LETTER: Ryan misleads, sidesteps facts

To the Telegram:

On Sept. 4 Today Show, I listened to Paul Ryan’s rationalization for his hypocritical condemnation of the president’s rejection of the Simpson-Bowles deficit commission’s recommendations. In the universe most of us inhabit, Ryan’s logic would prove that, since he also rejected the commission’s report, and in fact was one of several commission members who prevented a super-majority support for the bill, that the president was correct to oppose it.

Instead, Ryan justified his actions by claiming that, unlike the president, he and his party had an alternative plan to offer in its place — one that is superior to the Simpson-Bowles recommendations. However, this statement is patently false since all one has to do is Google, “what are the president’s deficit reduction plans?” to discover Obama has actually made several alternate proposals himself, which include large tax and/or revenue increases and large cost-cutting proposals — several of them in the last 18 months. But, these have been summarily dismissed by Republicans who refuse to even consider the president’s revenue and/or tax increases on the wealthiest Americans. In fact, the New York Times reported on Aug. 13 that Ryan has expressed “concern” that one of the president’s deficit reduction deals should be opposed because it would “pave the way for Mr. Obama’s easy re-election.”

Although Republicans have been quick to condemn the president for not accepting the Simpson-Bowles recommendations, if they remain faithful to their signatures on the Norquist pledge, they could hardly accept it either since it contains several proposals for tax increases.

Ryan’s claim the president failed to prevent the closing of a GM plant in Janesville, Wis., deliberately leaves out the fact the plant was forced to close in December 2008, almost a month before Obama’s inauguration. Ryan’s similarly false claim that the stimulus funds failed to help taxpayers and “cut out” the American people, ignores the fact that the stimulus fund devoted 25 percent of its dollars for the tax relief of workers, and that, the non-partisan joint committee on taxation calculated the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided $230 billion for tax relief.

Yes, Obama has had a chance, but not a completely fair one — he has had to fight tooth and nail with obstructionist Republicans who have refused beforehand to give any approval to several job creation bills he proposed. And, although the stock market has recovered, large companies that sit on trillions in assets have been amazingly reluctant to invest in job creation, while the stated goal of Republicans is still, primarily, to defeat the president.

Ryan’s claims are just what they appear to be — plain and outright lies. No matter what rationalizations he and Romney may have, for telling those lies, they indicate a campaign heavily reliant on ignorance and/or deceit. Ryan’s workout routine must include a lot of acrobatics and contortionist maneuvers, because the way he twists and turns while generating one dishonest spin after another is truly remarkable.

Peter W. Johnson,

Superior

Tags: opinion, letters