Everyone misspeaks from time to time, especially in public affairs. Someone might accidentally say Iraq, when they meant Iran. Someone meant to say 47, but they said 57. They're just verbal slipups, and they're hardly worth getting excited about.
But in politics, it's worth appreciating the difference between actually misspeaking and getting caught saying something controversial.
On Thursday, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Budget Committee, insisted that he, not America's military leadership, should be trusted when it comes to Pentagon spending levels. Ryan went on to say that he believes Pentagon leaders may be deliberately misleading Congress about spending cuts that they've requested, but which Ryan does not want to make. A day later, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was not at all pleased with the congressman's public comments.
On ABC yesterday, Ryan seemed eager to walk his comments back, telling George Stephanopoulos, "I totally misspoke."
"My issue is, I think that the president's budget on the Pentagon is a budget-driven strategy, not a strategy-driven budget. He announced the number of the cuts he wanted for the Pentagon, and then he began the strategy review to conform to that number.... We think there are savings to be gotten [in the Pentagon budget], but I think the president's hollowing it out."
I don't mean to sound picky, but this isn't an example of Ryan having "misspoke" when he rejected the Defense Department's budget request; this is more an example of Ryan repeating the exact same criticism using slightly different language.
Our pal James Carter posted the original comments Ryan made on Thursday at a National Journal forum.
Notice anything? What Ryan said on Thursday is practically identical to what he said on Sunday, even though he's now arguing he "totally misspoke."
On Thursday, Ryan said the Pentagon's budget, endorsed by the Secretary of Defense and all of ht service chiefs, was dishonest and dangerous. Reminded of the military leaders who've already endorsed the budget request, and that it came from the Pentagon and not the White House, the right-wing Republican again said the budget "does hollow out defense."
At the same event on Thursday, Ryan added that he perceives the Pentagon's budget as "a budget-driven strategy, not a strategy-driven budget."
Yesterday, Ryan used the identical language. How can someone claim he "totally misspoke" and then say the same thing again?
Ryan still thinks military leaders lied to Congress; he still thinks he knows better than the Pentagon what spending levels are necessary to keep America safe; and he still thinks Congress should give the Defense Department money the Pentagon doesn't want.
The only difference between Thursday and Sunday is that Ryan has stopped attacking U.S. military leaders and started attacking the president. But since it's the same attack, and this is a distinction without a difference, it's laughable for Ryan to say he "misspoke."
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Gee, Ryan, the human lie-detector only works when turned on against who disagree with him.
Paul Ryan worships the Jesus-hating atheist, AYN RAND. Which is why we must always remember that Rand herself worshiped a serial killer named William Edward Hickman and stole his infamous motto, "WHAT'S GOOD FOR ME IS RIGHT" and made it her credo. That means that RYAN and the the right-wing have adopted the "FAITH" of an atheist and "FREEDOM" of a serial killer. At least we now know what we're really dealing with when we look into Paul Ryan's "lying eyes."
For more on Ryan's/Republicans' sociopathic vision for America please see my article:
"Obama to Ayn Rand/Paul Ryan/Eric Cantor: "IN YOUR FACE!"
http://open.salon.com/blog/ronrobinson/2011/04/13/president_obama_to_paul_ryanayn_rand_in_your_face
huh????
This is another 'apology/non-apology'...I don't mean to call the military LIARS, they just didn't tell the truth. Because I KNOW the truth. Congress is beyond the pale. And Ryan is just, just, just....Oh GOD...they make me so mad!
It's "laughable" that Ryan actually believes that he "knows anything". Please Wisconsinites - vote that creature OUT of office next time!
"Please Wisconsinites - vote that creature OUT of office next time!"
We're working on it. Trouble is that his district is conservative and they eat up his Ayn Rand induced hypocrisy. How on earth so many christians have signed on to a philosophy that is based on the christian idea of altruism being abhorrent is anybodies guess.
There's a difference between being a Christian and saying that one is a Christian.
