While it seems that Mitt would say and do anything to close a deal – or an election. George Romney’s strength as a politician and public officeholder was his ability and determination to develop and hold consistent policy positions over his life.Former George Romney aide Walter De Vries • Criticizing George’s son, Mitt, for what he sees as the biggest difference between father and son — George stuck to his guns, but Mitt switches views based on what’s politically convenient. The New York Times has a letter to this effect from De Vries. Want to know more about the differences between Mitt and George? Read this ungodly long Buzzfeed piece — which if you printed it out, you would be able to wallpaper your entire room with.
Last year few of us knew the Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan or the now famous P90X workout plan, but TIME was early on the story. We sent Gregg Segal to photograph Ryan at a Wisconsin gym last year. Here are the some of the unpublished photographs from that session.
See more photos here.
Dear Paul Ryan,
Would you please explain to Mitt Romney why he’s wrong about mandating coverage for pre-existing conditions. Please insist to him that he stay strong for a full repeal of Obamacare.
growing weary,
The American People
from TPM:
itt Romney said Sunday that he likes parts of ‘Obamacare’ and will keep key provisions involving pre-existing conditions and young people.
“I’m not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I’m going to put in place,” he said on NBC’s “Meet The Press. “One is to make sure that those with pre-existing conditions can get coverage. Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like.”
The remarks could have huge implications as they signal a marked shift from Romney’s strong, unequivocal support for full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which he has consistently held since the Republican primaries.
Politically, the pivot risks drawing the ire of conservatives, who have been adamant that Republicans repeal the law in its entirety if elected. It’s a major gamble that could reflect Romney’s need to win over more independent voters, who support those provisions.
From a policy standpoint, however, the coverage guarantee for pre-existing conditions is economically untenable without other provisions of ‘Obamacare’ — most notably the individual mandate that requires Americans purchase insurance, which experts say is necessary to broaden the risk pool and prevent an upward spiral in costs.
The author here is right. The individual mandate is the only mechanism that makes guaranteed coverage work. The two are inseparable. You cannot mandate coverage for pre-existing conditions without also mandating that all Americans buy health insurance. To do so would with 100% certainly bankrupt the American healthcare system.
And why in the world would he continue the mandated freeloading of 26 year olds on their parents health insurance?
These things have already raised the cost of healthcare premiums. Premiums will not go down until they are repealed.
Hopefully Romney will come out and clarify his remarks by saying that health insurance companies are allowed to do so if they can negotiate it but not that they’re mandated.
Fellow conservatives, I would encourage you to contact Mitt Romney and make your voice heard.
I hate to break it to everyone against Obamacare, but these provisions are here to stay. Every year they stay in place public support for them grows, and Republicans are already having to adjust their positions as a reflection of this. The only possible stumbling year will be 2014, but after that the window of opportunity even for staggered dismantlement of the system closes. This was our Social Security fight, for better or worse (I say better), and it will become equally as entrenched.
The American People: Made up of people who agree and disagree with the ideals behind the Affordable Care Act. When painting in broad strokes, keep in mind that what makes the U.S. great is that there isn’t across-the-board agreement on everything.
Tumblr: The home of millions of people under the age of 26 that might benefit from having health care as they’re searching for a promotion at their retail job or first job out of college. Of all of the things you’re going to go after in this act, why that one? That’s the least controversial part of the whole thing.
![The legend of Paul Ryan: Kinda like Paul Bunyan, except with more budget-cutting strategies
¡Hola! Here’s the latest entry in our weekly post series, “The Pitch.” This post, written by SFB’s very own Seth Millstein, analyzes the man, the myth, and the legend: Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Follow Seth on Twitter over here.
So just who is Paul Ryan, anyway? Mitt Romney took a political risk, defied most pundits’ predictions, and delighted the conservative intelligensia last week by selecting Paul Ryan, a 42-year-old Congressman from Wisconsin, as his running mate. Ryan, who chairs the House Budget Committee, is a deeply polarizing figure. Some view him as an intelligent, non-combative policy wonk, a politician earnestly concerned with reducing the country’s deficit and unafraid to propose tough measures in order to do so. Others see Ryan a plutocratic snake-oil salesman, a GOP hardliner concerned primarily with gutting social programs and cutting taxes for the rich. So, what’s Ryan all about, and will he help or hinder Romney in November? ShortFormBlog’s Seth Millstein investigates after the jump.
