Saturday morning Ryan delivered the weekly GOP radio Address, further cementing in Americans' minds that voting for Romney and for any Republican running for Congress (or anything else for that matter) means voting for the end of Medicare and Social Security and for the dark Ayn Rand dystopian agenda that informs Ryan's crabbed political mindset. Or, as Paul Krugman put it so eloquently yesterday, reading Ayn Rand led Paul Ryan "to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world."
This blog-- and Blue America-- have been trying to call people's attention that Paul Ryan-- as well as dozens of other Republicans with severely stunted intellectual development-- have been hung up on Ayn Rand's cheap, tawdry vision of American economic politics. It must be starting to sink in because Ryan is furiously back-pedalling on his devotion to his mentor.
Despite a clear and very incriminating trail on YouTube and Facebook, Ryan is completely changing his story-- or trying to-- on Rand. Now he says he rejects her philosophy... quite the departure. So why was he forcing anyone who wanted to work for him to read her idiotic adolescent book, Atlas Shrugged? What happened to "The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand?" And what about giving out the books of this woman (who he now dismisses as an "atheist," which he's always been aware she proudly was) as presents on the anniversary of Jesus' birthday? Cruel irony, no?
You would never know it from watching the DCCC, but the only way to really stop Paul Ryan is to replace him with Rob Zerban, the progressive Democrat running for the southeast Wisconsin congressional district Ryan holds, a swing district that goes back and forth between Democrats and Republicans. Obama won it in 2008 and Zerban can win it in November-- if Ryan's pal Steve Israel stops starving the Zerban campaign of cash. Blue America has a billboard up now and we'd like to do more... a lot more. You can help us with that if you'd like to-- here. One thing I can guarantee you, though... waiting for the DCCC to act means another term of Paul Ryan spewing his anti-family poisons in Congress and on TV. Meanwhile, Rob is just plowing ahead and not sitting around waiting for Steve Israel to get some vision. Here's something Rob sent out to his supporters yesterday:
Paul Ryan has found some flip flops to wear this spring.
Paul Ryan has said Ayn Rand is the reason he got into politics. As Rachel Maddow points out, Ryan has gone so far as to say that he makes all his interns and staff read her books.
Most people don't know who Ayn Rand is. Briefly, Rand became notorious for attacking people of faith as "sheep" as saying religion should be abolished. The author was famous for saying the only true belief system was selfishness.
When Paul Ryan came out with his budget, which rewards the rich and punishes poor and middle class families, Ryan used the Catholic faith to justify his plan. He received criticism from Catholics, including the Conference of Bishops and Georgetown University. Many Catholics are unhappy with Ryan using their faith to justify an attack on the poor.
The disconnect between Ryan's policies and Ryan's statements is clear. Ryan talks the talk of faith, he talks about caring for the people, but he lives the politics of selfishness as described by Ayn Rand. His statements, and his actions, simply don't add up.
This is not a battle about religion. I think people's beliefs are their own. What is troubling is a track record of dishonesty.
I am telling the people of Wisconsin and America what my values are and what I stand for. It would be nice to see some honesty from Paul Ryan for a change.
We will continue to hold Paul Ryan accountable and build a winning campaign.
I hope someone at the DCCC reads that... and gets a clue. But I doubt anyone who can help change the corrupt culture over there-- and who wants to change the corrupt culture over there-- will. You can contribute directly to Rob Zerban by clicking the thermometer-- or here.
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