Ryan: Democrats Won Election, Want To Obstruct Democracy
Via ThinkProgress, I see Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is taking a sanguine and, dare I say, democratic, view of the budget reconciliation process.
"It's their right. They did win the election," said Ryan, R-Wis. "That's what I tell all my constituents who are worried about this. They won the election. They did run on these ideas. They did run on nationalizing health care. So, you're right about that. They have the votes with reconciliation. They nailed down the process so that they can make sure they have the votes and that they can get this thing through really fast. It is their right. It is what they can do."
One can quibble with some of this rhetoric. Democrats won the election on a platform of universalizing health care through a combination of private and public insurance, and government subsidies. But this is certainly a more realistic assessment than that of, say, Ryan's Senate counterpart Judd Gregg (R-NH) who supports the reconciliation process when Republicans use it to pass tax cuts and ANWR drilling, but compares it to "running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River," when the Democrats so much as propose it for health reform.
But has Ryan always been so fair? Let's go to the tape:
At the end of the clip, Ryan says, "we agree with Democrats in the Senate that [reconciliation should not be an option]. Lets pass this Motion to Instruct, and lets give America democracy and debate." So the Democrats "won the election," but are obstructing "democracy and debate." Gotcha.




















If you read John Dean's book Broken Government it was the repuglicans who won the elections in 2000 and 2004 and promptly obstructed democracy by stifling debate so as to exclude Democrats from the legislative process. We definitely need a a special prosecutor to make these fools explain their actions during the Bu$h years.
April 24, 2009 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, yes. Paul Ryan, my hometown Rep. It's an embarrassment that this smug little creep represents a blue collar, UAW stronghold (well, soon to be former UAW stronghold, I guess). For some reason, the Dems have just never been able to mount a credible challenger, and so, deep in the heart of the deep blue Rust Belt, here's Paul Ryan shouting "Wolveriiiiiines!"
April 24, 2009 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
I met Paul early in his career and he was approachable---even dated a local cable news reporter who was quite liberal from a working class family. Then in 2004 I saw him being so plastic as he walked down the parade in Racine on July 4th with his Barbie doll wife and stroller.
Paul came from being an aide and just is in the wrong crowd. He once talked about the "lock box" for SS but he went mute between 2002 and 2006 and I personally reminded him of that.....
now he is sounding the alarm.....
The CD-1 WI used to be a good working class district with Kenosha, Racine, Beloit but now it is ruled by the Johnson Wax Family and all points west of I-94 to I-90....got to get that back.
April 24, 2009 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would offer a correction and say that the Democrats ran on those ideas, won the election, and the electorate has a right to expect that they will be delivered.
April 24, 2009 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Septictank,
Paul Ryan is alos my "representative". What a joke. The only thing he represents is the next generation of failed Republican policies. I can not understand how the self-sufficient, Progressive-Libertarian (if you will), minded people of southern Wisconsin continue to get sucked in by this corporate Republican.
Hey Janesville, do you think if Ryan had encouraged GM to start developing more fuel efficient cars instead of the behemoth SUV you might still have a job?
All you truly small business owners, who gave you a bigger tax cut Bush or Obama? While all of you drooled over the minor tax cut from Bush, corporations walked away with the lion's share.
I can only hope after that ridiculous budget proposal of his, people are starting to see the light
April 24, 2009 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's Ryan's motive here? Assuming being truthful isn't it, which it probably isn't, I don't see what he's trying to do here.
April 24, 2009 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't he one of the Mengele kids?
April 24, 2009 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink