Associated Press
The GOP is still trying to drive a wedge between them.
Just yesterday, I was delighted to note the Romney/Ryan welfare lie, which falsely accuses President Obama of "gutting" existing welfare law and "dropping work requirements," had suddenly disappeared. After weeks of constant repetition, the Republicans' ridiculous, racially-charged attack had vanished.
Alas, the respite didn't last.
[O]n Wednesday morning, Ryan compared Obama to a different Democratic president -- former president Bill Clinton, who is set to address the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this evening.
"My guess is we'll get a great rendition of how good things were in the 1990s, but we're not going to hear much about how things have been in the last four years," Ryan, speaking before a crowd of several hundred in this small town west of Des Moines, said of Clinton's upcoming speech. "And by the way, under President Clinton, we got welfare reform ... which moved people from welfare to work, to get people out of poverty. President Obama is rolling back welfare reform."
If the Republican candidate hopes to shake the "Lyin' Ryan" moniker, he's moving in the wrong direction.
Obama is "rolling back welfare reform"? As Paul Ryan almost certainly knows, that's a transparent lie -- the law remains very much intact. Every independent fact-checker in the country has rejected the lie, as have Bill Clinton and the Republican architect of the 1996 welfare reform law. Romney/Ryan allies can't explain the lie, and Romney/Ryan staffers can't defend the lie.
But Paul Ryan doesn't care. The campaign isn't about what's true; it's about what falsehoods he can get you to believe. As campaign officials said last week, after already having stressed the importance of fact-checkers, "[W]e're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers."
This particular lie, however, isn't just predicated on racism; it's also intended to try to use Clinton against Obama.
Indeed, this isn't even new -- the Romney campaign conceded months ago they hoped to use Clinton in the hopes of making Obama seem less moderate. The move, Romney's advisors said, was "devised as a trick to drive a wedge."
As John Sununu and the Wall Street Journal editorial page helped demonstrate overnight, along with Ryan's lying this morning, the Republican strategy never really went away -- they want voters to think Clinton is on their side, not Obama's.
Jamelle Bouie notes how foolish this is.
Romney has every reason to want to tie himself to Clinton, but as a strategy for winning the election, it's too clever by half. The 1990s weren't a long time ago, and it's absurd to think that voters have forgotten about impeachment. By tying himself to Clinton, Romney makes two mistakes: he gives Democrats a chance to highlight his opportunism, and opens himself to a blistering reply from the man himself. Tonight, we'll probably see a little bit of both.
I suspect that's right, but I can't help but marvel at the developments anyway. In the 1990s, Republicans hated Clinton with the heat of a thousand suns. It was this unbridled hatred that led the GOP to launch an impeachment crusade.
In 2012, however, the Republican message seems to be, "Now we like Clinton; he's not like that Obama guy," as if there are meaningful policy differences between the two Democratic presidents (there aren't).
Put it this way: to appreciate just how absurd this general line of attack is, imagine Republicans praising Barack Obama in 2024, and criticizing the Democratic president of the time for being insufficiently loyal to the Obama legacy.
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My God, next they'll be trying to convince use that Obama himself wants you to vote for Romney.
PLEASE Mitt - keep going with the Welfare lie, and try to tie yourself to Clinton. Keep believing that those will somehow work in your favor.
Yep, bringing Clinton up is going to remind everyone just how much better it was under a Democratic president than it was under the last Republican one. Why do they think Clinton has such high popularity rates now?
Is there anyone running the Romney campaign? I guess depending upon the millions of dollars spent on ads that are nothing but lies might work, but only time will tell. The fact the lies are so outrageous virtually every reputable media outlet in the country has debunked them says a lot in itself.
They're leading with their chin. I'll be disappointed if Clinton doesn't land a hay maker by calling them out on the lie.
I will too, I'm hoping Clinton serves them their teeth on a broken glass platter. They like him now? No they don't, they don't like anybody, they only use people who they think can serve them and Clinton was no exception. James Carvill wrote a book, . . . . . . . . and the horse they rode in on! explaining just how dirty the Republicans and their money played with Clinton. If they weren't directly responsible for JFK, RFK and MLK deaths, they were certainly responsible for inciting the crazies in their party to do their dirty work for them. They busted Clinton's b . . .s and he should take every opportunity to call them out on whatever they do. Lying is the excuse they used to try to impeach them and their whole party is built on lies to fool the public into accepting Romney's hostile take over bid. I'm normally a peaceful Democrat, I'll soon be 70, but these guys can make my blood boil - their Christian right is so far off the mark of what Jesus really taught (that we should care for the least among us) and so far off the constitutional intentions of our forefathers that they so arrogantly determine they know what the founding fathers were thinking - arghhhh, I have to stop - my blood pressure you know.
I personally hope the Big Dog pulls out a can of Whoopass and pours it all over the two idiots. By name.
All of Ryan's remarks are made at campaign stops, where he is "preaching to the choir". It energizes the base, but does nothing to sway Democrats and precious little to affect the "Undecided".
The mischief is done when the MSM picks up his lies, and relays them without comment, to a public that is only listening with half an ear.