(photo by monkeyz_uncle)
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Paul Ryan’s backstory
Wisconsin, born and raised: Unlike Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan wasn’t born into a political family — though he’s found his calling there, Ryan is as Wisconsin as they come, something that shows in his love of the outdoors. More about Ryan:
early Ryan was raised in Janesville, Wisconsin. In high school, he was elected class president during his junior year. He lost his father, who died of a heart attack when he was just 16.
middle At age 21, he became an intern in the U.S Senate in 1991, and after writing speeches for former vice presidential candidate and ardent supply-sider Jack Kemp, won a House seat in 1997.
current Ryan, who has served in the House for seven terms, gaining a rep as a budget wonk, married the former Janna Little in 2000. They have three children. His net worth is around $4.5 million.
Early philosophical inspirations
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.
Paul Ryan • Speaking about the early inspirations on his own political philosophy. Among some of the other thinkers he learned about at the University of Miami (Ohio), he grew a liking to Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Ludwig von Mises. But it was Rand who drew the strongest influence — after reading Atlas Shrugged, he was inspired to jump into politics. “I said, ‘Wow, I’ve got to check out this economics thing,’” he told The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza. “What I liked about her novels was their devastating indictment of the fatal conceit of socialism, of too much government.”
Ryan’s record as a public official
Ayn Rand is a major influence, but that doesn’t show up in his work: Ryan has gained a reputation as a bit of an economic hawk with libertarian leanings, but does that really hold up? Some critics disagree with that sentiment — particularly libertarian voices who were upset that he was pigeonholed with their political philosophy. So, let’s break it down. Where does he stand?
Economic Issues Put bluntly, the characterization of Ryan as a budget hawk doesn’t show in his voting record: He’s supported many policies that drastically increased, or would have increased, the deficit. Examples include the Bush tax cuts, Medicare Part D, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and a 2004 proposal to privatize Social Security. Ryan also voted for TARP, supported the war in Iraq, and opposed the PayGo requirement that tax cuts be offset with spending cuts, so it’s difficult to conclude that Ryan’s ideology is guided by an anti-big-government sentiment.
Social Issues Generally speaking, Ryan is socially conservative. He’s received a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee, an “A” from the NRA, and a 0% from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He opposes the DREAM Act, supports anti-flag-burning legislation, and opposes gay marriage — yet he’s in favor extending anti-discrimination laws to cover sexual orientation. According to DW-Nominate, a statistical ranking system that attempts to quantify legislators’ ideology, Ryan is about as conservative as Michele Bachmann. source
The Ryan Plan: How Paul got his wings
How Paul Ryan became a national figure: Ryan came to prominence around 2010 when, after debating President Obama face-to-face on health care reform, he unveiled a dramatic budget proposal dubbed “The Path to Prosperity,” which he pitched in the video above. He’s put out similar budgets every year, and the most recent incarnation has found its way into the spotlight following Romney’s VP announcement. It has several staples:
Medicare vouchers Rather than insuring seniors directly, Ryan’s proposal would provide Medicare recipients with “vouchers” worth a certain dollar amount that they could then use to purchase private health insurance. In addition, the plan would increase the age of Medicare elligibility, from 65 to 67, by 2034.
Tax structure The Ryan plan replaces the current income tax structure with two rates —10% and 25% (this would be a 10% cut for the highest earners), and lowering the corporate tax rate to 25%. It also proposes simplifying the tax code and eliminating unecessary tax expenditures, but doesn’t specify just how.
Low-income programs Ryan’s budget would cut $2.17 trillion from Medicaid and related programs, as well as $750 billion from money from programs that serve to benefit the poor (like food stamps and Pell Grants). All in all, 62% of the cuts identified in Ryan’s budget come from programs aiming to benefit low-income Americans. source
» A credible proposal? A frequent criticism of Ryan’s budget is that while it purports to reduce the deficit, this claim relies on policy details that the plan itself does not specify. The primary issue is the plan’s claim to be “revenue-neutral.” This means that although, under Ryan’s budget, tax rates would be reduced, the federal government would still collect just as much money, because the plan eliminates tax breaks and expenditures that otherwise decrease tax intake. However, Ryan doesn’t name any of the breaks or expenditures that he’d reform, and doesn’t explain how they would be modified.
Skepticism about Ryan’s plans
I’m not comfortable dismissing what Ryan says he’ll do. But I’m not comfortable assuming that he’s going to do something he’s never done before, that the Republican Party is ideologically uninterested in doing, and that would be nearly impossible to get done.
