Video: Ryan Was a Big Fan Of Sequestration Until ...

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In government legislation, I've always thought "sequester" or sequestration was a built-in default mechanism that acts as an override in fiscal matters when a more controlled environment fails. Over the years I've heard Rep. Paul Ryan use the term several times but never really gave its potentially disastrous consequences much thought. Until now.

As it turns out, Ryan has been a very big proponent for sequestration over the years. So much in fact, that if "Sequester" was a race horse, Ryan would be considered its owner, trainer and driver. But in this latest sequestration event that republicans have tried to throw back onto President Obama, it is Ryan himself who tries to "urban legend" sequestration like he did his beloved Ayn Rand. Suddenly, the sequester is bad government when it appears that blame instead of credit is its political reward.

Watch it:



To help keep responsibility for the current cuts in proper perspective is the fact that Paul Ryan was not only a huge proponent of sequestration, but also that he was one of only three House Republicans voting for the current sequester AND then later pulling its trigger. Obama signed the sequester mechanism into law as part of the debt deal from 2011, but never pulled the trigger.

What I also don't get from Republicans posting comments in social media is they insist Democrats offer proposals to prevent some of the cuts without raising revenue. They basically want to trade indiscriminate automatic $1.2T in cuts for $1.2T in picking-winners-and-losers cuts. Republicans want to go from Ryan bad to crony-capitalism Ryan worse. Democrats must not accept anything less than dollar-for-dollar in revenue to offset or cancel any cuts.

ADDITIONAL:

Politicus USA - Paul Ryan Championed Sequester Since 2004, Now Calls His Own Idea Not Good Government - w/transcripts

Crooks and Liars - It's Not About Fixing The Debt. It's All About Lowering Taxes.