Paul Ryan To Fox News: ‘I Don’t Have The Time’ To Explain How We Will Pay For Our Tax Plan

[ProSense]

Paul Ryan To Fox News: ‘I Don’t Have The Time’ To Explain How We Will Pay For Our Tax Plan

By Adam Peck

For much of the general election, the Romney campaign has avoided any discussion of specifics, especially when it comes to the tax plan that he and Paul Ryan have put forward. On Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace gave Ryan an opportunity to finally talk about the details of his plan to a national audience, how much it will cost and how the Romney administration would pay for it.

Instead, Ryan said he didn’t have time to get into the nuts and bolts of the proposal:

WALLACE: So how much would it cost?

RYAN: It’s revenue neutral…

WALLACE: No no, I’m just talking about cuts. We’ll get to the deductions, but the cut in tax rates.

RYAN: The cut in tax rates is lowering all Americans’ tax rates by 20 percent.

WALLACE: Right, how much does that cost?

RYAN: It’s revenue neutral.
<...>
WALLACE: But I have to point out, you haven’t given me the math.

Ryan: No, but you…well, I don’t have the time. It would take me too long to go through all of the math. But let me say it this way: you can lower tax rates by 20 percent across the board by closing loopholes and still have preferences for the middle class. For things like charitable deductions, for home purchases, for health care. So what we’re saying is, people are going to get lower tax rates.

Watch it:

<...>

Ryan’s refusal to talk specifics only lends further credibility to the various studies and reports that have found time to do the math. And as ThinkProgress has reported, those studies from non-partisan organizations show that the Romney/Ryan tax plan would actually result in a huge tax cut for the wealthiest Americans. And the only way to keep it revenue neutral is to balance their plan on the backs of middle class families, who would see a tax increase of more than $2,000.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/09/30/931121/paul-ryan-to-fox-news-i-dont-have-the-time-to-explain-how-we-will-pay-for-our-tax-plan/

Gifts for the debates. Ryan is a hack.

[Berlum]

1. Republican occultism. As usual.

The Republicans hide everything: the truth, their money, their whacko sex lives. You name it, the Republicans will occult it to their own sad ends and to the detriment of the USA.

[Turbineguy]

2. He doesn't need to talk specifics. It's Fox news.

He doesn't have the time and the viewers don't have the brains to understand it anyway. Why not move on? There must be somebody out there who is willing to commit suicide on live TV!

[DUgosh]

3. and the dog ate my homework

n/t

[xocet]

42. Rather, Mitt's dog ate our homework, so we caged him atop the campaign bus and gave him a trim. n/t

[jsr]

4. It's super strength addition

common people would never understand anyway.

[Pamelajaynn]

8. huh

If someone really wanted to win this election they would fully explain in it on an elementary level, don't discredit Americans b/c u wouldn't understand.

[pinboy3niner]

5. Read my lips...

[Pamelajaynn]

6. deflector

Unreal..this close and they still can't give the deets, wtf!! Hopefully he lose his seat too in the election, obstructer!

[Baitball Blogger]

7. I bet I know how his essays read in school.

"There was this guy that wanted something, and then this other guy wanted it too and then a whole lot of things happened and in the end it all worked out."

[Blanks]

47. Not guy; person.

If he were to use 'guy' the reader would know it was a male.

Too much information.

[HopeHoops]

9. That just says, "I'm so full of shit the port-a-potties are jealous" written all over it.

[vlyons]

22. +1

[Loudestlib]

10. He can't explain it because it's bullshit.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Chris Wallace got him good there. He couldn't answer a simple question.

Ryan cam across as evasive. Lower tax rates by 20%, how much does it cost without figuring in the deductions? If you just change the tax rates, how much revenue is lost?

He couldn't even answer this simple and straightforward question. Why? Because the analysis is right. It would cost $5 trillion over 10 years and there just aren't enough deductions to make up for it unless you hit the middle class and the poor in a big way.

Ryan knows this, Romney knows this and the GOP knows this.

So what you get is a video like this.

[BootinUp]

12. The hardest part for Obama and his debate strategists is

deciding which of the low hanging fruit to pick because there is such an abundant supply!

