Ryan says GOP need to pick its fights with Obama
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Paul Ryan said Saturday that Republicans need to stick together and pick their fights during President Barack Obama’s second term, rejecting some White House proposals outright and trying to infuse others with conservative principles.
In a speech to conservatives, the GOP’s 2012 vice presidential nominee said Obama would attempt to divide Republicans but that the party must avoid internal squabbles as it seeks to rebound from a second straight presidential loss.
“We can’t get rattled. We won’t play the villain in his morality plays. We have to stay united,” Ryan said at the National Review Institute event. “We have to show that if given the chance, we can govern. We have better ideas.”
The Wisconsin congressman outlined a pragmatic approach for a party dealing with last November’s election defeats and trying to determine whether to oppose Obama’s agenda at every turn or shape his proposals with conservative principles.
With a surging minority population altering the electorate, Republican leaders have discussed the need to attract more women and Hispanics while at the same time standing firm to the values that unite conservatives.
The party’s future was a major theme during the three-day meeting of conservatives activists, who expected to hear from Govs. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Bob McDonnell of Virginia, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.
Ryan rejected the notion that Republicans were “in the wilderness,” noting that the party controls the House and most statehouses. But he said Obama’s victory over Mitt Romney meant that Republicans would need to recalibrate their approach to deal with the new political realities.
“If we want to promote conservatism, we’ll need to use every tool at our disposal,” Ryan said. “Sometimes, we will have to reject the president’s proposals — that time may come more than once. And sometimes we’ll have to make them better.” He said Republicans should have two main goals for the next four years, namely “to mitigate bad policies” and “to advance good policy wherever we can.”
Ryan acknowledged that “we all didn’t see eye to eye” on the recent “fiscal cliff” vote to deal with a combination of spending cuts and higher taxes that were set to take effect at the start of the year. He defended his support for the bill, saying it was the only way to avoid sweeping tax increases and prevent the economy from going into a free-fall.
As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan said Republicans needed to guard against a debt crisis for the country that would undermine the economy. He said he would promote changes to Medicare and Medicaid and would propose a budget “that will balance and pay down the debt.”
But November’s election results still linger. Ryan said he was “disappointed” by the outcome, saying he was “looking forward to taking on the big challenges” while living at the vice president’s residence. “My kids were looking forward to having a pool,” he joked.
Jan 27, 2013 at 6:34 p.m.
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For someone who is always quick to call shame on anyone who criticizes Walker,
said person has no problem making the most outrageous and hateful claims
about Obama and his policies.
A curious inconsistency.
Jan 27, 2013 at 6:20 p.m.
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I love your Tea Party source! Keep them coming Wisnut!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmOwafnVG...
Jan 27, 2013 at 6:03 p.m.
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Obama proves he is not serious about jobs. Remember that "jobs council", the one that meet once in a year?
Obama to Kill Jobs Council
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/...
Jan 27, 2013 at 3:43 p.m.
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If Walker cares about "jobs", why doesn't his giant mining bill even state the word?
Jan 27, 2013 at 3:19 p.m.
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You're proving my point! Spew hate and as much of it as you can! That should help your cause.
Jan 27, 2013 at 3:06 p.m.
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How about enforcing the 20,000 gun laws we have already. Maybe he should hold a "gun summit" in Chicago, we see how gun control is working there.
How about doing ONE thing at a time, JOBS. Obama is into his second term, did he forget about jobs? Or does he just want to continue to increase the food stamp recipients?
Instead, what has he done? Did an end run around Congress, talks about immigration (which would add millions to Obamacare), and wants gun CONTROL.
He needs to focus on jobs.
Jan 27, 2013 at 2:56 p.m.
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"He refers to it as "health care"."
He truly believes it is, he said so.
Jan 27, 2013 at 2:37 p.m.
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What is wrong with me? In one side of your mouth you believe that the POTUS is proud of killing 55 million babies. You ridicule him for giving women the freedom of choice regarding there bodies, and after a massacre you ridicule him for attempting to some how control gun violence. What should he have done? Ignore it? You constantly degrade, my comments towards you are what you spew on a daily basis. Nothing wrong with me! What about you?
Read his statement on the 40th anniversary of the Roe Vs Wade decision. He is proud to have had a hand in killing 55 million babies. He refers to it as "health care".
Obama gives speeches touting Gun Control as a way to keep kids safe, but supports his Abortion Agenda as "health care". Hypocrisy.
Jan 27, 2013 at 2:26 p.m.
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what is wrong with you?
Jan 27, 2013 at 2:21 p.m.
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People see through your rhetoric. I am willing to bet that something in your life is in shambles as well. It's sad to know that our society is made up with people who are solely out for themselves. You seem to be the ring leader who has nothing to offer but one view. I may be more left than middle but am willing to listen to the right. You listen to the right and then believe it hook line and sinker. You're a parrot, you have proven this over 5700 times on the gazette blogs. You can comment back all you want, but your response is simply discarded because it's hard to take the "crazy" serious.
Jan 27, 2013 at 10:52 a.m.
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"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
Jan 27, 2013 at 10:49 a.m.
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More on the repubs trying to "fix" the election process by changing the rules to favor them.
.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-27...
Jan 27, 2013 at 10:21 a.m.
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"Right Wing NUT! Crazy lady! Are you a millionaire?"
Seriously, YOU are labeling ME as "crazy"?
Your comments are not really "middle view".
Jan 27, 2013 at 9:33 a.m.
