Well, well, well.
Looks like Paul Ryan doesn’t want to answer questions about how he is going to help folks who live in the inner city when he’s proposing tax cuts:
Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck tells BuzzFeed: “The reporter knew he was already well over the allotted time for the interview when he decided to ask a weird question relating gun violence to tax cuts. Ryan responded as anyone would in such a strange situation. When you do nearly 200 interviews in a couple months, eventually you’re going to see a local reporter embarrass himself.”
Now imagine if President Obama had done this.
Also, the interesting take away (aside from Ryan’s belief that inner city folks aren’t civilized) is that Ryan admitted that President Obama hasn’t proposed new gun laws. Somebody should tell the NRA, which seems to believe that there’s some grand Obama conspiracy to take everyone’s guns away.
Get your stories straight, wingnuts.
[cross-posted at ABLC]
Todd
OT – Fine advertising for Atlas Shrugged II – something which looks scrawled in crayon by a serial killer.
Violet
Ryan’s a little prick. “Civilizing inner cities”? Give me a fucking break. He’s an entitled white guy who has zero idea of what life is like in “inner cities.”
Interesting to watch the handler step in when the reporter asked a question the handler didn’t like. Is Ryan too much of a baby to manage his own interviews? Needs a handler to be in charge?
Baud
OT: Former GOP Senator Larry Pressler endorsed Obama today because he’s better for vets.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
God, Ryan’s smug Victorian moralizing is sickening.
@Violet: and the paper held over the camera to block fliming of Ryan’s whining.
The Dangerman
Ryan needs to remember it’s not “stuffing words in someone’s mouth”, it’s getting them “rammed down their throats”. As you said, Obama would never be able to get away with such PRICKliness.
Now, OT, anyone know the worst blowout in MNF history? This has all the makings. Game 666, Jets hobbled, Texans looking strong. This could be ugly.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Violet:
You know I noticed with that surrogate interview with Soledad today, she kept looking to her left as if she was being coached off camera. I didn’t notice it the first time but pay attention if you watch it again, it definitely looks like there were cue cards being held up for her.
redshirt
Anyone remember that 80’s SNL skit of Martin Short being interviewed on 60 Minutes? Yeah, that.
Violet
@Litlebritdifrnt: I didn’t see that interview today. I’ll go have a look.
I know they use handlers in interviews, but at some point the candidate or interviewee needs to stand on their own two feet.
redshirt
I applaud the Rmoney campaign for one thing: Taking “truth” to the obvious limit. Lies no longer matter, and they haven’t for a while. Rmoney’s run is the first to use this fact openly.
Just Some Fuckhead
That was a pretty stupid follow-up question by the interviewer. I think the technical term is Non sequitur.
Shawn in ShowMe
@redshirt:
The last time we had this kind of raucous lying by a presidential campaign was the late 1800s. Coincidentally, that was the heyday of robber barons and Real ‘Murican angst.
jshooper
WTF is up with the Romney Campaign…I’ve noticed EVERY TIME they get asked a tough question…or called out on some dumbass thing they’ve said…they INSTANTLY snuggle up to Pres. Obama…or they blame him for something to distract attention away from their bullshit…Romney was even doing it in the debate and in his ads…”Both the president and I care about the poor”…and Ryan is doing it here…”Not even Pres. Obama is proposing new gun laws”
mumbly_joe
@Just Some Fuckhead: Ryan kinda opened the door with the whole “We’ll solve crime with economic opportunities for The Inner Cities!” bullshit answer, honestly.
Ryan’s well-established position is that the only avenue of creating economic growth is large supply-side tax cuts, with commensurate social welfare program cuts, and maybe repealing a minimum wage or child labor law or two, for good measure. You know, “unleash the private sector”.
The interviewer may have skipped a minor intermediary step to jump to that pretty obvious conclusion, but it’s hardly a non-sequitor.
marty
“That was a pretty stupid follow-up question by the interviewer. I think the technical term is Non sequitur.”
Not really….I think the reporter was simply following the Republicans’ seeming belief in tax cuts now and always, under any economic circumstances to its logical end.
As Pres. Obama put it (and well) – Got a headache? Take a tax cut.
What was really revealing was the whiny-ass behavior of Ryan and his ass-wiper staffer…..little babies pouting because the reporter failed to swallow their BS..
Roy G.
@redshirt: I’m not the one being defensive, you’re the one being defensive!
Roy G.
@redshirt: I’m not the one being defensive, you’re the one being defensive!
