“President Obama provided an accurate, sober assessment of today’s challenges: the ongoing financial crisis, mounting job losses, a broken health care system, and an unsustainable fiscal path from an explosion of government spending. Step one in digging ourselves out of the fiscal mess we’re in is to admit that we have a problem. I applaud Obama’s efforts to push for a bipartisan consensus in moving forward to address this dire fiscal reality.
“While heartened by President Obama’s call to action on our greatest challenges, I was troubled by the substance of his specific policy proposals. President Obama touted his trillion dollar spending bill, under the mistaken belief that we can borrow and spend our way to prosperity. He remains committed to raising taxes in the midst of the most painful recession in generations. He continues to push a housing plan that rewards those who borrowed more than they can afford at the expense of those who followed the rules. President Obama echoed his campaign promises to push for legislation that places the government – not the patient or the provider – at the center of health care decisions.
“Alternative solutions are critical if we are to have a legitimate debate on our most pressing issues. I will continue to put forth alternatives applying our timeless principles of individual liberty and limited government. I take President Obama at his word in his commitment to reach out to Republicans, acknowledging that no individual has the monopoly on wisdom. The shrill partisanship in recent weeks has been troubling, producing unfortunate acrimony and poor public policy. True bipartisanship requires collaboration, and constructive efforts by all elected officials to address our American problems with American solutions.”
February 24, 2009
Ryan faults Obama (even before he finishes speech)
President Obama was still delivering his address to Congress tonight when my email program dinged with this critical reaction from Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, 1st District. It was mailed at 8:45 p.m.; Obama's speeh didn't end until... (he's still talking as I input this) 9:08 p.m..
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
And that, in a nutshell, is the problem with Rep. Ryan and the rest of the "loyal opposition." They would rather sit back and criticize instead of figuring out innovative solutions.
ReplyDeletePete, in case you're not aware, they're given the text of the speech before he delivers it.
ReplyDeleteHey Pete, GET A CLUE! Copies of most speeches are released prior to their delivery, any half way decent reporter would know that. Also, just in case you missed it (probably trying to do a story of sorts) Paul Ryan was part of a group of legislators that met with Obama yestrday in Washington @ the White House. This meeting was regarding our current fiscal situation. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to respond prior to the actual presentations end when you are pretty well aware of what that individual stands for!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, guys: I have a clue. It tells me that Paul Ryan would have criticized Obama's speech NO MATTER WHAT!
ReplyDeletePaul Ryan is running for higher office and no longer represents the needs of his constituents. If he was unemployed, and not married a oil man's daughter, he would understand what is really happening to the people in this area.
ReplyDeleteI just think it is so interesting that only one comment (Pete's), other than my own, was signed by their real name. Just how much credibility does that lend to those who feel so empowered to comment from behind the curtain of secrecy? In my opinion, none.
ReplyDeleteIf our representatives can use their real names why can't our citizens?
Pete's observation was accurate. Politics used to be the art of compromise. Now it is merely taking the opposite point of view. That does nothing to improve anything. Anyone can do that.
Come on people, you can do better than that. Use some original thought other than merely arguing the opposite point of view. Only then and by signing your real name can we take some value from these comments.
Rees Roberts
There's a pernicious view emerging that says, if a Republican criticizes Obama's policies, he's not "bipartisan", not playing along, mean, etc -- that the disagreement is dishonest, cynical. What ever happened to honest disagreement? It does exist. On one hand we have a new administration that says, "we'll listen to you." On the other hand, the same administration seems to say, "and if we hear that you disagree with the basis for our radical policies, then we'll accuse you of not playing along." Contradictory -- and no use mimicking. We have an adversarial system, and it's better than a one-party state!
ReplyDeletePete - then why didn't you write your article denouncing Ryan's denouncement before the speech was over?
ReplyDeleteAs for not signing names here, apparently you are not aware of the power of the Internet and a single whackjob who happens to use it. It is bad enough that my ISP address is logged every time I make a comment and I certainly hope that this information is kept private by the Racine Post admins.
I really hope that President Obama personally visits Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District -- and especially Racine -- a couple or three times in the coming months to focus attention on an area where Washington must do much better by regular, hardworking Americans in terms of employment and economic growth.
