Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan Hits Back At Catholic Critics Of His Budget

Sahil Kapur | April 27, 2012, 6:19AM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Under fire from the powerful U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for writing a budget that cuts deeply into programs that help the needy, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) defended his vision in a Thursday speech at Georgetown University.

But his remarks were less an attempt to persuade his religious detractors than to undermine them, putting the Catholic Wisconsinite in the uncomfortable position of criticizing a frequent ally.

"I suppose there are some Catholics who for a long time have thought they had a monopoly of sorts," Ryan said. "Not exactly on heaven, but on the social teaching of our church. Of course there can be differences among faithful Catholics on this."

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Atlas Shrugged

'Atlas Shrugged' Producers Replace 'Embarrassing' DVD Covers That Say Movie Is About 'Self-Sacrifice'

Jillian Rayfield | November 11, 2011, 5:36PM

The producers of the film version of "Atlas Shrugged: Part One" apologized for an "embarrassing" error on the DVD cover that described the theme of their adaptation of Ayn Rand's novel as one of "self-sacrifice." As disciples of Rand, one of libertarianism's heroes, are supposed to know, Atlas Shrugged is actually all about "rational self-interest."

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Atlas Shrugged

Tea Party's Hopes For Atlas Shrugged Trilogy Foiled By Terrible Reviews

Jillian Rayfield | April 27, 2011, 5:02PM

For those Tea Partiers on the edge of their seats, waiting to find out what happens in the next two installments of the Atlas Shrugged movie series -- they may not want to hold their breath.

John Aglialoro, the producer, distributor, and financier of the first Atlas Shrugged movie, says he's reconsidering his plans, thanks to scathing reviews from movie critics (and TPM). "Critics, you won," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I'm having deep second thoughts on why I should do Part 2."

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Tea Party

The Tea Party's Atlas Shrugged: TPM Goes To The Movies

Jillian Rayfield | April 18, 2011, 9:39AM

What do you get when you cross Tea Party politics with a movie adaptation of a critically-panned but bestselling dystopian novel from the 50s?

TPM went to see Atlas Shrugged: Part One on Friday and found the answer: Nothing good.

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Rand Paul

Rand Paul Gives Senate Lesson In Ayn Rand And Light Bulbs (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | April 12, 2011, 3:35PM

Just call him Sen. The Unconquered.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) spoke on Tuesday at a hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, against government plans to phase out the incandescent light bulb in favor of the newer compact fluorescents.

And in this speech -- promoted by his office in a press release entitled "Sen. Paul Rails Against the Collective" -- he borrowed from none other than the writings of Ayn Rand, whose early novel Anthem featured the light bulb as a plot device.

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Fox News

How Glenn Beck And Fox News Successfully Painted AZ Shooter As Hitler, Marx Devotee

Brian Beutler | January 11, 2011, 10:45AM

Conservative commentator Glenn Beck

Within hours of the shooting spree in Arizona, conservative blogs lit up with the news that the suspect, Jared Loughner, was an aficionado of Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto. A Hitler/Marx devotee, the logic went, is someone too idiosyncratic or crazy to be part of any mainstream political movement. Some went further, and cited the information as proof that Loughner was the sort of big-government liberal they had nightmares about.

As with so many of these fast-propagating conservative memes, this one got its start on Fox News.

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WI-SEN

Who Is John Galt? The New Star Of Wisconsin Senate Race Debate!

Eric Kleefeld | October 12, 2010, 9:30AM

Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Senate candidate Ron Johnson (R-WI)

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and his Republican opponent, businessman Ron Johnson, met last night for a debate, with topics ranging from health care to outside ad spending to...Atlas Shrugged.

That's right. A U.S. Senate debate ended up including a discussion on the 1957 novel by Ayn Rand, about a world where business owners and innovators rebel against and abandon a society that over-regulated them and redistributed their earnings. Johnson, who is himself a plastics manufacturer, has cited it as a favorite book of his.

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