The ears would perk up if the MSM did some investigating and disclosed the results, objectively and dispassionately. They're more at fault than the public.
I'm a little surprised it's back so soon. I thought they'd let it settle in people's minds a bit, then bring it back about a month before the election. Team Romney is simply artless performance art.
Republicans hate any Democrat currently in the position they somehow got the impression that Reagan -- the most irresponsible and damaging President the nation has ever had (our problems now are a direct result of that man) -- handed them a birthright to.
" . . . to appreciate just how absurd this general line of attack is, imagine Republicans praising Barack Obama in 2024, and criticizing the Democratic president of the time for being insufficiently loyal to the Obama legacy."
Steve, you know as well as I do, if the Republican party still exists in 2024 they will do exactly that.
Can't wait to see Bill strike down upon them with great vengeance and furious anger.
The contrasts between the two party convention could not be more striking as a representative view of the competing visions for America. Republicans are small thinkers, content to writhe around in the mud and muck of bitter partisan politics, playing to the most extreme and impolite members of their base with lies, lies, lies and rancid red meat hate speech. Romney and Ryan are typical conservative white dudes believing they are the ones that know best simply because they're rich and "successful." No party platform has ever been so out of touch with Americans and the very nature of this country than the Romney-Ryan ticket in 2012. It's as if they came back on the NASA rover from Mars. Total oddballs. - principled progressive
Bill Clinton and the Clintonites still hates Obama for what he did to Hillary back in '08. They may forget but would never forgive. There's a poll out that suggest most Moderate Clinton Democrats are so disillusioned they're rather sit out the 2012 elections.
That's a good one, Cindy. Just watch tonight when Clinton addresses the convention.
It would also simply be bad politics--and bad for Hillary's chances in 2016--for Bill to do anything that hurts Obama in any way. She would be running against Rmoney, who would be an incumbent in 2016, as opposed to being one of two non-incumbents running for the presidency. She would also be damaged by having the Obama supporters sit out in that year as a payback.
You don't seem to show much talent for political analysis, Cindy. Maybe you're better off leaving the deep thinking to those of us who are capable of it.
You absolutely have it in reverse. If Bubba praises Obama too much like a choir boy tonight, it will damage Hillary's chances on 2016 by embracing his failed policies and having the Republicans (assuming it's Romney), used those talking points against her. I won't be surprise if Bubba talks more about himself, his wife and his accomplishments than about Obama. He might play it safe but it will be interesting nonetheless.
Hillary isn't running in 2016. She has already stated that this is her last term in office.
Secondly what failed policies Cindy? You still haven't answered this question when you've been asked multiple times by multiple posters.
If Rmney attacks Hilary for Bill's speach, he would step into a trap tat would allow her to take offense at being viewed as a mere extension of Bill and not her own agent. This would move the needle with women big time.
"There's a poll out that suggest most Moderate Clinton Democrats are so disillusioned they're rather sit out the 2012 elections."
Cindy, would you please post a link to that poll. Assuming it exists. We'd all be interested in analyzing it.
Going by your reasoning, then one would have to beleive that Ryan really hates Romney the way he bashed him and the names he called him during the republican primaries.The dog eat dog way they carried on during the primaries.
The new Spiro Agnew aka Lying Ryan... the audience he is aiming at does not care if he plays fast and loose with truth - they just want a ready barroom excuse to vote their fears... Humor will do more to derail Ryan than trying to correct his intentional lies based on a new appeal to fears of not being "in-charge." of the sidewalk, water fountain, restroom, or lunch counter any longer...
Humor like "Ryan's a nattering nabob of negativity?"
"I have seen firsthand that being president doesn’t change who you are – it reveals who you are."
-First Lady Michelle Obama, Democratic convention
I think the same can be said about running for president and vice president. The way in which Romney and Ryan have shamelessly chosen to campaign has revealed a great deal about who they are.
I took that line as a direct smack to Romney/Ryan.
After tonight when Bill Clinton endorses Obama, the Republicans are not going to be able to use this line of attack using Clinton's name. Portions of his speech are going to turn up in some campaign ads and most likely will dispel the welfare lie. The door on using the issue as covert racism will close and it is going to be slammed shut on the Republicans fingers.
Apparently Sununu's been going around saying loudly how Obama has ruined Clinton's legacy (run over with a steamroller was one of his images) and Ryan is resuscitating the lie.
Why? It's obvious: to try to obfuscate what Bill Clinton will actually say tonight.
Hi Steve, can you please address Jennifer Rubin's assessment of the welfare lie? www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/obama-needs-to-explain-himself-on-welfare/2012/09/04/4e1ce710-f67d-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_blog.html
Here's how you assess Jennifer Rubin if she tells you it's Wednesday: get three independent confirmation sources, because JENNIFER RUBIN IS A LIAR.
Oh, that's totally unfair. She's not a liar. She's just a servile, fulsome, embarrassingly fawning transcriptionist for liars.
It's "unfair" to us, I mean. Because you seem be be crediting her with sufficient wit to make up her own lies.