Keith
Ahh, yes, the solution to inner city crime is “to provide opportunity”. I just love platitudes, and this guy has them in spades.
Fezzik
I actually agree with Ryan that the line of questioning’s a bit strange and definitely forced. But holy fart-clapping christ—the leap to inner cities and THEN the moralizing as if inner city life is like “Escape From New York”? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu….
Comrade Mary
What a smarmy, condescending and cowardly fuck.
But while I was at Buzzfeed, I decided to look for a picture of something adorable to improve my mood, and I found it.
Original Lee
BTW, and I apologize if this was already discussed to death over the weekend, but what do y’all think of the Daily Beast video of what looks like Romney using a crib sheet? I haven’t gone back to look at my DVR of the debate yet, but it certainly looks to me as if Romney had some paper stuffed inside the handkerchief he put on the podium.
mumbly_joe
@Fezzik: See, that was the thing that stuck with me. While the reporter didn’t completely show his work, so to speak, when he jumped from “Ryan’s Economic Opportunities For The Poors” to “but you’re only offering tax cuts”, Ryan’s “guns don’t matter, because economic opportunities” was easily the biggest non-sequitor of that exchange, even if it’s a somewhat well-worn one on the right.
Cacti
@marty:
As I’ve mentioned before, Ryan looks like the kind of guy who would cry if you punched him hard enough.
redshirt
@Roy G.: LOL.
I know that! Why wouldn’t I know that? It’s my company, I’m quite aware of that! [ looks at the camera ] Is it me? It’s him, right?
Original Lee
@efgoldman: OK, cool. I’ve been away from the internet for 3 days and am trying to catch up.
Foxhunter
@redshirt: with the profuse sweating and paranoia? Awesome.
Right up there with Minkman.
PurpleGirl
@Todd: I saw an ad that had bits of dialogue and it sounded like a political ad for Romney.
Steeplejack
@redshirt:
Bad VHS transfer, but it gives the flavor.
handy
@efgoldman:
No kidding. Sarah Palin was more unflappable under pressure.
Steeplejack
@efgoldman:
I followed the discussion somewhat, and I don’t remember it being debunked. So it would be great if you could remember the site.
YellowJournalism
Pretty sure Wonkette debunked it.
Steeplejack
@YellowJournalism:
Here’s the latest I could find at Wonkette. Not really a rousing debunkification.
Original Lee
@Steeplejack: I agree. I’ve looked at several different feeds since my last post (plus reading Wonkette), and it looks to me as if he had notes hidden in his handkerchief. I don’t think he can get away with that in the town hall format – won’t it be in the round?
El Cid
The way you know that Obama’s introducing new gun control laws is that he hasn’t introduced any new gun control laws, or talked about doing so, and signed legislation expanding gun freedoms in parks.
It’s exactly where he wants us to be.
Steeplejack
@Original Lee:
I didn’t look at the videos at the Wonkette link, but what I remember as being suspicious from the weekend was some video after the debate, when the Romneys and Obamas were standing onstage, and Romney went back to his lectern and picked up what was clearly a folded piece of paper (or papers). He couldn’t fit it in his suitcoat pocket and ended up giving it to one of his sons. Sort of sketchy, especially since I don’t remember seeing Romney writing any notes during the debate. He seemed to be too busy firing Big Bird and bullying Jim Lehrer.
Nutella
@Cacti:
He looks like the kind of guy who would cry if anyone challenged his brilliant wonkitude by asking specific questions. That’s why the minion had to hustle him away.
sistervative
Not sure your title for the article is quite accurate. You’re just like the reporter trying to create the story rather than report on it.
Cliff in NH
Brave Sir Ryan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8IkbCeZ9to
Cliff in NH
@sistervative:
Cause it’s so Easy to enforce gun laws that are on the books with 5 trillion in revenue reductions. So, So Easy.
Just like It’s So, So easy to fight fires when you cut firefighting budgets during the worst drought in decades.
Pococurante
@El Cid: He also expanded gun control rights for train riders.
I was at a gun show this past weekend. Of course there was someone handing out anti-Obama propaganda, and of course it did no good telling folks that Obama has actually been good for gun owners.
Hello
I don’t understand the problem with mentioning inner city problems. Look at facts. Most murders occur in poorer inner city neighborhoods. (At least where I live). And why does it matter he’s white? He also did NOT grow up wealthy or privileged. That’s a bs talking point. Be fair and know your subject matter before making unfounded remarks.