Paul Ryan's speech at the Republican National Convention has been condemned from an unexpected source: Fox News.
Yesterday Sally Kohn, a Fox News columnist, blasted vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's speech as 'an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech.'
'On this measure, while it was Romney who ran the Olympics, Ryan earned the gold,' Kohn scoffed.
According to the Huffington Post, the Fox News columnist echoed the views expressed by CNN, The Huffington Post, the Washington Post's Wonkblog and ThinkProgress, each of which found the Republican vice presidential nominee's speech to be full of either outright lies or misleading assertions.
Kohn wrote that although Ryan seemed likable, his misrepresentations and omissions 'caused a much larger problem for himself and his running mate.'
Kohn underlined three major lies in Ryan's speech. First she criticized Ryan for blaming President Obama for the shutdown of a General Motors plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, that was actually closed during the Bush administration.
She then chastised Ryan for pinning the blame for S&P's downgrade of U.S. debt on Obama, when in fact Ryan is aware that it was Republicans in Congress who helped precipitate the downgrade by threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceiling.
Finally, she wrote that Ryan accused President Obama of taking $716 billion out of Medicare, when the fact is that that amount was savings in Medicare reimbursement rates (which save Medicare recipients out-of-pocket costs) and Ryan himself embraced these savings in his budget plan.
'The good news is that the Romney-Ryan campaign has likely created dozens of new jobs among the legions of additional fact checkers that media outlets are rushing to hire to sift through the mountain of cow dung that flowed from Ryan’s mouth,' Kohn wrote.
After the speech several news agencies took immediate issue with Ryan's facts.
'GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan took some factual shortcuts during the Republican convention when he attacked President Barack Obama,' wrote the Associated Press.
'Paul Ryan appeared to suggest that President Obama was responsible for the closing of a GM plant in Ryan’s hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin. That's not true,' wrote the Washington Post.
'Paul Ryan's factually shaky Republican convention speech...is getting slammed for some pretty heavy inaccuracies,' wrote the Business Insider.
'Paul Ryan is the newest new Richard Nixon, a moocher belied,' wrote Esquire.
'I'd like to talk, instead, about what Ryan actually said — not because I find Ryan's ideas so objectionable, although I do, but because I thought he was so brazenly willing to twist the truth,' wrote The Atlantic.
'Paul Ryan's acceptance speech at the Republican convention contained several false claims and misleading statements,' wrote USA Today.
Meanwhile, economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, a vocal critic of Ryan's budget plans, told Current TV on Wednesday that Ryan's plan would leave 'tens of millions' of people without health insurance.
'How can Ryan get away with this?' Krugman blasted. 'World's greatest nation falls for this flimflam?'
Kohn wrote angrily on Fox News: 'Elections should be about competing based on your record in the past and your vision for the future, not competing to see who can get away with the most lies and distortions without voters noticing or bother to care. Both parties should hold themselves to that standard. Republicans should be ashamed that there was even one misrepresentation in Ryan’s speech but sadly, there were many.'
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.BrianO | Sep 07, 2012, 09:33 AM EDT
Jimmyjk, How was our form of government set-up, and organized? What iare the founding documents, the foundation of our government structure? The U.S. Constitution limits the power of government, specifically the executive branch to ensure all of our liberties. The problem with executives like obama is the dislike the Constitution and regard it as a limiting document, they want to be free to install their views and dominance over the electorate. This limiting power also applies to leaders I would support and protects people who's view differ from mine also. The original fight to attain freedom from tyranny, and self government, is at the base of these founding documents.
patrickesq | Sep 02, 2012, 10:06 PM EDT
As John Huntsman, a former Presidential contender for the Republican nomination, said recently on Steven Colbert's tv program, our country has a big problem with our TRUTH DEFICIT,which is most emblematic in the Republican rhetoric!
EphraimKibbey | Sep 01, 2012, 06:06 PM EDT
@bogsidebunny - She reported the NEWS that was being reported on ALL of the broadcast real news programs and in most newspapers calling Ryan a liar on their frontpages. Your attempt to separate her reporting from FOX just shows that you realize that FOX USUALLY does not present the REAL NEWS. When someone disagrees with your current belief, you should check to see if they might know something that you missed before trashing them.