I blame you, Steve, for the reemergence of the welfare lie. Clearly it had slipped their minds but YOU had to remind them.... :)
Hi Steve, do you have any comment on Jennifer Rubin's assessment of the welfare lie? Thanks! www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/obama-needs-to-explain-himself-on-welfare/2012/09/04/4e1ce710-f67d-11e1-8398-0327ab83ab91_blog.html
Go diddle yourself, little Republican troll. Not that you likely know anything about how to do that.
Hi ND23, do you have any comment on how Jennifer Rubin could read the below excerpt from the waiver memo and come to a conclusion that makes her seem as dumb as a brick? Thanks!
"HHS is encouraging states to consider new, more effective ways to meet the goals of TANF, particularly helping parents successfully prepare for, find, and retain employment."
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/policy/im-ofa/2012/im201203/im201203.html
Isn't Jennifer Rubin considered "comic relief" at the WP?
I'm not a troll, I love Steve's work. I was just trying to understand the full scope of the argument. Thanks to those who responded seriously.
Isn't Cinton the guy the GOP tried to impeach?
The Republican Etch-a-Sketch:
Shake shake shake, 1993-2001 - Bill Clinton is trying to destroy this country -Shake, shake, shake, 2012 - Bill Clinton and Mitt Romney are like two peas in a pod and they both hate Obama - Shake, shake, shake, Sept 5, 2012 - Bill Clinton is trying to destroy this country!!
Clinton's going to follow the example of Jules Winnfield: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
And then he's going to "shepherd" R&R through the valley of darkness as he strikes down upon them with great vengeance and furious anger for those who attempt to poison and destroy.
then there's the little problem that the big dawg made it clear in august when the first rmoney welfare lie ad ran that it's based on a lie
Governor Romney released an ad today alleging that the Obama administration had weakened the work requirements of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act. That is not true.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/08/08/656061/clinton-romney-welfare/?mobile=nc
Until the Republican drop the Tea Party...All they can do is try and lie themselves into the White House...Wake up!..They cannot even tell people what they will do once they are in there except what they will undo...Typical CEO @!$%#...tear it down...rip it up..give myself a bonus and call it a day...oh and "HIDE" and "INVEST" that bonus overseas!
The Romney/Lyin Ryan ticket is designed to lose in preparation for 2016...the year for the explosion of hate unless we drive all republicans out of power by then.
I find myself unclear on how the Romnoids think soaking their Republican asses in aviation gas and then handing Bill Clinton a flame thrower with a cheerful "light 'er up, Big Dawg!" constitutes genius grade political stragegery.
But, then again, these are the guys who brought us the Iraq War.
Time is running out and Romney and Ryan are about to feel to the back hand of Presdident Clinton. Clinton is not stupid and he cannot be used.
RACHEL !!!!!!!!
WTF????
Every idiot I talk to thinks Obama is responsible for the $16 TRILLION debt.
FIX THIS ASAP!!!!!!
THE RNC's Debt Clock has brainwashed people.
MR. PRESIDENT YOU WILL LOSE IF...
You do not stand up for the lies the right is making on the National debt.
They are accusing you of spending $5 TRILLION during your term.
I know for a fact that they are all GOP policies that caused it.
Fixing the GOP screw ups is not your spending is theirs.
Stimulus to save the GOP screw ups are LOANS not spending.
INTEREST on the GOP TRILLIONS of debt is NOT yours to be responsible for.
MR. President,
The $16 TRILLION is GOP Policies of the past 32 years.
Stand up for your record and denounce those accusations.
Use their debt clock against them.
Let's add up the debt under Reagan and the Bushes.
We can't blame Reagan for the debt's increase until his first budget took effect, October 1, 1981. Then, for 12 years until Sept. 30, 1993, the Republicans ballooned the debt. Later, George W. Bush took over.
Under Reagan and Bush: $3.4 Trillion increase in the debt.
Under George W. Bush: $6.1 Trillion.
Total: $9.5 Trillion. (without counting interest)
But wait, there's interest on that debt ...
The debt went up during Clinton's years only because of $2.2 Trillion interest on the Reagan-Bush debt. Otherwise Clinton would have paid off most the remaining WWII debt. G.W.Bush got sand-bagged by Reagan.
Just like a mortgage, the debt earns interest, and so the Reagan-Bush-I debt grew during the Clinton years. The average debt interest rate in those years was about 6.5%, which would increase it over 50% without compounding, but with compound interest the total debt – including interest – increased by $2.2 trillion.
Total Republican debt from above: $9.5 trillion
Interest on Reagan-Bush debt under Clinton: $2.2 trillion
Interest on $11.7 trillion after G. W. Bush: $0.3 trillion
Grand Total Reagan-Bushes Debt: $12 trillion (as of Sept. 30, 2010).
If the Republicans had not run up this $12 Trillion debt, we could easily have pulled out of the Great Recession.
The rest on the debt have been the ongoing and "unbudgeted" tax discounts, GOP created wars, corporate loopholes, etc.
And, the INTEREST per year for those GOP generated TRILLIONS.
PASS THIS TO OBAMA.