The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein • Who’s unsure of how to deal with the lack of specificity in Ryan’s budget proposal. The “something” to which he refers? Offsetting the tax cuts in his budget proposal. The plan doesn’t, in fact, name a single tax offset; it simply asserts as a premise that the new tax policy will be “revenue-neutral.” According to the the Bipartisan Policy Center, Ryan would have to eliminate every tax expenditure on the books to obtain revenue neutrality.
What about November?
Will having Ryan on the ticket help or hurt Romney? Who knows: So much of Ryan’s effect on the race will depend on things that either can’t be measured yet (his effectiveness as a fundraiser, how his candidacy gets framed, his oratorical skills) or can’t be measured at all (how many minds in Florida are changed due to his Medicare proposals, how many Democrats turn out to vote in Wisconsin who otherwise wouldn’t have, etc). It’s worth keeping in mind that even the most polarizing VP picks don’t necessarily sway the election (many people forget that John McCain was projected to lose long before he tapped Sarah Palin for VP), so any speculation with regard to his effect on the race is dubious at best. (photo by James B. Currie)
A risk or a brave choice?
When a prudent candidate like Mitt Romney picks someone like Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate, it suggests that he felt he held a losing position against President Obama.
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver • Regarding his view on Romney’s choice. He sees Ryan as a risky pick, because now, “Mr. Obama will no longer have to stretch to evoke the specter of Congress and its 15 percent approval rating,” because “with Mr. Ryan on the opposing ticket, he will be running against a flesh-and-blood embodiment of it.” Do you think that Ryan is the change the country needs? Did Mitt make the right choice?
Seth Millstein is a writer and Journalist who has penned articles for the likes of ShortFormBlog and The Daily. Reach him at @SethMillstein.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m935indcGv1qas8z9o1_500.jpg)
¡Hola! Here’s the latest entry in our weekly post series, “The Pitch.” This post, written by SFB’s very own Seth Millstein, analyzes the man, the myth, and the legend: Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Follow Seth on Twitter over here.
So just who is Paul Ryan, anyway? Mitt Romney took a political risk, defied most pundits’ predictions, and delighted the conservative intelligensia last week by selecting Paul Ryan, a 42-year-old Congressman from Wisconsin, as his running mate. Ryan, who chairs the House Budget Committee, is a deeply polarizing figure. Some view him as an intelligent, non-combative policy wonk, a politician earnestly concerned with reducing the country’s deficit and unafraid to propose tough measures in order to do so. Others see Ryan a plutocratic snake-oil salesman, a GOP hardliner concerned primarily with gutting social programs and cutting taxes for the rich. So, what’s Ryan all about, and will he help or hinder Romney in November? ShortFormBlog’s Seth Millstein investigates after the jump.
(photo by monkeyz_uncle)
The overnight vetting of Paul Ryan.From August, 2010, the Times’ “A Young Republican With a Sweeping Agenda”
From August of this year, Ryan Lizza’s “Fussbudget”
Lizza also shares this photo from Ryan’s high school yearbook, in which Ryan was named “biggest brown-noser.”
Paul Ryan’s classmates vote him “Biggest ‘Brown-Noser.’” twitter.com/RyanLizza/stat
— Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) August 11, 2012Here’s Ryan on C-SPAN in 1998, when he first joined Congress.
Here’s his big ol’ house in Janesville, Wisconsin.
Paul Ryan has a nice house here in Janesville instagr.am/p/OL5-WLi-xR/
— John Dickerson (@jdickerson) August 11, 2012Some other notes:
First prez election with no military vet on either ticket since 1932.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) August 11, 2012Last year we found Florida voters opposed Ryan plan by 16 points, North Carolina voters opposed it by 23
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) August 11, 2012Some early analysis of the pick from Lizza and The Atlantic’s James Fallows (who is not a fan).
The best early analysis is Ezra Klein’s “Seven Thoughts on Ryan”.
But if you’re looking for detail, here is a 290-page opposition research book on Ryan, released by a Super PAC.
Undoubtedly, more to come.
Gaywrites also points out that Ryan has a very weak gay-rights record.
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan is in his seventh term in Congress representing Wisconsin’s First Congressional District. He is Chairman of the House Budget Committee, where he has worked tirelessly leading the effort to reign in federal spending and increase accountability to taxpayers. He also serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, where he has focused on simplifying the tax code and making health care more affordable and accessible.
