Paul Ryan speech effective, dishonest
Barb ShellyRepublicans are exalting about Paul Ryan’s speech. It was a good speech, an effective speech. A speech meant to fire up the people who are inclined to believe that Barack Obama is creating a government on the order of the Politburo.
What this was not was an honest speech.
Ryan blamed Obama for the closure of a GM plant in his hometown in Wisconsin. That plant closed during the administration of George W. Bush.
The vice presidential nominee blasted Obama for appropriating $700 billion in future Medicare spending to pay for other aspects of his health care plan. (Seniors would not see cuts in service; the savings would come from reduced pay increases to hospitals and an end to subsidies for the Medicare Advantage plans.) Ryan forgot to mention that the budget he proposed as a Congressman takes the same future spending out of Medicare as the Affordable Care Act does.
He called the stimulus program corrupt, wasteful and ineffective, and skirting around the fact that he sought stimulus funds for his district.
He criticized Obama for ignoring the findings of the Simpson-Bowles Commission, when he himself voted against the Simpson-Bowles deficit report.
I did like Ryan’s tribute to his mom. But this speech cannot hold up against the light of truth and accuracy.
JR Beillenhouser
9 months, 3 weeks agoBarb - you will never be the arbiter of truth and accuracy. You are too partisan, too intellectually dishonest, and too progressive to even understand the concept.
If even just once, you called the president on things that Ryan called out Obama on, Solyndra, stimulus money going to cronies, ineffectual leadership( the list goes on and on ), you might be taken seriously. But what you and your fellow Obamaphiles at the KC Star fail to realize is that no one takes you seriously or trusts you anymore. You have been exposed. And it isn’t going to change no matter who wins this election.
The demise of the Star rests squarely on you and the other progressives on the editorial board.
Matt Henry
9 months, 3 weeks agoCan someone send me the links to Barb’s fact-checking pieces on the Obama campaign? You know, the one where she talks about all the factual errors in the cancer ad, the fake “Republican” women who now love Obama, the expose’ on how the campaign got caught coordinating with a superpac on the Soptic ads. That was an engaging piece of journalism.
What? You say it never happened? How is that possible? Why, if that article doesn’t exist it would be as if she is driven to expose the problems from one side but not the other! And that just can’t be, not with the commitment to truth that is the Star.
Yeesh.
Mark Hastert
9 months, 3 weeks agoI think it’s too much to expect speeches and a partisan convention to be thoughtful and accurate. After all, when you come down to it this is a sell, a three infomercial laced with just enough fact to give plausibility. Besides, the only people listening are the faithful and they didn’t need to be sold anyway. When the home team has their’s it’ll be the same.
It’s a real good time to be a Netflix subscriber. I can watch “Mr Smith goes to Washington” and pretend.
George Hunsucker
Northland
9 months, 3 weeks agoThank you for your thoughtful “fair and balanced” posting ms. shelly :-)
All I know is people have a clear choice between fear and despair(you libs) or hope and freedom(we cons)…
If you want government to continue to grow and take away your freedoms and turn into Europe vote with the donkeys. If you want the OPPORTUNITY to grow, smaller government and a return to a vibrate America vote with the elephants.
It really is as simple as that fortunately. A majority of Americans still want that freedom to be all that they can be, not a nation of serfs beholden to a bunch of faceless, overpaid bureaucrats.
The ms. sheely’s of the world lust for that ever-growing, ever-powerful government stifling opportunity and our freedoms. I do not!
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoMark, that didn’t stop Barb now, did it.
Barb? Should we expect your fact check following the speeches at the Democratic Convention? Do you think Obama will repeat his lie that the Ryan Plan would lower Romney’s taxes to below 1%? Do you think Obama will repeat his lie that the Ryan Plan would increase costs for those on Medicare by over $6,400 per year?
Barb, as an opinion writer, you have an obligation to be biased to you your opinion. That’s exactly what it is. But total blindness to the faults of the Democrats does not add to the credibility of your opinions.
Joe Oberman
9 months, 3 weeks agoI highly recommend intelligent people read the truth… Mitt Romney was only a ONE TERM governor. — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GovernorshipofMitt_Romney
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoWhat’s your point, Joe?
Chuck Gatson
9 months, 3 weeks agoSeems that the neo cons at least read Ms. Shelly’s pieces. Attack the message, not the messenger. Oh and no name calling. It might hurt Kent’s feelings.
JR Beillenhouser
9 months, 3 weeks agohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56h1gobtkIo&feature=player_embedded
“Ryan blamed Obama for the closure of a GM plant in his hometown in Wisconsin. That plant closed during the administration of George W. Bush.
Read more here: http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/paul-ryan-speech-effective-dishonest/#storylink=cpy”
Debunked. As Ryan noted, this happened in 2009.
Thanks for playing.
Phil Cardarella
9 months, 3 weeks agoIt is a real talent to look directly into a camera and clearly and effectively lie to millions of people,
Ryan has a great career ahead on FOX News.
Steve Alleman
Kansas City
9 months, 3 weeks agohttp://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2012/08/ryan-launches-campaign-theme-of-lying-about-everything.html
JR Beillenhouser
9 months, 3 weeks agohttp://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2012/08/30/obamacampmeltsdownoverryansspeech
What lies.
George Hunsucker
Northland
9 months, 3 weeks agoOnly a lawyer would talk about looking at someone and lying phil…..