[Metro135]

13. This is rich

"But let me say it this way: you can lower tax rates by 20 percent across the board by closing loopholes and still have preferences for the middle class. For things like charitable deductions . . . "

Charitable deductions? If this plan goes into effect the middle class will need CHARITY.

[SunSeeker]

15. Spot on! And welcome to DU!

[Metro135]

21. Thanks

I've been a member for awhile but rarely post. Still I just love scrolling through all the links each day. Great way to stay informed and also share a laugh.

[SoapBox]

14. Some kind of "brass" ya got there, Vocher Man.

Lies, lies and more dazzling lies.

[Plucketeer]

16. Rmoney/Lyan strategy session.....

OK, we KNOW what we're duty-bound to do if we win, but what sorta obfuscation do we use with these press hounds???

[Spitfire of ATJ]

17. Paul Ryan - Offering a 20% "across the boardroom" tax cut.

[yardwork]

18. Voodoo economics. That's what GHW Bush called it when Reagan proposed it.

Of course as soon as GHW joined the Reagan ticket that was forgotten, and we've all been stuck with it ever since.

[Initech]

19. In other words - he doesn't know and doesn't give a shit.

[hrmjustin]

20. he will have all the time he needs after the election

[gulliver]

23. And Axelrod with the checkmate...

...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021441272

[Arugula Latte]

24. He's like a child. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

[reformist2]

25. Not spelling out the ugly side of their tax "reform" plan is so obviously dishonest it's incredible.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

26. Maybe Ryan can go through the math for us in the VP debates? He'll have time

dodging

[kentuck]

27. And that is what makes FOX so unbiased...

to its viewers...

[OldDem2012]

28. Look for this Ryan gift very soon in a new Dem ad...

...the Dems would be crazy not to use it.

[SCVDem]

29. You People

don't need to know!

wouldn't understand if you were told.

should not question Republicans.

should trust Romney and Ryan.


You people who believe the right wing bullshit are the answer to the question I have always wondered about.

How could a country go off the edge so badly as to allow a man named Hitler such power?

You people need to study history! There is nothing in the right wing platform which benefits we the people.

Unless corporations are people.

[elbloggoZY27]

30. One Plus One is !!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I don't have the time" Paul Ryan to Chris Wallace.

That,s about the GOP.

[onethatcares]

37. he didn't have the time

to answer how his ideas were going to help labor during the past Labor Day parade in his hometown.

Paul Ryan is a liar in my opinion, deserving nothing but scorn.

Welcome to DU elbloggo

[Spazito]

31. What a pathetic poseur he is....

and his problem, ever growing problem, is the public is clearly seeing him as the pretender he is. He's no finance/budget wonk, not even close.

[meow2u3]

32. Translation: I can't come up with a pack of lies elaborate enough

to con the public into forking over their hard-earned money to the Wall Street banksters. They wouldn't believe me anyhow.

[magic59]

33. Elephant ears

With a brain the size of a peanut.

[aletier_v]

34. That's OK, Paul. You'll have plenty of time AFTER the election! :)

[ThomThom]

50. hopefully he will be sitting home with out a job come Jan

the death of the tea party (along with nuts like Ryan) would be suitable

[Make7]

35. If it is revenue neutral, what is the benefit in redoing the tax code?

What do I care if my marginal tax rate is lower if my effective tax rate remains the same?

I thought the Republican mantra of tax cuts was to let people keep more of their hard-earned money because they know better than the government how to spend it - plus it will enable the "job creators" to invest more which will increase economic growth and actually lead to increased government revenue.

If their tax plan is revenue neutral, does that indicate that they know that their tax cut bullshit is a bunch of nonsense? Or are they just trying to get lower marginal rates by saying that they will reduce deductions when it seems more likely that lower marginal rates could get passed by Congress but very much less likely that deductions would get scaled back significantly.

Or are they simply calculating that the average American voter is not paying enough attention and will vote for someone that says they will reduce tax rates because that sounds like it would be in their best interests? (Even though they can't/won't explain how it would work.)

