Digby - Why Won't the Democratic Party Take on Paul Ryan?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

The wacky GOP idea being referenced is privatizing Social Security

Posted by digby at 3:07 pm
August 2, 20102

Why Won’t the Democratic Party Take on Paul Ryan?

Article printed from speakeasy: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy
URL to article: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/02/why-wont-the-democratic-party-take-on-paul-ryan/
Cross-posted from Hullabaloo.

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In other words, wacky GOP ideas have a way of becoming mainstream in a fairly short period of time, particularly when they are pushed by the so-called “intellectuals” of the conservative movement who are embraced by the establishment as Very Serious People. Why these people are taken so seriously by anyone other than the Grizzly Mama is anyone’s guess, but the phenomenon is fairly dangerous.

The bigger question is why the Democratic party is so completely useless in dealing with this kind of nonsense.

This is one of those is-the-obvious-answer-correct? situations

How about they don't take him on because they have come to share his goals?

Interesting comment later in this article about how the DCCC chased off a viable Democratic contender for his seat.

edit to add:
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http://mediamatters.org/research/201008020046

Wash. Post hides the holes in Rep. Ryan's proposed budget
August 02, 2010 3:02 pm ET — 63 Comments

In two August 2 articles, The Washington Post highlighted the purported deficit-reducing effects of Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) economic "roadmap," in one piece misleadingly reporting the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) "estimate" of his "plan." However, at Ryan's instruction, CBO did not analyze significant tax changes found in his proposal that would likely reduce revenues CBO assumed would be collected

We need to watch Ryan's deficit cutting theories being taken seriously and promoted. He is on the Deficit Commission.
Krugman says he's an idiot

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/dont-know-much-about-economics/

[babylonsister]

1. Good question; the rethugs don't even like him...

he's a scary dude imo.


snip//

Ryan is running a campaign of a different sort, one his party has so far refused to adopt: He is determined to persuade colleagues to get serious about eliminating the national debt, even if it means openly broaching overhauls of Medicare and Social Security.

He speaks in apocalyptic terms, saying the debt is "completely unsustainable" and warning that "it will crash our economy." He urges fellow politicians, and voters, to stop pretending that this problem will go away on its own.

He administers his sermons with evangelical zeal. He will go anywhere and talk to anyone who will listen. When he is not writing op-eds and appearing on television, he can often be found speaking to liberal and conservative audiences alike about his "Roadmap for America's Future," a plan he says would fix the problem.

"Political people always tell their candidates to stay away from controversy," said Ryan, 40. "They say, 'Don't propose anything new or bold because the other side will use it against you.' "

While he does not name the "political people," they no doubt include many Republican colleagues, who, even as they praise Ryan for his doggedness, privately consider the Roadmap a path to electoral disaster. Unlike most politicians of either party, he doesn't speak generically about reducing spending, but he does acknowledge the very real cuts in popular programs that will be required to bring down the debt.

His ideas are provocative, to say the least. They include putting Medicare and Medicaid recipients in private insurance plans that could cost the government less but potentially offer fewer benefits; gradually raising the retirement age to 70; and reducing future Social Security benefits for wealthy retirees.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080103518.html

[still_one]

2. Why don't the Democrats fight, period. They always seem to let the other side have the talking

points, and usually wait until a distortion becomes entrenched before they rebuttal

[burnsei sensei]

4. They're too damn gentle with fanatics.

Show this one the door.

[still_one]

8. Agreed /nt

[burnsei sensei]

3. Why is this controversial

right-fringe politician named Paul Ryan being treated as though he represented anything like a majority view.
He should be told to his face that he's an idiot and he represents only what idiots want.
And then someone should shout him down further with the words of Eisenhower about those who want to destroy Social Security.

[OHdem10]

5. Just a thought--ask DLC and Blue Dogs where they really stand

on Paul Ryan plan????

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. Who's taking this guy seriously?

His budget "road map" got maybe a one-time mention in the corporate media before it was simply dismissed out of hand. :shrug:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. You're wrong, he's getting all kinds of media coverage - he's the deficit cutter du jour

I see it as part of the softening up the public in prep for the Deficit Commission results and the resulting evisceration of "entitlements".

Yesterday's Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080103518.html

Today's Washington Post
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/the_virtues_of_ryans_roadmap.html

The New York Times today
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/us/politics/03ryan.html


US News and world Report today
http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/mary-kate-cary/2010/08/03/Why-Paul-Ryan-Makes-Democrats-Nervous.html

Mother Jones today
http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/08/ryans-roadmap-revisited

[Evasporque]

7. He is twit...from the bible belt of Wisconsin.

His district is full of rural RW crazies.