ReplyDeleteThat Ryan voted FOR the first Bush/Paulson giveaway to the bankers, and voted FOR the 2003 $780 billion Medicare Drug giveaway to pharmaceutical program, tells me that he is NOT conservative with our money, and more interested in the special interests that fund his campaigns than he is about his constituents.
ReplyDeleteHealth care is next on the list. Let's hope he supports HR676 Medicare for all. Here are two sites with useful comparisons. DrSteveB has an excellent rundown (at http://tinyurl.com/b3p5gx) on the proposals being considered. Medicare-for-all is not being considered because it eliminates the insurance interests, but it is better than those listed. (That's it's problem, obviously.)
Also see http://tinyurl.com/9d6bx9 and then CALL RYAN!
Jack Lohman
http://moneyedpoliticians.net
Ryan is a moron; no I mean he's a stupid moron.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Ryan is a moron. Partisan, absolutely. He is more interested in the special interests that fund the Republican races than he is in constituent needs and the taxes they pay to fund the government giveaways.
ReplyDeleteJack Lohman
http://moneyedpoliticians.net
Thanks Pete! I believe P. Ryan would have criticized his speech regardless!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Loven of the Associated Press filed her story praising the Obama speech at 3:30pm Tuesday, a full 5 1/2 hours before the Big Guy took the rostrum.
ReplyDeleteRyan was obviously slow to respond. No chance of making the wire stories about the speech.
ReplyDeleteIt seems abundantly clear to me – with very few exceptions – that the Republicans in congress (who committed/permitted/condoned the actions that transpired under the previous administration and thereby contributed to this ugly mess) will steadfastly disagree with ANYTHING Obama proposes. And it need not have any relationship to the actual merits (or any perceived lack of merit) within the proposal. It comes down to partisanship and positioning for ‘10 and ‘12 elections.
ReplyDeleteClearly there are major differences between the principles embraced by conservatives and those embraced by progressives. It is highly unlikely that these differences will ever be mitigated. But the point is this: the GOP lost the last election because the nation was ready for a new direction. Paul Ryan and his fellow GOP’ers can continue to disparage President Obama at every turn, but it won’t change the outcome of the election.
I must further comment on Ryan’s use of the same old fear tactics Republicans have relied on for too long: “He (Obama) remains committed to raising taxes in the midst of the most painful recession in generations. He continues to push a housing plan that rewards those who borrowed more than they can afford at the expense of those who followed the rules. President Obama echoed his campaign promises to push for legislation that places the government – not the patient or the provider – at the center of health care decisions.
Can’t you come up with something new, Paul? While there are certain segments of your following who buy into these tired old lines, it appears that the majority (80%!) approve of what our president said last night and the improvements his proposals can bring to our economy.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_approval_ratings_rise_15_percent_0225.html
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/dpgo_Study_Obamas_Approval_Up_After_Speech2202676
I agree with Jack, take a peek at Ryan's voting record and then ask him how his past votes represent his position as a conservative?
Glenda Alexander
It is disappointing that Ryan ansd many of his Rep colleagues are so concerned about the present spending and the National debt. I have been worried for 8 years as the Bush Boys pushed the debt from 5-10 trillion. Ryan was in office during this time and not a word about the spending in newspaper columns or in public until now. Very hypocritical at a time when so many people are looking for some help.
ReplyDeleteThere is plenty of blame to go around. The Dems controlled congress for the last two years and did sign on to Bushes budgets otherwise they would not have passed. They poured on pork to every military spending Bill.
ReplyDeleteThe questions is where do we go now. Where will the money come from to pay the debt? How will we pay it back. Do you think the same government who spent 2 billion on Katrina releif, over spent on medicare and loaned millions for mortgages to people that afford to pay backcan be trusted?
Soon government will run the banks, at least 2 automakers, and attempt to run healthcare. How can any sane person think we can trust government to do these things right and without corruption. Heck, we can't get the top cabinet members to pay their freaking taxes. There is not one person in O's cabinet has experience to do any of these things yet you trust them. why? This country was built by capitalism not marxism. The new administration thinks it can run the free enterprise system? Welcome to Communism comrads. Control the data (census), control our health records, control our guns, People you must wake up and fight for your liberty. Once it is gone, who will save you then?