Not sure if you have seen this yet, but it is awesome.
So what if I asked you about gun violence in America, and you decided to say that guns aren't the problem, no, no, no, the lack of economic growth is the problem. If we only made America more friendly to business than gun violence will go away, Paul Ryan tries to say. So the journalist conducting the interview asks Ryan "And you can do all that by cutting taxes? By, with a big tax cut?"
Ryan retorts. "Those are your words, not mine."
And then a Ryan aide off camera says "Thank you very much, sir." and Paul Ryan gets up. The interview is abruptly over and Ryan adds in "That was kinda strange, trying to stuff words in people's mouth?"
Watch . . . .
The reporter asks Paul Ryan "Do you think something should be done about gun violence in this county?" After twenty seconds of non answer Ryan says "More gun laws have not been proven to solve these problems." Ryan goes on to explain that what we don't need is more gun laws, what we need is (SURPRISE!) economic growth, educational reform i.e. union busting and privatization, big government is the problem blah blah blah. When asked if this country has a gun problem Ryan deflects and says it is a crime problem, not guns. Ryan even admits that Obama isn't the 2nd Amendment killing tyrant others claim he is. Ryan then goes on about how the best thing to help violent crime in the inner cities should be solved by bringing economic opportunity to inner cities. Gun violence is a problem to be solved by economic growth, charities, churches, just not government doing something about the flood of firearms in America. Basically, Ryan tried to say the problem with gun violence is not guns, it is the lack of economic growth, and we all know what that means, tax cuts.
Here is the short transcript of the last exchange of the interview before Ryan's aide ended it, courtesy of Kossack history first via HuffPo
reporter: "Does this country have a gun problem?'
Ryan: (from HuffPo)
"We have lots of laws that aren't being properly enforced. We need to make sure we enforce these laws. But the best thing to help prevent violent crime in the inner cities is to bring opportunity in the inner cities, is to help people get out of poverty in the inner cities, is to help teach people good discipline, good character. That is civil society. That's what charities, and civic groups, and churches do to help one another make sure that they can realize the value in one another." (emphasis mine)
Suddenly economic growth teaches good character? WOW. That pile of bs deserves it's own diary to debunk.
More below the fold . . .
The violent mass murder that might take place in your neighborhood next week will not be stopped tomorrow by encouraging economic growth today. That's just stupid. It's a non-answer. It's like me saying that the problem with being trampled by an elephant isn't the elephant, it's the overbearing regulations that circus vendors have to deal with. And how insulting, I mean, people fucking died, Paul Ryan can surely ask his former House of Representatives colleague Gabby Giffords about it. Gun violence kills people and pretending that the problem isn't guns is like saying that the only way to defeat Al Qaeda is to invade Iraq.
So Paul Ryan gives a ludicrous non-answer to a question about gun violence and the reporter calls him on it, and then Paul Ryan has a sad. Oh, boo hoo, he's putting words in my mouth. If the word was "Foot", you'd be right Congressman Ryan, but that is what you get for giving a truly Sarah Palinesque answer to a question about gun violence. Ryan only gave this answer because he is totally beholden to the NRA and the far right gun lobby. Truly pathetic. We all remember that time economic growth walked into a dark movie theater and stopped the madman right before he started killing innocent Americans, don't we?
Of course, over in bizarro world on Bullshit Mountain Fox's Steve Doocy loves Paul Ryan for walking off the set of this interview, saying "Good for Paul Ryan sticking it to the press."
Yeah, how dare the lamestream non-conservative media try to put words in a Republicans mouth, that's what Fox News is for!
But as for VP nominee Paul Ryan, this is what getting hoisted by your own petard looks like. And Ryan deserves it. Sure, all the problems in the world can be solved with lower taxes, and we can't give you the specifics until after the election. Just trust us, says Paul Ryan and the GOP. "Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations and call us in the morning." indeed.
The floor is now yours
UPDATE: Don't boo, vote, and GOTV like there is no tomorrow. Hat tip to kossack LNK in the comments for the links.
I think the word ACTION appears as part of Daily Kos's standard front page?
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