 billion package of tax cuts, tax incentives for business and unemployment benefits to jump-start the economy, Ryan offered a vigorous defense of the plan. “What we're trying to accomplish today with the passage of this third stimulus package is to create jobs and help the unemployed,” Ryan said in video that aired today on Up w/ Chris Hayes. The remarks came during a House debate on the measure on Feb. 14, 2002.

Ryan’s comments reveal a strikingly different economic analysis than the one he has become known for in recent years as the “intellectual leader” of the Republican Party and, now, Mitt Romney’s running mate. In 2002, Ryan argued that unemployment would remain at elevated levels even after the economy began to recover, and that aggressive stimulus would be a necessary and effective antidote.

“What we're trying to accomplish here is the recognition of the fact that in recessions, unemployment lags on well after a recovery has taken place,” Ryan said at the time. “We have a lot of laid-off workers, and more layoffs are occurring. And we know, as a historical fact, that even if our economy begins to slowly recover, unemployment is going to linger on and on well after that recovery takes place.”

Ryan’s advocacy of stimulus spending wasn’t limited to Washington, either. When he returned home to face constituents, he used similar language to make the case for the Bush stimulus bill. “You have to spend a little to grow a little,” Ryan told constituents at a town hall in Wisconsin in January 2002, according to the Journal-Times, a local newspaper. “What we're trying to do is stimulate that part of the economy that's on its back."

More, including the video of Ryan's remarks: http://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/19/13361928-video-paul-ryan-defended-stimulus-in-2002-when-george-w-bush-wanted-it

[bhikkhu]

17. I'm sure, if elected, he'll be just as clueless

Half the work of being a republican in office is to maintain a plausible ignorance of the job.

[alfredo]

48. Norquist wants a president to sign whatever shit they hand him.

[WestSeattle2]

18. And Romney pronounced this guy ready to be president if need be. LOL

[jtuck004]

20. Awww, now that they're best buds, Ryan borrowed the etch-a-sketch.

He would have been a lot better off if he just said "Yes, I have sinned, I'm just like many others, but I have seen the error of my ways".

Now he just looks like a liar. And if he changes his tune he will look like he is taking pandering lessons from Mi$$.

I love how "representing the people" or talking with the neighbors has become "case work for constituents". Is that dehumanizing, or just necessary so one can subordinate it to their fundraising? I wonder how many hundreds of others see us that way?

[williesgirl]

21. So he signs off on a $21 million request and doesn't read it first! Worse than lying about it.

He's a jerk and a liar. rec'd

[The Last Democrat]

22. I Don't believe that,

“WE THE PEOPLE” needs someone in this position that doesn’t read what he signs.

[DallasNE]

23. The Overworked Congressman Excuse

Now Ryan is lying about the lie. How many layers deep will he carry the lying, one wonders. But I will give Ryan this; he has been a quick learner when it comes to lying, and even the lying about the lying. Romney picked well. He has a soulmate.

[DonRedwood]

24. kr

[Pachamama]

25. Question: Who is a bigger liar - Romney or Ryan???

Answer: dont know.... They are both big effing liars, hard to know who lies more....

[zeemike]

26. this kind of concerns me in a different way

And the question I have is why they think they can boldly lie and get away with it...Rmoney has made a string of them and now Ryan is too...the only reason someone would do that is if they knew it did not matter...that the media would not call them on it or that the results of the election is already known.
I think after the convention we will know if we see the polls getting tighter...that the fix is in....because no one who has rejected Rmoney now will change it because of some well produced convention....or some single issue that Rmoney has raised.

[tclambert]

27. Charles Barkley claimed to have been misquoted in his autobiography.

[kestrel91316]

28. He's either a self-serving liar or an incompetent boob.

Which is it, Paul????

[liberal N proud]

29. If he didn't know about letters HE signed, it shows a huge character flaw

How could he possibly be qualified to serve the 2nd highest office in the land if he can't recall signing important documents.

[Jackpine Radical]

30. Goddamit, look at the upside here.

Not being able to recall stuff is an absolute requirement for a Republican politician.

Ryan's got selective amnesia in spades.

No wonder they love him.

[CountAllVotes]

31. Gee that is like Ann Rmoney!

I didn't know I was rich!

recommend.

[Marr]

32. Oh-- so not a fraud, just incompetent and sloppy. Check.

[IggleDoer]

33. What else would you expect from a Congressman who slept with a lobbyist?

[madashelltoo]

34. What? I did the same thing once.

I signed four letters requesting $21 million, signed it and mailed it. Didn't get the money though.

Oh, that's right. I forgot. I never did that at all. Sorry.

[KansDem]

35. Could you do it retroactively?

Write a letter saying you want to retroactively request $21 million. It should work!

[madashelltoo]

39. Don't encourage me.

I'm so broke I'm willing to try retroactive.

[xxqqqzme]

36. "...stimulus was a failure..."

Did the company getting the money fail? Were any jobs created or were the funds denied and the company went out of business?

How is it a failure?

[CanonRay]

37. Once again: What happened to "personal responsibility"?

Republicans are 50lbs of bullshit in a 25lb bag.

[SoapBox]

38. What a POS

Liar.

[underpants]

40. The "Stimulus" (a Repub term) was all that kept this country afloat

The Stimulus worked.

[Herlong]

41. He Didn’t Know He Signed Letters Asking For Stimulus Funds

Next Obama/Obama PAC ad in five for three two....

[SunSeeker]

44. He means he didn't know we had the letters.

What a lying sack of liquid crap!

[MichiganVote]

45. Uh huh. Sure. Well he'll have 2 go to confession.

[6000eliot]

46. Is he too stupid to understand the concept of signing a letter?

[HooptieWagon]

50. Nope. He's just counting on GOP voters

being too stupid to recognize the lies.

[cr8tvlde]

52. One minor correction ... "too stupid to care about lies."

And usually the GOP voters don't disappoint.

[Blue Owl]

54. I want a VP who'll just sign anything that comes across his desk

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

55. Now that he realizes the "mistake" I expect he'll be returning the funds

he never intended to request. I'm sure his right wing constituents won't miss the big government help.

[Enrique]

56. just like Romney with the SEC Documents

"our signatures on paper mean nothing, make us your president and vice president."

[rtracey]

57. What

You little Eddie Munster look a like. He got caught in a major lie his first few days...you arrogant Ayn Rand follwn jerk.

[GeorgeGist]

58. Point made ...

he's just as stupid in real life as he is in Congress.

[lonestarnot]

59. Yeah, and you're stupid too! Lumphead forgets what century it is. We have the vid. so we'll remind

you.

[SylviaD]

60. Why are we being so "easy" on Ryan? His views are reprehensible! Highlight them! n/t

[thecrow]

63. Well, then does he remember praising the Bush** stimulus in 2002?

Or did he "misspeak"?

[avebury]

64. My response to both Ryan and Rmoney would be: Don't you read

anything you sign? If you are that careless then why should anybody vote for you.