Media Calls Out Paul Ryan Acceptance Speech For Falsehoods

[highplainsdem]

Source: Huffington Post

Paul Ryan's vice presidential acceptance speech ran into a lot of trouble with fact-checkers and journalists.

It seemed like some reporters' heads were going to explode on Twitter as Ryan spoke. For instance, he blasted President Obama for not doing more to keep a GM plant in his hometown open. The problem was that the plant closed before Obama took office. He also criticized Obama for rejecting recommendations from a debt commission that he himself sat on, and whose findings he also rejected.

ABC's Jake Tapper was one of a nearly infinite amount of reporters tweeting these points:

-snip-

After a correspondent's interview with Ryan's family — and a fair amount of criticism — Blitzer noted that he had been getting emails from Democrats and others about what, in his words, "they claim were falsehoods, misleading statements, lies, if you will, that were made by Paul Ryan. And I guess that fact-checking is only beginning."

-snip-

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/29/media-paul-ryan-acceptance-falsehoods_n_1841802.html

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Bout fuckin' time.

[JHB]

14. Everyone has their limits

It gets kind of obvious you're ignoring the elephant dung in the room when it rises above eye level. They feel they have to scrap it down an inch so they can go back to merely breathing it in.

[JI7]

2. they did ?

[TeamPooka]

3. time to "cowboy up" Fourth Estate

[JI7]

4. Blitzer is saying "they claim were falsehoods" ?

well, isn't his job to check that to see if they are ? rather than just say it's what dems are "claiming" ?

is the congressional record on Ryan's voting record closed to him or something ?

[oldsarge54]

12. Around the 70s

Around the 70s it seems that with few exceptions, the news talking heads are actors and faces. They are the face of the real reporters hiding in the background. Fact checkers are a new breed of critter, half reporter, half researcher. Sort of a new career area.

[Quantess]

19. Okay so some "reporters" are talking heads.

That's fine, as long as someone at the network does the fact checking so the talking heads report it.

Wolf Blitzer can afford an assistant to look up the info.

[JDPriestly]

32. Nowadays, the newscaster's first job is to tell people what they want to hear.

Telling people the truth went out with your great-grandmother's big black wall telephone.

Here is a link to a picture of one in case you have forgotten:

http://www.antiquetelephones.co.uk/contents/en-uk/p223.html

[FiveGoodMen]

35. I have a big black wall telephone in my basement.

Original equipment with the '62-built house.

Still connected and working.

[JDPriestly]

37. You should take a picture and start a website for people who love their originals.

Lots of people have some ancient artifact in their house.

I have the original 1920s kitchen in my house. I'm afraid it does not look good enough to post a picture of it on the internet. Why don't I tear it out and replace it? In addition to the money problem, it's oak, and where would I find solid oak wood that does not warp, bow or bend. Sometimes old things are the best.

[babylonsister]

5. Great! I can't wait for the scathing articles today! nt

[barbtries]

6. so i just checked out

msnbc,, cnn, abc, cbs, and cnn.

only cnn had anything on the front page about a sppech full of lies. all the rest were fawning headlines about his electrifying moment in the spotlight or some such shit. gonna go see if i can watch rachel now.

eta no, the most recent program on rachel's page is 8-27-12.

[Petrushka]

7. from Fox News too?! [**gasp**]

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/

[csziggy]

11. Wow - the Fox News article is stunning in its criticism!

Paul Ryan’s speech in 3 words

By Sally Kohn
Published August 30, 2012
FoxNews.com

1. Dazzling
So, Ryan’s primary job tonight was to introduce himself and make himself seem likeable, and he did that well. The personal parts of the speech were very personally delivered, especially the touching parts where Ryan talked about his father and mother and their roles in his life. And at the end of the speech, when Ryan cheered the crowd to its feet, he showed an energy and enthusiasm that’s what voters want in leaders and what Republicans have been desperately lacking in this campaign.

2. Deceiving
On the other hand, to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech. On this measure, while it was Romney who ran the Olympics, Ryan earned the gold.

3. Distracting
And then there’s what Ryan didn’t talk about.

Ryan may have helped solve some of the likeability problems facing Romney, but ultimately by trying to deceive voters about basic facts and trying to distract voters from his own record, Ryan’s speech caused a much larger problem for himself and his running mate.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/#ixzz251GMutZY

Edited for brevity - there is MUCH more, including actual fact checking in this article.

[lovemydog]

13. from that article:

' .... Ryan didn’t mention his previous plan to hand over Social Security to Wall Street. Ryan didn’t mention his numerous votes to raise spending and balloon the deficit when George W. Bush was president. Ryan didn’t mention how his budget would eviscerate programs that help the poor and raise taxes on 95% of Americans in order to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires even further and increase — yes, increase —the deficit. These aspects of Ryan’s resume and ideology are sticky to say the least. He would have been wise to tackle them head on and try and explain them away in his first real introduction to voters. But instead of Ryan airing his own dirty laundry, Democrats will get the chance.

.... Ryan may have helped solve some of the likeability problems facing Romney, but ultimately by trying to deceive voters about basic facts and trying to distract voters from his own record, Ryan’s speech caused a much larger problem for himself and his running mate.'

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/#ixzz251Ld23wd

[Berlum]

8. The Republicans need to stop lying to Americans

For God's sake.

