Newslash: Ryan hypocrite AND liar.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

@gamerunknown

Asked and answered.

I’d say that it’s impossible to know whether exceptions would be made for rape and abortion - or the life of the mother - from that statement.

[Captain_Amazing]

Especially because later on on the page, it says “Believes that abortion should be banned in all cases except rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother.”

[elucidator]

The perfect political statement on a controversial subject is one that sounds firmly committed and resolute, but is worded such that a variety of possible interpretations can be retro-fitted, as need be. The only really important part is stating the quasi-position in a tone of solid certainty, and, if possible, defiance and courage against overwhelming odds.

Don’t forget to thrust the chin. An Upward glance of faithful reliance will also help, depending on which variety of idiot you are conning. When in doubt, go ahead, odds are with you.

[CJJ]

@adaher

Politifact isn’t the final word, but I do think they had it right. Romney does not want to ban all abortions, and neither does Paul Ryan.

According to Politifact, the Obama campaign tweeted the following:

“Make sure the women in your life know: Paul Ryan supports banning all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest.”

Politifact rated this “half-true”, with the following analysis:

The only anti-abortion exception Ryan favors is situations where an abortion is needed to save the life of the mother, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The National Right to Life Committee concurs, based on information the group says it collected in 1998 and 2000 from Ryan as a candidate.

So the Obama ad correctly claims that Ryan opposes abortions in cases of rape and incest.

But the tweet also says Ryan “supports banning all abortions.”

That appears to go too far.

IMO that seems like hair splitting literalism…and it gets worse:

Ryan is among 64 House Republicans who co-sponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act, an anti-abortion bill that declares that human life shall be deemed to begin at fertilization, and should be protected from that point.
<…>
Neither side in this debate, though, claims the measure would immediately outlaw abortions. That would be up to Congress and/or individual states in subsequent legislation, if the Human Life Act holds up in the courts.

And the measure does not deal with what exceptions – if any – would be allowed. It leaves that up to states or Congress to decide.

Yes, score one for the Ryan defenders; he never literally said the words “I would ban all abortions” (at least in front of a microphone). But does anyone doubt what Ryan means here? I mean, why sponsor the Act if you aren’t going to use it to ban the termination of a pregancy post-fertilization?

Politifact seems to be bending over backwards to give Ryan the benefit of the doubt here…

[adaher]

Politiifact’s “strike zone” does seem to be skewed, but they call balls and strikes the same for both sides. They tend to be very skeptical of loaded accusations made by one side against the other.

[septimus]

Paul Krugman’s recent column offers interesting insight on Paul Ryan.

For those who somehow missed it when growing up, “Atlas Shrugged” is a fantasy in which the world’s productive people — the “job creators,” if you like — withdraw their services from an ungrateful society. …Yet the book is a perennial favorite among adolescent boys. Most boys eventually outgrow it. Some, however, remain devotees for life.

And Mr. Ryan is one of those devotees [despite that] Rand’s fervent atheism — not to mention her declaration that “abortion is a moral right” — isn’t what the G.O.P. base wants to hear.
In 2005, [Ryan] told the Atlas Society, which is devoted to promoting Rand’s ideas, that she inspired his political career: “If I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand.” He also declared that Rand’s work was required reading for his staff and interns.
… Mr. Ryan’s reputation for being serious about the budget deficit is completely undeserved; his policies would actually increase the deficit. But he is deadly serious about cutting taxes on the rich and slashing aid to the poor, very much in line with Rand’s worship of the successful and contempt for “moochers.”
… it should worry us that Mr. Ryan holds monetary views that would, if put into practice, go a long way toward recreating the Great Depression.

And, beyond that, consider the fact that Mr. Ryan is considered the modern G.O.P.’s big thinker. What does it say about the party when its intellectual leader evidently gets his ideas largely from deeply unrealistic fantasy novels?

[HMS_Irruncible]

Well, in fairness, the best person to deal with a fake debt crisis is a fake debt expert with fake economic expertise. So the Ryan VP pick was right on the money in that regard.