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I hope they keep this rhetoric up, it will only further throw the party further in shambles. The American public showed it is sick of this type of politician and they just don't get it.
Jan 27, 2013 at 9:02 a.m.
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You're exactly why the Republican party is in shambles. Your logic and lack of middle view is disturbing!
Jan 27, 2013 at 9 a.m.
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Right Wing NUT! Crazy lady! Are you a millionaire?
Jan 27, 2013 at 7:34 a.m.
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"I have never seen politicians so vocal about not agreeing with the other side."
Have you been hiding under a rock?
Obama has been the most divisive president ever. He has done nothing to make the political parties come together.
Now, corporate money is good, (since Obama changed his mind) and needed it to fund his coronation.
For someone who used the words of MLK in his speech that day, then declare Jan. 21 as “National Day of Hope and Resolve” in honor of himself, shows his utter disregard for anyone other than himself.
Read his statement on the 40th anniversary of the Roe Vs Wade decision. He is proud to have had a hand in killing 55 million babies. He refers to it as "health care".
Obama gives speeches touting Gun Control as a way to keep kids safe, but supports his Abortion Agenda as "health care". Hypocrisy.
Jan 27, 2013 at 6:23 a.m.
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Phynk-Yeah....and don't forget to blame the unions too. Tea Party is dead. It was a good movement until the corporations hijacked it as their tool to make them more money. Time for the GOP to shed those turds and let's get back to working together.
Jan 27, 2013 at 5:36 a.m.
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916WI - You may want to check your statement, " that the majority of people put republicans in office". The majority of the people voted for Democrats in the assembly by 200,000 votes. Gerrymandering put the republicans in the majority in the assembly. The majority also voted for President Obama. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the republicans.
Jan 27, 2013 at 1:18 a.m.
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I have never seen politicians so vocal about not agreeing with the other side. For this clown to come right out and say it is just absurd! No wonder this country is ready to implode!
Jan 26, 2013 at 9:57 p.m.
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"People pay into Social Security all the years of their working lives. They earn it, so it is not an entitlement."
.
Correct. Not only that, we pay taxes on the SS deduction on our pay checks. NOT an entitlement.
Jan 26, 2013 at 8:57 p.m.
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mls, Do you understand what an entitlement is? IT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE ENTITLED TO! See this is the problem now in this country, people think that welfare and other Government taxpayer funded programs are entitlements, and Social Security is just something that you put money away for until your retirement, which it's suppose to be, but unfortunately won't be around for many who are paying into it today when it comes time for them to hang it up and enjoy what's suppose to be their golden years. Those so called radical changes you speak of are what are actually ideas that need to be put into place to save programs and to save our Government money, but Liberals are so brain washed into thinking that any ideas given by the GOP must be evil and trying to put us all in the poor house, meanwhile the Left is slowing pushing us all that way. Hopefully we'll wake up as a country and see the light before it's too late!
Jan 26, 2013 at 8:33 p.m.
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HighRoad,
Obama got elected because everyone on the Government DOLE (ie. give me, give me, give me more!) voted for him.
If there are more people riding in the 'gravy-train wagon' than there are people pulling the wagon, then who do you think those riders will support?
Obama will bankrupt this Nation.
Jan 26, 2013 at 8:19 p.m.
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dtb- I was thinking the same thing. The Repubs spent the last four years pulling every shenanigan trying to dirt road Obama so he wouldn't get re-elected. Well, that didn't work and they realize it. So now the strategy is to "stick together and pick their fights" to promote their far right agenda. What message does that send the Democrats? What message does that send the voters? More of the same dysfunction won't help our economy, and it isn't going to help you get more repubs in office. Time to change the game plan and start working together. If not, time to get some people in their in 2014 and 2016 that will.
Jan 26, 2013 at 8:12 p.m.
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Cynicaleye-you hit the nail right on the head-What a weasel. I mean come on, you don;t even win in YOUR hometown for VP, really?!!!Who is going to listen to YOU!!!Go get a real job and quit your bellyaching!!!!
Jan 26, 2013 at 8:06 p.m.
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dtb......Yep--I don't see how anyone could be from this state and not be jaded regarding how the democrats operate. When the republicans that the majority of people put in office to represent them are subject to an attempt to be kicked out with recall after recall, simply because they were doing their job by pushing legislation that their constituents asked for, it doesn't sound like a group of people that I would want to work with either!
Jan 26, 2013 at 8:05 p.m.
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Ryan is a joke. How do you people continue to send this weasel to congress time after time? He's a liar, he's in the pockets of lobbyists, and he's in Washington right now drinking $300 bottles of wine with those lobbyists being told to vote against your interests.
Jan 26, 2013 at 7:42 p.m.
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I believe one of the biggest reasons the Republicans lost the election was the radical changes Ryan proposed to Medicare and Social Security. He keeps referring to Social Security as an entitlement. It is not an entitlement. People pay into Social Security all the years of their working lives. They earn it, so it is not an entitlement.
Jan 26, 2013 at 6:16 p.m.
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Of course he would never consider working together.
Jan 26, 2013 at 3:36 p.m.
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I think I remember a guy named Paul...
Paul Ryan ---> "Dazzling" "Deceiving" & "Distracting"
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/3...
"The FIVE Biggest LIES in Paul Ryan's RNC Acceptance Speech"
http://www.politicususa.com/5-biggest-li...
Yep - Same guy, but nobody cares & even his own hometown voted against him.
"Paul Ryan Explains Defeat in Hometown of Janesville, WI"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/14...
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