Soup kitchen in Ryan photo op losing donors

[riqster]

"When Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan rinsed a few dishes in the back of a soup kitchen in Youngstown, Ohio, he couldn't have known the photo op would still be a story almost a week later. It is, but not for anything positive.

According to The Huffington Post, the Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society is losing donors as a result of the photo. "It appears to be a substantial amount," charity president Brian Antal told the Post. "You can rest assured there has been a substantial backlash." Antal declined to mention specific numbers, citing privacy concerns.

For those who haven't been following, er, soup kitchen-gate, here's what happened. Rep. Ryan stopped by on Saturday morning and offered to wash a few dishes. However, according to Antal, the Ryan camp wasn't exactly invited.

"We are apolitical because the majority of our funding is from private donations," Antal told The Washington Post. "It's strictly in our bylaws not to do it. They showed up there, and they did not have permission. They got one of the volunteers to open up the doors." Antal also said that "If this was the Democrats, I'd have the same exact problem."

A spokesperson for Ryan told the Washington Post that a staff member reached out to the charity before stopping by and was told that "it would be fine for the congressman to stop by."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/soup-kitchen-ryan-photo-op-losing-donors-203033279--election.html

[Suich]

1. I'm not sure I believe this story.

Reasonable people would continue to donate after hearing the circumstances of Ryan's photo-op.

At least, I would!

[Texasgal]

2. Yeah, I agree.

I would like to think that people would continue to volunteer photo-op or not. If it's true shame on anyone that would do that.

[KurtNYC]

7. No - Republican donors are pissed that the Soup Kitchen didn't play along with the scam

that's why the director said 'if Biden came for a photo op they should turn him away too' -- to try and appease them

[themaguffin]

11. *reasonable* donors wouldn't stop giving at all, conservatives on the other hand....

[matt819]

3. I don't think it was the photo op itself

I thought their initial response was fine, and almost certainly true and correct. It was a bogus photo op. It's against our policy. We would have said no to either party. At that point I was thinking about donating.

But then they walked it back, saying it was planned, approved, Ryan actually did wash dirty dishes, etc.

The natural reaction to this walk-back was that they had been paid off. They accepted a donation, said nice things. Sounds like a pay-off to me. If they're losing donors, it's their own damn fault. And, yes, it's unfortunate, as these services are vital in their communities. But once they become political, they lose something, and this is a tough lesson. I'm sure they'll come back from it, but I hope they have learned that, basically, connections with Republicans are not a good thing.

[riqster]

4. Do you have a link to the walk-back?

I missed that.

[riqster]

5. Again, is there proof of this walk back? (NT)

[Horse with no Name]

6. They arrived after the food and the people were gone and the kitchen was clean

and Ryan threw some soapy water on some clean pans while they took pictures.

I mean seriously? Ryan lies about everything. Nobody invited the pandering little jerkoff--they needed a photo op and this unfortunate soup kitchen got in the crossfire.

[Xyzse]

8. If Paul Ryan has any sort of dignity or human compassion...

He better apologize on this count for what his actions has done towards this charity.

The charity is apolitical, by doing what he has done he has hurt the charity due to his own photo-op.

His actions hurt a deserving charity which does good work for those in need in that area.

Of course, they are probably not going to do that, and kill off another charity that should have been supported.

[riqster]

9. The Irony Is

..Reeps are always going on about how private charities should be taking care of the poor instead of the Government doing it. So Ryan is making it harder for charities to do what he wants them to do.

[Xyzse]

10. I know...

Ticks me to no end.