[DallasNE]

36. Ryan Is Saying "Revenue Neutral"

To me that means that the government will collect the same amount in taxes after the change as before the change. He is also saying that charitable deductions, "home purchases" (whatever that means -- closing costs are kept but mortgage interest is not?) and health care will not be affected. That implies that State and local tax deductions are gone and that the standard deductions will be less. These preferences will actually increase taxes for the poor and many in the middle class while further lowering the taxes for the wealthy. And there is no chance it will be revenue neutral. Now if it is defict neutral it would have to also gut the social safety net. It is important to note that Ryan twice said "revenue neutral" rather than "deficit neutral" so we have to pay attention to his words. I think Ryan has inadvertantly left the door open to run the numbers as he has given enough detail to run with the ball.

Ryan's real problem is that he is too eager to polish the apple and comes away looking terribly shallow.

[DallasNE]

54. A Further Note On Why Ryan Can't Explain The Plan

It is all smoke and mirrors. To them "revenue neutral" means that increased economic activity will increase tax revenue to offset the reveune lost by the tax cuts but without stimulus (an aggregate demand increase) the revenue will not materialize. It just leads to ever larger deficits, like it did under Bush. The economic model Romney uses is fatally flawed and cannot work. It just digs the hole deeper. Ryan can't explain it because it can't be explained in math terms.

[oldbanjo]

38. Didn't one of these Congressmen

make a statement months ago that they were put in office to make the decisions because they were smarter than the general public and they did not need to consult their constituents prior to making a decision. This is what they are planning on doing, they will make all decisions after the election because they are smart and we the general public are dumb and do not need to know the fine details (according to them they are smarter than us, I have two dogs that I think are smarter than Romney or Ryan).

[HughBeaumont]

39. "Sell the Mystery, Not the Mastery".

Corporate sales 101.

Except here, it's pretty much "bait and switch", and the joke would be on everyone making less than $250k a year.

[jmowreader]

40. There are three answers to this

The first, and most likely, is the plan isn't revenue neutral. He is going to cut rates, get rid of a few monetarily insignificant deductions so he can claim he "closed loopholes," then go hard at cutting infrastructure and social spending when the Ryan plan kills revenue. This is what King Grover wants, and he'll finally get it if Mitt the Jackal is installed.

The second is in one of my previous posts: kill every deduction except church contributions.

What we're now seeing is the Underpants Gnomes tax plan. As seen in the "Tweek's Coffee" episode of South Park, the gnomes had a three-step plan to riches:

1. Steal underpants
2.?
3. Profit!

The R 'n' R Gnomes' plan is...

1. Cut taxes
2.?
3. Prosperity!

They don't have time to explain this because the answer to "how long did it take you to wash the shit off that plan after you pulled it out your ass?" is long, detailed and involves special soaps not sold in the U.S.

[reformist2]

41. Look at Ryan laugh when he claims it's "revenue neutral"...

That's the giveaway...he knows full well it's BS

0:28-0:33

[porphyrian]

43. When he loses his Congressional seat, too, he'll have plenty of time to explain it. n/t

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

44. Makes as much sense as this old Carefree Gum commercial

that always started out with the nonsensical line: "I don't have time to cut down on sugar".

[Blue Owl]

45. "don't have time -- gotta go run a 3-hour marathon..."

n/t

[ProSense]

46. LOL! n/t

[KurtNYC]

48. Just like he didn't have time before that parade

when he was just standing in the middle of the street...

"We need jobs."
Ryan: "Would you like some candy?"

[classof56]

49. How long does it take to say, "Elect us and the country's screwed."

Might as well cut to the chase.

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012

[Stargazer09]

51. Trust me

I have your best interests at heart.

You're too stupid to understand the math.

Just vote for me, and everything will be okay.

[chuckstevens]

52. The VP Debate

Joe Biden has got to hammer "Skippy Ryan" on this during their debate. WORST ANSWER EVER!

[tclambert]

53. "Talk specifics? With numbers and such-like? Goodness, look at the time! I gotta go!"

"I just remembered I have an uh, uh, dentist appointment. I'm overdue to change my car's oil. I've got a coupon that's about to expire. Half off on baloney. I gotta have that."