Dan ... The one thing you can keep emphasizing is that Ryan wants to end Medicare as we know it and take big bites out of Social Security. I'm guessing that whatever else most of his supporters are, they're older and not all that wealthy. They're probably not able to go out into the health insurance market with their "Ryan Vouchercare" and purchase complete health coverage.
Once again, a politician 'misspeaks' intentionally. When will voters get the clear picture that this isn't leadership, this is adversarial obstructionism. Posturing like Ryan is doing should, in effect, reveal his true nature and the underlying motivations of his party's behaviors. We can all remember the Turtle's claim to defeat President Obama in 2012, can't we?
Ryan is quite the weasel.
(Disclaimer: I misspoke. What I meant to say is, Ryan has a way of failing to take responsibility for his own words and actions when the world inside his head clashes with actual reality.)
I thought you misspoke but meant he was a marmot.
What is it about far-right congresspeople from Wisconsin, that they allow their demagoguery to bait them into attacking the US Army? Haven't they figured out that's a losing fight?
Oh, but yesterday he made it clear that he thinks they were lying because the president forced them to lie. Totally different. And he addressed Dempsey's remark that the Pentagon had a thorough process to come up with their budget by asserting without evidence that it was a dishonest process. But the generals weren't lying, he totally didn't mean that.
That makes it all better.
You know all that talk about how the rich are the job creators? You are getting a glimpse into their secret racket. They invest their billions in pentagon contractors. Where else can you find an industry that repeatedly destroys its assets only to have the government force them to take more? It is really hard work trying to find other investment opportunities as lucrative in the public sector. Hell, you might accidentally invest in a company that Bain Capital has targeted for destruction!
BINGO! This is their job creating plan. The GOP needs to stay the hell away from the RED phone. They don't care how many people they kill from our nation or any other nation because underneath their extremism is the underlying cause....or benefit to them , fascism. They are doing exactly what Hitler did only they are trying to do it slowly, and the underhanded way. You don't promote more arsenal if you are not thinking of using it.
Shumuwada, I made the same comment when I read Romney's economic plan. The ceiling for military spending is currently set at about 3.6% of gdp. Romney's economic plan proposes setting the FLOOR for military spending at 4% gdp. The sky's the limit. He and Paul Ryan were in lock-step even before Romney endorsed the Ryan budget. If that man becomes president, there will be wars and rumors of wars.
Then Romney double's down. In his economic plan, he gives huge tax breaks to corporations who earn profits overseas. Then he's cutting government jobs at home. You want to work for the government? Go put your life in danger and earn Bain some bucks. Lots of almost-tax-free bucks.
Link to GOP criticizing Obama for not listening to Generals. The standard double standard.
http://www.gop.com/index.php/briefing/comments/meeting_but_not_listening
Now , of course, he is being criticized for listening to them.
On Thursday he was undermining the Military Leaders saying they were dishonest and dangerous. He never really took back that accusation. Then he went on to disagree with the President about the budget. So, I don't think he changed his position. He just threw the word misspoke in there to throw people off. Who cares what he thinks. He is interested in War like they all are for their own personal and selfish reasons..the GOP wants to drag us all into another war, who knows what made up story it'll be about this time. But, the FBI or the CIA should investigate it first. If it's a war over religion or oil we need to stay the hell away from it. Too many young soldiers have died just to benefit a few selfish Republicans and their money hungry corporations who come in after the war to pilfer what's left. Why would we need all this arsenal when Peace is just around the corner. We now have I think 1200 times 1200 the amount of nuclear bombs that we had after Hiroshima. (not sure about the exact number). Are they wanting to blow up the sun and the moon along with the Earth?
Probably if they see a "profit" in it. Don't forget, these are the same people that continued the lie that took "US" into Iraq! Next war - draft everyone, especially the rich, no deferments for them, then let's see how quickly they want to go to war once their children/grandchildren are on the "front line"!
From an earlier Maddow show: we have 1800 warheads that are 10 times more powerful than the ones dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And thousands more in our stockpiles.