JimmyJK | Sep 01, 2012, 09:29 AM EDT
paddyRanger.... What does being conservative and republican mean to you? No taxes, very religious, no government? What do you hate about liberals?
bogsidebunny | Sep 01, 2012, 05:48 AM EDT
Sally Kohn (like Alan Colmes) is a Liberal, Socialist poodle & FoxNews part time Contributor....NOT a full time FoxNews columnist. She often is used to balance the debate with a Conservative. But her "opinions" and observations are about as useless as the Greek economy. This blog should be ashamed that they've misrepresented this story. Then again anything associated with the Liberal Irish Culture can only see through the Liberal rose coloured glasses.
allentown | Aug 31, 2012, 10:15 PM EDT
Chris Matthews thought Paul Ryan's speech was great. He called it a "Barn Burner". Ooops.
seanomelb | Aug 31, 2012, 07:38 PM EDT
The GOP middle class will vote to give tax breaks to the rich and a lower living standard for themselves,thus voting their children into poverty. How thick can you be!!!
hollabackgurl | Aug 31, 2012, 07:37 PM EDT
I know why you think his speech was great !! You can't read, Peterson !! Nor can you type !! You are the ideal Paul Ryan supporter !!!!
peterson | Aug 31, 2012, 07:08 PM EDT
I think that Ryan's speech was great !! The truth really hurts doesn't it. At least none of the speakers needed a teleprompter !!
EphraimKibbey | Aug 31, 2012, 06:51 PM EDT
I guess the tidal surge was too much for Fox to buck. For the very first time ever, newsapers all over are using the word "LIES" in FRONT PAGE stories about the GOP commercials and speechs. TV reporters are interviewing the speakers after their speechs at the convention and fact checking them live, on air. When Scott Pelley of CBS read verbatim the S&P's statement about downgrading the US because the Republicans in congress refused to compromise on revenues in the Boehner/Obama deal last summer, Ryan got this big "Cat That Ate The Canary" grin on his face. He knew that he had gambled on telling a big LIE and had been caught on national broadcast TV primetime news. The GOP has no Admiral David Farragut this year but their battle cry seems to be "D*** the fact checkers, full speed ahead with the lies! It seems very UNAMERICAN that the Party of Lincoln would stoop to lies and disenfranchisement as their only path to election. It sounds like the Ole South Dixiecrat's stratagies during the first half of the 20th century. Oh wait, that IS the new Republican party isn't it. Lies and PoleTaxes, back and back we go wishing for the Antebellum life and "fighting for the PROPERTY we gained by honest toil." (Exerpted from the words to "The Bonnie Blue Flag")
EphraimKibbey | Aug 31, 2012, 06:20 PM EDT
@Porickseantuny - That is the point! Under ObamaCARES - the Affordable Care Act - seniors would no longer have COPAYS and the Donut hole is filled for them. Obama takes the money ($716 billion) from Insurance Companies and gives back it to seniors. From the rich to the poor like Robin Hood. Ryan's budget takes the same money exactly from Medicare but uses it to offset his 0% Capital Gains rate for the rich like Romney. Since they repeal ObamaCARES, seniors keep their copays and their donut hole. Robin Hood in reverse!!!
eiriamach | Aug 31, 2012, 06:10 PM EDT
Ryan gave his GOP audience exactly what they dream of-- gold-plated lies wrapped in Koch brothers' cash. They'll grasp any excuse to vote for the R & R team, and they got plenty of excuses, um, I mean lies, really rich lies.
EphraimKibbey | Aug 31, 2012, 06:06 PM EDT
@Seanmor - He may not have bragged about it lately but Obama has quadrupled the resources available to the Border Patrol along our southern border since taking office. He also has deported many more illegals in three and one half years than Cheney/Bush did in eight years. Isn't this article about Ryan's GOP LIES! Oh Yea, I get it now, you were just pointing out another one of them - THANKS!
Porickseantuny | Aug 31, 2012, 04:34 PM EDT
If social security recipients must now pay a co-payment of 716 million which would have been reibursed previously but will no longer be reibursed because Obamacare has transferred 716 million, aren't the social security recipients out of pocket 716 million? How is that false?
McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2012, 04:33 PM EDT
paddyRanger A simple check to "Factcheck" will show you the real facts. The Romney campaign says that President Obama’s health care law has cut $716 billion out of Medicare. But that’s a reduction in the future growth (cost avoidance)of spending over 10 years, not a slashing of the current Medicare budget. And the reduction extends the life of the Medicare trust fund.
Porickseantuny | Aug 31, 2012, 04:30 PM EDT
If I owe a co-payment of $716 million that was previously subject to being reimbursed but now is not, because the money for reimbursement has been transferred by Obamacare, can't I say that Obamacare took 716 million from me. How is that misleading or false.
paddyRanger | Aug 31, 2012, 02:17 PM EDT
What a web of lies the liberal media weave.....Ryan did not lie, it is TRUE, obama did remove 716 million from medicaid, it is a FACT......the lies are coming from the people attacking Ryan, the majority of American people know who is lying and that is the OBAMA regime
kflanigan | Aug 31, 2012, 12:06 PM EDT
Ryan is Romney's brain and new mouth piece. When will they find him a heart.