In January 2010, Ryan gained attention nationwide after unveiling his “Roadmap for America’s Future,” a proposal to eliminate the federal deficit, reform the tax code, and preserve entitlements for future generations.
Representative Ryan was born in Janesville, Wisconsin on January 29, 1970. A fifth-generation Wisconsin native, Ryan was the youngest of four children born to Paul Ryan Sr., who worked as an attorney, and Betty, a stay-at-home mom.
In April 2000, Ryan proposed to Janna Little, a native Oklahoman, at one of his favorite fishing spots, Big St. Germain Lake in Wisconsin. Later that year, the two were married in Oklahoma City.
The Ryans reside in Janesville with their three children, Liza, Charlie and Sam. The family are parishioners at St. John Vianney Catholic Church.
Upon entering Congress in January of 1999, Ryan was the youngest member of the freshmen class at the age of 28. Prior to running for Congress, Ryan served as an aide to Republican Senators Robert Kasten Jr. and Sam Brownback, former U.S. Rep. and Vice Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp, and as a speechwriter for Education Secretary William Bennett.
Ryan is a graduate of Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville and earned degrees in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio. He is an avid outdoorsman and is a member is of his local archery association, the Janesville Bowmen.
Something tells us it may be hard for him to keep up that membership with the Janesville Bowmen. Romney announced it via his app, though media outlets broke the news last night.
Mitt Romney chooses Paul Ryan as running mate
Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan to be his vice presidential running mate.
Sourced reports of the news emerged late last night, and Romney’s “Mitt’s VP” mobile app confirmed the choice this morning. Romney is holding an event in Norfolk, Virginia, at 9 a.m. EDT today to make the formal announcement. More updates on BreakingNews.com.
Photo: Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 10, 2012. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP)
Of course they would leapfrog the official announcement with the app. Of course.
![theatlantic:
Pandora Asks Listeners to Share Their E-mails With Romney
[Crystal] Harris took a screenshot of the request and tweeted it with a one-word comment: #fail.
Does someone listening to Garth Brooks automatically fall under the Republican column? Questions, questions …](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8g1d2ykM21qcokc4o1_500.jpg)
Pandora Asks Listeners to Share Their E-mails With Romney
[Crystal] Harris took a screenshot of the request and tweeted it with a one-word comment: #fail.
Does someone listening to Garth Brooks automatically fall under the Republican column? Questions, questions …
Twitter-obsessed comic Rob Delaney is making Mitt Romney’s life on Twitter really difficult. And he enjoys it. “Romney fascinates me endlessly,” Delaney told Bloomberg Businessweek’s Joshua Green recently. “He’s such an attractive target comedically because more than any other candidate in my lifetime, he just wants to be president. That’s it! He longs for it. Feels it’s his birthright. I can imagine him getting elected and just saying, ‘Well, that’s that then!’ and staring out a window.” (photos by Erik Naumann/Bloomberg Businessweek)
I’m moving back to New York in a few days. Unlike past...
OMG. I got so...
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Here’s a hidden feature that shipped in...
Watch: PCB gets a visual shout out on GMA’s Yahoo/Tumblr...
My first op-ed for The Daily Caller isn’t exactly friendly to Mitt Romney.
In the coming months, Romney is going to be hammered by the Obama campaign. The Bain commercials will continue, not because Obama disagrees with Romney’s decisions, but because Romney refuses to explain those decisions….
Political Tumblr does good: Story at 11 …
Pretty sure this New York State Senate candidate is the first candidate to use an LMFAO song on their campaign page. Mindy Meyer, a Republican and the first Orthodox Jewish woman to run for a State Senate seat in New York, wants you to know one thing: “I can tell you one thing, I have no experience in corruption.” She has lots of experience in graphic design involving the color pink, however. (ht Gawker)
The Associated Press delegate count shows that Romney surpassed the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination during Tuesday’s primary. Early returns show Romney posting a big win in Texas.
It’s a triumph of endurance for a candidate who came up short four years ago and had to fight hard this year as voters flirted with a carousel of GOP rivals.
In other news, water is still wet. We spent like a year freaking out over this, and it’s the result everyone expected. Remember that.
In which the WaPo’s opinion section isn’t afraid of pinning the blame for Congress’ ongoing gridlock. Note that this article, by Brookings’ Thomas E. Mann and the American Enterprise Institute Norman J. Ornstein, has 5,000+ comments.
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