The Paul Ryan-Herbert Hoover Budget

When the Republican Party's designated spokesperson is Joe the Plumber (watch the video below), even a shallow, blow-dried phony-baloney hack like Paul Ryan (R-WI) looks almost intellectual in his approach to slavish, even naive, adherence to right-wing dogma and, above all, serving the vested interests of the rich and powerful against those of ordinary American working families. So while a GOP front group paid the make believe plumber to go rile up celebrity-starved Pennsylvanians against their own rights, the Party Establishment arranged for the Republican ranking member on the House Budget Committee to write an essay in the party newspaper and on their MSNBC morning show. Poor, pathetic Ryan had to try to make excuses for his hapless party leader... he gave up and resorted to the same right-wing rhetoric that caused the Great Depression and the Bush Recession. If you hit that link you'll probably notice that Ryan sounds like a college freshman who was just partying with the Young Americans For Freedom and forgot to do his homework. Chris Matthews, when asked if Ryan makes any sense, said "No; he sounds very much like Hoover. This was a doctrine that was tried in 1932 and failed." Right afterwards, also on MSNBC, Austan Goolsby suggests Ryan's "plan"-- more tax cuts for the richest Americans and gutting Medicare-- is nothing but an April Fools' joke.

Ryan's budget is pretty simple (not to mention simpleminded): more of the same failed trickle down voodoo economics that has been so devastating to the vast majority of American families while enriching the 2 or 3% who donate to Republican (and too many Democratic) politicians. Even the Senate Republican caucus just patted him on the head and told him to go run along and play with himself. Ryan's a clown and nothing but a shill for the wealthy. It's a disgrace that he represents a decent, moderate middle class district in southeast Wisconsin. Next year, though, he's vulnerable to an early forced retirement. If you can afford even $5 or $10, please help us raise a warchest to StopPaulRyan.