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoJerry, thank-you for agreeing with me, but please don’t call the liberals names. Just let them do that to us. Leave them in the gutter as we move on.
No, Chuck, that doesn’t hurt my feelings.
Mark, I pretty much agree with you. But, it seems that Barb didn’t get your memo.
George Hunsucker
Northland
9 months, 3 weeks agoAnother example of the “fair and balanced” lame stream media……
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/new-york-times-puts-son-satan-ryan-front-page_651233.html
Libs think this is sooooooooooooo cute…
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoBarb, now that you have pronounced Ryan’s speech to be lacking truth and accuracy, let’s check your blog.
Barb, you said Ryan blamed Obama for the Jaynesville GM plant closure. He did not. What he said was that Obama said if the government supported the plant that it would stay open for another hundred years. Here is the entire portion of Ryan’s speech addressing the issue:
“When he talked about change, many people liked the sound of it, especially in Janesville, where we were about to lose a major factory.
A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that GM plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: “I believe that if our government is there to support you … this plant will be here for another hundred years.” That’s what he said in 2008.
Well, as it turned out, that plant didn’t last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day. And that’s how it is in so many towns today, where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight.”
Barb? Ryan didn’t say what you said he said. It’s your truthfulness and accuracy that is lacking.
You said seniors would not see cuts in service under the 700 billion dollar Obama cut. Medicare’s own Office of the Actuary said that 15% of Medicare providers would be unprofitable by 2019, and 25% by 2030. The Actuary said they could not sustain those cuts. So, If Obama forces 25% of the providers out of business, then the seniors are most definitely being shorted with services. Barb, your truthfulness and accuracy is lacking.
You said Ryan called the stimulus program corrupt, wasteful and ineffective. But what does Wisconsin’s receiving money do to negate what he said? You slapped Ryan, but did not show him to be wrong. Barb, your truthfulness and accuracy are lacking.
You said Ryan criticized Obama for not following Simpson-Bowles. True, but it was Obama’s commission, not Ryan’s. Ryan can vote against it without being hypocritical. Barb, your truthfulness and honesty is lacking.
Barb, if you want to fact check others, be prepared to have your facts checked.
Yanwen Xia
Overland Park
9 months, 3 weeks agoFact-checking 6 claims in Paul Ryan’s convention speech
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57503683/fact-checking-6-claims-in-paul-ryans-convention-speech/
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoYanwen….I addressed above the first three items in your CBS link. CBS clearly had an agenda with their piece.
Stephen Platt
9 months, 3 weeks agoThe vicious attacks are unrelenting. I read the same set of circumstances and I conclude Paul Ryan was not dishonest The GM plant closed earlier than expected, the company was bailed out, and the plant is still closed.
What Ms. Shelly did not read was Obama’s speech delivered in front of the plant. Here’s an excerpt “This can be America’s future. I know that General Motors received some bad news yesterday, and I know how hard your Governor has fought to keep jobs in this plant. But I also know how much progress you’ve made – how many hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles you’re churning out. And I believe that if our government is there to support you, and give you the assistance you need to re-tool and make this transition, that this plant will be here for another hundred years. The question is not whether a clean energy economy is in our future, it’s where it will thrive. I want it to thrive right here in the United States of America; right here in Wisconsin; and that’s the future I’ll fight for as your President.
My energy plan will invest $150 billion over ten years to establish a green energy sector that will create up to 5 million new jobs over the next two decades – jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced. We’ll also provide funding to help manufacturers convert to green technology and help workers learn the skills they need for these jobs.
We know that all of this must be done in a responsible way, without adding to the already obscene debt that has grown by four trillion dollars under George Bush. We know that we cannot build our future on a credit card issued by the bank of China.”
So how is this working out four years later. The plant was not retooled and producing “green” cars despite the 37 billion dollar (as of August 30, 2012) bail out to GM still unpaid.Yesterday the Chevy Volt plant layed off 1500 workers due to an 84 day supply on hand that needs to be balanced. And tell me again about the $150 Billion tooling investment that will create 5 million jobs without adding to the obscene debt.
Liar, liar pants on fire. And Mitt Fomney did not kill that woman who died of cancer. Fact checking? My ass.
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoMr. Platt speaks with a lot of wisdom.
Mark Hastert
9 months, 3 weeks agoGeez Kent, so every time your guy gets called out it’s an agenda? What? an agenda for the truth? You boy did not tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
If the sin of omission could send you to hell most politicians, including your’s, would be toast. Let’s all agree that conventions are nothing but infomercials and it’s folly to expect honesty. The Dems will get their chance and it’ll be your turn to howl in a few days. Besides, nobody’s listening but the faithful. Is there any chance in the world that a mind will get changed? Doubtful.
Here’s my bet. It’s going to come down to what the voters think will be the backwash of one candidate or the other getting elected. Personally, I can’t stand the idea of the crazies in you party running the asylum, otherwise Romney himself would be no big deal (he’s a closet Dem anyway) but when they shoved Ryan down his throat it was clear that it would never be his Presidency. The more strident Dems have faded from influence so I’m going with Big-O.
Kent Mueller
9 months, 3 weeks agoMark, why are you attacking me on that point? You should be attacking Barb Shelly as she tries to fact check a convention speech. Your target of your disgust (proudly, me) belies your intent.