Entitlement-hating Paul Ryan collected Social Security benefits until he was 18

[ProSense]

Entitlement-hating Paul Ryan collected Social Security benefits until he was 18

by bal

I guess it's only when social programs help other people that they're bad, because I haven't seen Paul Ryan acknowledging how Social Security benefits helped him and his family in trying times:

Ryan was raised as a fifth-generation Janesville resident. His father practiced law in the same building as future U.S. Senator Russ Feingold’s father. To differentiate Young Paul from Paul Sr., Ryan was nicknamed “P.D.” People often mistook this moniker for “Petey,” which caused Paul to recoil.

...

One day as a 16 year old, Ryan came upon the lifeless body of his father. Paul Ryan, Sr. had died of a heart attack at age 55, leaving the Janesville Craig High School 10th grader, his three older brothers and sisters and his mother alone. It was Paul who told the family of his father’s death.

With his father’s passing, young Paul collected Social Security benefits until age 18, which he put away for college. To make ends meet, Paul’s mother returned to school to study interior design. His siblings were off at college. Ryan remembers this difficult time bringing him and his mother closer.

Within months, Paul’s maternal grandmother moved into the house. She suffered from Alzheimer’s, and it often fell on young Paul to care for her, including brushing and braiding her hair. Ryan credits his father’s death and the care of his grandmother as giving him first-hand experience as to how social service programs work.

Ryan sure did get first-hand experience on how social programs work. They made it possible for Paul Ryan to attend college, get an education, and make a name for himself in the political world. And he's now using that name to make sure others don't get the same opportunities he did.

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[Tarheel_Dem]

1. Oh, the hypocrisy. Sorta like Clarence Thomas who benefitted from

Affirmative Action, but now thinks it should be repealed. The hypocrisy makes my head spin, and stomach churn. :puke:

[gademocrat7]

2. Ryan is real hypocrite.

[rfranklin]

3. I think it's his way of handling his shame....

Not that he should feel any but it's like the deep cover homosexuals in the Republican party that are the most avid anti-gay legislators. It's a way to deny and deflect attention from what they feel is a shameful "choice."

[shayes51]

4. Well at least the two of us

have one thing in common. Except that I got my benefits until I was 21 when I married, and thus, got a college degree. Reagan changed all that.

[MurrayDelph]

5. If they manage to get rid of the help that they received

it somehow makes them feel that they truly are the self-made men they claim to be.

Sorta like Craig T Nelson's claim that "I was on Food Stamps and Welfare, but no one helped me"

[PatSeg]

7. Nelson popped in my head as well

Like the "hands off my Medicare" crowd, he really didn't seem to get it. There are very few people in the U.S. who haven't used some kind of government safety net at some time in their lives. Of course if they are republicans, "Well, that was different.......blah, blah".

[Avant Guardian]

6. This is a good catch

My republican co-workers will just love this. Thanks.

[golfguru]

8. Paul Ryan did not collect social security

His parent(s) did. When I signed up for SS at 62, they paid additional money
TO ME for my under 18 age kid, not to the kid directly. So blame the parent.
You can't blame the under age kid.

[joe1991]

9. Still, he benefited from it

He knows that without it, his family might have been living in a ditch.

Karma should give him a good bitchslap for wishing that on future widows and elderly.

[golfguru]

11. different times, national debt was much much lower

I despised Bush for blowing budget surpluses created by Clinton.
Clinton used various techniques which actually worked, including tax hikes,
nafta, dumping Glass-Steagal, welfare reform etc. We may not have liked
all that but can't deny the economy was great.

I was hoping Obama would be able to repeat the Clinton magic, and at a
minimum end the 2 stupid expensive wars started by Bush. Instead he started a 3rd one.
Oh well!

[Hippo_Tron]

10. More bootstrap mythology

I don't doubt that Paul Ryan worked very hard to be where he is. But all of the hard work in the world will get you nowhere without opportunity.