Newspaper Endorsement For Ryan As Empty As His Record

Tweet

The Janesville Gazette said endorsing Rep. Paul Ryan was an easy choice because...now don't laugh...

1. He understands the problems we face.
2. His breath of insight into the issues.
3. His knowledge.
4. He has risen to prominence
5. He debates policy on national talk shows.
6. His "Roadmap to America's Future" novel.
7. His "Young Guns" book.
8. Obama called his roadmap "detailed" and "legitimate"
9. He wants an "adult" conversation.
10. He acknowledges his party's failings.
11. He fears we're at a tipping point.
12. Newspaper agrees with his economic liberty and fiscal conservatism ideology.

But, something was dramatically missing. I mean, where's the substance? Where's his record?

Here's a few trick questions.

After twelve years in Congress, what has Paul Ryan ever done for the country? Okay, forget that one. What has he done for Wisconsin? Nothing, nada, zip, zero. What has he ever done for his district? Oh' my gosh, anybody? Take a wild stab at it...please! Something - anything. Well, if the vested editors of Paul Ryan's hometown newspaper could not find one substantive accomplishment to shamelessly grandstand for district readers - I don't suspect much different from anybody else.

Of course the Janesville newspaper's endorsement for Rep. Paul Ryan was no surprise. Admittedly, there was no way the editors or even moderately advanced citizens could possibly mention even one district accomplishment simply because there are none. That's right. So, the Gazette scores a point for not fabricating something on that issue.

But it really is not enough to just say that Paul Ryan has done nothing for the country or his district. I wish it were that good. Instead, Congressman Ryan has been a very polarizing figure on the national scene and in his contacts with the "little people." His rubber stamping votes during the GOP-led Bush era were directly responsible for exporting large swathes of his district's manufacturing sector and sending working class wages and benefits on a race to the bottom. His Roadmap is without question a calculating class-war heist designed to protect the wealthiest from paying their share of the country's snowballing debt. In short, Ryan has been a pretty big negative for the country and our district.

Their editorial however confirms the notion that Paul Ryan is a classic example of representational corporate government - Republicorps. That is to say, he represents corporation's needs to the government through his employment as our congressman, then takes those instructions back home under the umbrella of government to convince the people of those special interest needs - all under the guise of "your" choice.

In case you never noticed, Paul Ryan is not the one listening at his townhalls. Instead, he's the one doing most of the talking. He's slick at presenting a sales pitch to a captive audience - he's the salesman and a fairly successful one at that. His ballooning corporate funded campaign chest proves it.

Ryan's interactions and conversations with district media enablers like the Janesville Gazette are closely guarded, yet what little real information they convey usually revolves around disseminating his corporate DC "government" message back home to the people. While most others in Congress engage and connect with their constituents and frame a consensus in order to articulate their particular district's positions on the issues and their fiscal expectations into the halls of congress, Ryan is working in the exact opposite fashion. He's well schooled in a marketing plan fully approved by his Wall Street masters - and is charged with selling it to the rest of the country. Just consider that when Ryan initially unveiled his roadmap - he presented it first to the barons on Wall Steet for their approval. They applauded.

With that, Ryan's opponent John Heckenlively promises to represent the people, that promise alone is plenty more than Ryan has ever done. But with only a few hundred dollars to support his campaign, he is obviously a huge underdog to defeat the million dollar corporate suit. He will be swallowed whole by the big-money, big-spending establishment congressman.

Yet, despite the gi-normous lack of legislative and district accomplishments, his ideological hang-ups, broken math, hyper-partisanship, his class war road map propositions and all of the parochial incompetence and representational failings buried within his empty shell of spit-shined and greased armor, the Janesville newspaper concludes," Ryan is obviously the right person for this district."