It's unreal that this GOPunk from Wisconsin proffers to know more about the military than the generals in the Pentagon. It's becoming clear that he has a simliar level of knowledge about budgetary matters in general.
I hope Ryan has a strong Democratic challenger this November. But even a weak Democrat should be able to make the case that Ryan is in wayyy over his head.
Republicans are really susceptible to the that ailment of "foot in mouth disease" and believe the cure is a bottle of "Oh I mis-spoke" with a spoonful of "let me walk it back"
Did you ever notice that when Republicans rant on and on, saying what they think people want to hear, they are very nearly always wrong? Ryan is an idiot.
Paul Ryan is as un- American as you can get. He is a lying SOB who is totally owned by the Republican "war machine" corporations and wouldn't know the truth if it bit him on his lying ass-
Love what Biden said this weekend - they aren't even trying to hide the ball anymore. And to that end, they will cheat, misinform, obfuscate, and straight up lie to your face to get their way. And the sad part is they have no vision for the future betterment of this country. It's all about dismantling government, protecting the rich, inserting their religious beliefs, and essentially undo all the progress thats been made over the last 100 years.
"A budget driver policy" You mean like your proposal (bill) when it comes to Medicare & Social Security?
To misspeak is to say something incorrectly. If I meant to say "liar", but accidentally said "lawyer" I have misspoken. Probably a bad example.
"Just double down on the lie" It's the new Republican Credo.
Every time any polititan is speaking on television, there should be a scroll running on the screen listing their major campaign contributors. Then we just might see who they are the 'paid polititcal spokesman' for. I guarentee it isn't the people who voted for them, unless you buy into the corporations are people BS.
Wait, I thought the first responsibility of the Federal Government was to hold people for 10+ years without even a military tribunal! No wait! The first responsibility of the Federal Government is to kill all the Moozlams! Oh wait! The first responsibility of the Federal Government is to continue the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.. That's it!
Paul Ryan should do the country a service and die.. Soon!
Now, now, that's not very nice. I'd be happy to hear that his district has elected a real representative and has sent him back to his family home.
He "misspoke" for people living in reality. He still has to defend his criticism for people living in the bubble.
Paul Ryan's military service: none. Many of our leaders have not served, including our President. But when it comes to military budgets and withdrawal decisions, I want them to take the military leaders input as fact and as the most important factors to consider in their decision making. Obama is doing that. Ryan is falling for the GOP agenda of if you say it enough, people will believe it; and that if Obama is for it, they have to attack it. Ryan seems to forget that our brightest and bravest's lives are on the line. The military leaders know how best to protect them and where the financing has to be directed to accomplish that.
Let's all try and remember he spent a lot of time with Romney last week. I'm just saying.
He didn't 'misspeak'. Believing that he DID is like believing that George Zimmerman didn't shoot Trayvon Martin for no particular reason.
This is just so, so inane. Really, Paul Ryan, REALLY?
Tune in next time to see Paul Ryan preach about the evils of Medicare and Social Security and how they're bankrupting this country, and MUST be eliminated! Just too darn expensive!
Then after the commercial break, watch how he confirms that the Defense Dept. needs more money than they asked for! And its all to protect the American citizens from "terrrrrists"! Forget about those silly government contracts. Those don't concern us... shhh.
Mr. Ryan, I think you and your goons have terrorized the American public enough.
Romney's economic plan, incomplete as it is, is in lock-step with the Paul Ryan budget. More war spending. More corporate profiteering. Less taxes for corporations earning profits overseas -- like in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran if Romney gets his way.
This guy had no home training. Why is a lie in politics "Misspeaking" when everyone else in the country calls it a lie? Is there a class on how to "misspeak" you have to pass to get a political science degree or are they just born with the talent?
I'm truly concerned about the extremism in my country's government and history shows that extremism in government never works out well for the people. I'm hoping this November we are able to send a message that extremism isn't on our agenda.