RickBarrett | Aug 31, 2012, 12:04 PM EDT
jamthecat: "Word slicing" and "A pathetic attempt to cloud the truth" Are you kidding me? Here are the facts: There was a specific allegation made charging Ryan with lying about the GM plant closure. I went to the source document (his speech) to see for myself exactly what Ryan said on this topic. I then quoted him verbatum (but you characterize quoting somebody as "word slicing.") In fact, I didn't "slice" anything; rather I quoted 100% of his words that dealt with GM topic. I pointed out that his exact words as delivered in his speech simply do not back up a claim that he blamed Obama for the plant closure as alleged. But you turned this around on me. Pathetic? Who's pathetic? Please deal in facts; not unwarranted name calling. Thank you. Have a nice day :-)
Fran Connor | Aug 31, 2012, 11:45 AM EDT
I think this website loses whatever sense of balance it has when it starts citing the Huffington Post as a source. Then they quote Sally Kohn from Fox News to show that even FOX NEWS agrees. Sally is a far left commentator on Fox news, giving the "other side's" opinion. I RARELY see the "other side's" opinion when I watch the liberal media's version of the news.
jamthecat | Aug 31, 2012, 11:33 AM EDT
Rick...Rick...Rick...when even Fox News is calling your beloved Paul Ryan a liar, you know you haven't got a leg to stand on in defending him. His lies and hypocrisy have become so blatant, even right wing leaders are calling him on it. Give it up, boy; the man's got the moral compass of a billy goat, and none of your word-slicing in a pathetic attempt to cloud the truth will change that.
RickBarrett | Aug 31, 2012, 11:05 AM EDT
Here is exactly what Ryan said regarding the GM plant in Janesville, WI. "When he talked about change, many people liked the sound of it, especially in Janesville, where we were about to lose a major factory. A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that GM plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: "I believe that if our government is there to support you ... this plant will be here for another hundred years." That's what he said in 2008. Well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day." I have fact this statement by Ryan and it is 100% true. 1. Ryan never blamed Obama for the plant shutdown. Actually, he blamed him for not reopening it as he had promised to do during his 2008 campaign visit to Janesville. 2. Obama, in fact, came to Janesville in 2008 when the factory was about to close. He was running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Presidential nomination at the time. Obama pointed to the NAFTA agreement championed by Hillary's husband, President Bill Clinton, as one of the main reasons the factory was about to close. On Dec. 23, 2008, the factory all but closed with only a skeleton crew of 50 employees remaining to finish producing a specific SUV order. It closed permanently shortly thereafter and in fact was never reopened after . So where is the Ryan lie? It's funny that the Washington Post claims Ryan "appeared to suggest" Obama was responsible for closing the plant. Instead of using weak words like "appear to suggest" I suggest the Washington Post actually read Ryan's exact words and either find a lie or shut up!
Eschetic | Aug 31, 2012, 10:52 AM EDT
What a pleasure to see a political column on Irish Central so UN-controversial! Like a broken clock, even Fox "News" gets in right occasionally, and for the sake of their right wing base it's probably as well that a "friendly" organization points out their ticket's biggest potential problem right away. For the record, someone should point out to "Seanmor" and his friends that the last time this country had a documented *problem* with uncontrolled border entries (as opposed to knee jerk pandering to xenophobes) was just before the Mayflower landed in what is now Massachusetts. A nation of immigrants is ill suited to slam the door behind them - especially without documented statistical evidence (which doesn't exist) that more recent arrivals have substantively harmed the country.
McNamara31 | Aug 31, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
First, did you really expect anything less from the bold faced liar, Paul Ryan? Ryan’s acceptance speech contained several false claims and misleading statements. First he Accused President Obama’s health care law of funneling money away from Medicare “at the expense of the elderly.” In fact, Medicare’s chief actuary says the law “substantially improves” the system’s finances, and Ryan himself has embraced the same savings. He Accused Obama of doing “exactly nothing” about recommendations of a bipartisan deficit commission — which Ryan himself helped scuttle. Also claimed the American people were “cut out” of stimulus spending. Actually, more than a quarter of all stimulus dollars went for tax relief for workers. Faulted Obama for failing to deliver a 2008 campaign promise to keep a Wisconsin plant open. It closed less than a month before Obama took office. Ryan Blamed Obama for the loss of a AAA credit rating for the U.S. Actually, Standard & Poor’s blamed the downgrade on the uncompromising stands of both Republicans and Democrats.
Seanmor | Aug 31, 2012, 09:39 AM EDT
It seems to me that neither Romney nor Ryan, Obama nor Biden seldom if ever address the problem of our WIDE OPEN southern border thru which illegal aliens, including criminal elements, continue to pour. The heads of both tickets also fail to deal with the 26 million verters who HONORABLY served the nation, at least 200, 000 of whom are jobless and homeless.