Day: August 15, 2012

Of Course Romney and Ryan are Lying. That’s Nicer Than the Truth

Trish

ThumbsUpConstructionGuyCropWebRepublicans have a core problem, and Michael Tomasky brilliantly uncovered it. They have to lie, he says, because the truth is that they don’t care about people like us. They know their policies won’t work for us but if they convince us they will, we will let them keep on feeding on us.

Tomasky begins by saying you couldn’t write a novel where someone like Romney picks as his running mate someone like Ryan, who comes from a prominent family in the road construction business that made most of its money from government contracts.

A fiction editor would say, “Come on, Tomasky, this is just too heavy-handed.”

It’s tricky business to trick us. You have to lie.

Especially if the same candidate and his running mate were attacking the other guy with a lie that specifically distorted what he’d said about, of all things, roads and bridges! (“You didn’t build that.”) Grandpappy Ryan did exactly what Obama says other people did to help small businesses thrive. He built the roads. And he was paid to do so by government road contracts. Forget fiction. That’s even too pat for Hollywood.

Even George W. Bush needed help from strategist Paul O’Neill with his talking points, running as he was, on the same trickle-down voodoo economics that failed to win re-election for his father, George H.W. Bush. It’s tricky business to trick us. You have to parse your words carefully. Or to put it another way, you have to lie.

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Van Jones: Don’t Underestimate Paul Ryan

Trish

Ryan is THE most effective weapon the other side has. He makes the argument for austerity with passion, poise and skill. He is a true believer. Vice President Biden better eat his Wheaties before the debate.

— Van Jones, former Green Energy Czar in the Obama administration, who was targeted by Glenn Beck after publicly referring to Republicans as “assholes.” Jones has since taken a lead role at MoveOn.org’s Rebuild the Dream initiative, and is launching a campaign to personalize and energize progressive election efforts through works by artists and musicians, along with narratives from people on the receiving end of failed Republican policies.

Stockman Rips Ryan Budget

Buck Banks

In short, Mr. Ryan’s plan is devoid of credible math or hard policy choices. And it couldn’t pass even if Republicans were to take the presidency and both houses of Congress. Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan have no plan to take on Wall Street, the Fed, the military-industrial complex, social insurance or the nation’s fiscal calamity and no plan to revive capitalist prosperity — just empty sermons.

— Former Reagan budget director David Stockman.

Majority of Non-Voters Backs Obama

Buck Banks

2 to 1

Percentage of people who are eligible to vote but aren’t likely to do so who back President Obama’s re-election over Mitt Romney, according to a nationwide USA Today/Suffolk University Poll. “Two-thirds of them say they are registered to vote. Eight in 10 say the government plays an important role in their lives. Even so, they cite a range of reasons for declaring they won’t vote or saying the odds are no better than 50-50 that they will: They’re too busy. They aren’t excited about either candidate. Their vote doesn’t count.”

Fox News fact check: ‘Ryan budget plan doesn’t actually slash the budget’

Jon Ponder

This is from Fox News — yes! the Republican Party’s own propaganda network:

Here are a few little-known facts about Paul Ryan’s supposedly slash-and-burn budget plan.

  • Government spending increases almost every year over the next decade.
  • Tax and other revenue rises year after year.
  • The 10-year deficit is still $3 trillion.

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