[fasttense]

9. Really? The Mainstream media actually criticized a RepubliCON?

Amazing.

I listened to NPR talk about the anniversary of Katrina and NOT one word of how long the bushes and Brownie left the people of New Orleans to drown and starve on roof tops and in the stadium. It was all about how the RepubliCONS have learned their lesson to be more Politically sensitive to disasters.

It wasn't just the RepubliCONS and bushes political tone deafness, it was about people suffering and dying on rooftops and in the stadium because the bushes were too busy celebrating McCain's birthday. They couldn't even drop water for them to drink. It was about REAL human suffering that was totally ignored for a week while the bushes played. It was about cruelty and neglect. But NOT one word about the real suffering caused NOT by Katrina but by RepubliCON inaction.

Glad to see that a few tools had the guts to point out RepubliCON lies. Now let's see if they have the guts to review the disaster caused by RepubliCONS in New Orleans.

[magical thyme]

20. it was worse than them not dropping drinking water

I think it was Walmarts that sent in truckloads of bottled water and were held back and prevented from delivering.

I personally know of horse people who dropped everything, collected hay and dog and cat food donations from fellow horse people, drove trailer loads down and were held back for something like 2 weeks. We brainstormed on everything they would need -- including personal provisions and extra gas for themselves so they wouldn't inadvertently become burdens.

And it was comments from some GOP government heads to the effect that it was a good way to get rid of the poor.

It wasn't just neglect and narcissism. It was deliberate genocide, imo.

[Cha]

10. "...Democrats and others..."

Okay...who the heck are the Others?

Is ol' wolf gonna put himself out and investigate?

[avebury]

15. K&T nt

[tclambert]

16. They announced the day before they wouldn't let fact-checkers dictate to them.

Their number one campaign strategy is to just make stuff up.

[liberal N proud]

17. That lasted about 10 seconds

This morning they were telling how the republicans have such a positive message and Ryan charged up the base ahead of the great speech the stiff will give tonight.

[Dustlawyer]

18. The 1% have been scaring us with Romney so we will count ourselves lucky when Obama does things

like keep Gitmo open or start busting medical pot! I hope Obama will prove me wrong and come out swinging and keep pushing for the whole 4 years. I recognize that there is still Congress to deal with, but no more rolling over, I've had enough!

[magical thyme]

21. +1M

I have one thin line of hope that Obama's eyes have been opened and his willingness to compromise does not equal more of the same.

My biggest fear is this is a deliberate con job into suckering us into accepting more and more compromise versus total the capitulation to RR.

[wordpix]

26. I'm seeing O change with this election. He has to fight back or be snowed under by R Lie Avalanche

I'm seeing some fight coming back.

[great white snark]

31. "I recognize that there is still Congress to deal with"

Yet you blame Obama for keeping Gitmo open. And your claim that he might, in the future, personally order the DEA to bust legal medical marijuana is also quite ignorant IMHO.

Obama wants Citizen's United overturned and he wants a fairer tax code. It's very clear which candidate is pandering to the 1%.

[amerciti001]

22. Lies,lies,lies...

and more lies, without one bit of truth anywhere to be found oh, me oh, my!!! pants on fire? hair on fire!!!

[highplainsdem]

23. The first thing I heard when I turned on CNN this morning was Elizabeth Cohen fact-checking

Ryan's Medicare lie.

[highplainsdem]

24. From TPM: Romney aide put on defensive on CNN this morning over Ryan's WI plant lie

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/fehrnstrom-ryan-didnt-say-wisconsin-plant-closed-under

Fehrnstrom is going to be desperately shaking that Etch-A-Sketch, trying to claim Ryan didn't lie.

[wordpix]

25. no prob--Rmoney says "we’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.”

http://www.inquisitr.com/315140/romney-campaign-says-fact-checkers-wont-rule-the-debate/

same goes for "dictated by facts"

[tjdee]

27. Isn't it THEIR JOB to find out if they ARE LIES?

Wolf Blitzer is such a milquetoast. He "guesses" the fact-checking is only beginning? Isn't that the JOB OF THE NEWS MEDIA?

I get they don't want to be superliberal by oh I don't know, telling the truth, but this kind of 'people claim they're lies' and 'the left says they're lying' leaves most independent regular people going......well, are they lying or what?

Why he still has a job I will never understand. It's almost like CNN thinks "boring as hell" = objective.

It doesn't.

[highplainsdem]

28. Bangor Daily News: Rather than telling “hard truths,” Ryan misled

http://pollways.bangordailynews.com/2012/08/30/national/rather-than-telling-hard-truths-ryan-misled/

[highplainsdem]

29. Mediaite: CNN’s John Berman Fact-Checks Paul Ryan’s RNC Speech As Fehrnstrom Defends It

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-john-berman-fact-checks-paul-ryans-rnc-speech-as-fehrnstrom-defends-it/

Video with the article at the link.

[highplainsdem]

30. The Obama campaign already has a video out using the media's critique of Ryan:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101752870

[dtmfman]

34. I only offer this as a response....

[Doctor Jack]

36. This story is on every media outlet I have been to today

I am extremely surprised. I thought i would wake up to "America collectively fawns over Paul Ryan's super awesome speech, Democrats abandon Obama in droves".