Overview for paul-ryan

The Right to Rise? Ok!

In today's Wall Street Journal , Gov. Jeb Bush celebrates the "right to rise," a concept he credits to Rep. Paul Ryan. The idea behind the phrase is a powerful one: "We have to make it easier for people to do the things that allow them to rise." At a time when Americans born into the poorest …

Written by David Frum on Monday December 19, 2011

To Govern Better, GOP Should Work From Reality

In my previous blog post , I discussed how many Republican criticisms of the Obama administration's policies are not backed up by data. Republicans don't just have a problem with specific critiques, they also have a view of America that doesn’t match with how the country actually is. Their view …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Friday November 4, 2011

The Road to Treadmill Serfdom

It's a little hard to tell this story from Chicago without a lot of sarcasm, but I'll try my best. Like a lot of American cities, Chicago faces severe budget problems. One obvious place to look for savings: the health benefits of city employees. Health care for city workers costs Chicago $500 …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday September 20, 2011

Memo to GOP: Don't Run on What Voters Don't Want

With the national debt skyrocketing, a faction on the right is hoping to turn the 2012 election into a debate on entitlement reform. No doubt, many Democrats are hoping the very same thing. Democrats would view that development as a chance to gain politically, while some Republicans would see it …

Written by Fred Bauer on Thursday September 1, 2011

Huntsman Goes All in For Ryan

While watching Jon Huntsman give his remarks on his jobs plan, I paid attention to how his speech described the existential threat of US debt. Huntsman made clear he supports a Balanced Budget Amendment because "our debt is immoral and should be unconstitutional." During a question-and-answer …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Thursday September 1, 2011

Christie's Good Fight

As a Democrat – and a fairly liberal one by the standards of where I live – it isn’t that often that someone on the right really knocks my socks off. Let alone a Republican! Yet that is exactly what happened on August 25th. From the comfort of my own living room I watched Gov. Chris Christie of …

Written by Jamie McFadden on Tuesday August 30, 2011

Ryan is Missing His Big Chance

Noah Kristula-Green pokes fun at the Weekly Standard and its editor, Bill Kristol, for their unabashed promotion of a Paul Ryan presidential run. Fair enough. However, it also should be noted that Kristol and the Standard are not alone. Politico reports that the conservative policy elite …

Written by John Guardiano on Wednesday August 24, 2011

Cheerleading Ryan

What's more fun to try and figure out: why Paul Ryan is not running for president or why the Weekly Standard and Bill Kristol are very sad that Ryan is not running for President? For the past week, the Weekly Standard has had Stephen Hayes wearing his reporting hat and his reporting-advoc…

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Monday August 22, 2011

Conservatives: Don't Doctor The Ryan Plan

The Weekly Standard editorial lines piece suggests that every Republican has to support the Ryan budget in its entirety and any qualm or qualification is unacceptable. How far will conservatives go to tell Republicans they must support the Ryan budget in its entirety? A new Weekly Standard …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday June 15, 2011

How Palin Taps the GOP's Economic Fears

For non-wealthy Republicans - as for non-wealthy Americans generally - the past half-decade has been a terrible time. This is part three in a series. Click here for part one and part two . Not every Republican lives in Greenwich and earns millions. For non-wealthy Republicans - as …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 31, 2011

Who Really Wins with Ryan's Budget?

Sarah Palin speaks to a radical mood: a mood of victimization and resentment. But Paul Ryan speaks to another radical mood: the radicalism felt by many affluent Americans. This is part two in a series. Click here for part 1 . Palin speaks to a radical mood in the country: a mood of …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 31, 2011

GOP Flirts with 2012 Disaster

Maybe Republicans should nominate Paul Ryan. Or Sarah Palin. Maybe we need to get the passions of 2009-2011 out of our system once and for all. Maybe Republicans should nominate Paul Ryan. Or Sarah Palin. Maybe we need to get the passions of 2009-2011 out of our system once and for all. Maybe it's …

Written by David Frum on Friday May 27, 2011

Is Bill Clinton Still Triangulating?

Cameras caught Bill Clinton sharing a few words with Paul Ryan at a recent event and encouraging him to call. Is the former president up to his old political tricks? In this video , ABC News catches Paul Ryan and Bill Clinton sharing a few words behind the scenes at a Pete Peterson Foundation …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Admit it, GOP: Ryan's Budget Isn't Perfect

Why can't Republican leaders see what's obvious to others: that the Ryan budget has NO chance of passing until 2013, and isn't popular with voters? (NB: This is not addressed to any specific individuals. I also believe that supporters of the Ryan budget have every right to make their case as …

Written by Fred Bauer on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Top 5 NY-26 Excuses

After the Republican debacle in New York's 26th congressional district race, expect the excuses to soon start flying. Coming excuses for NY 26: 1) It was a special election in a district that soon won't exist anyway: ignore it. 2) The Democrat won because of a populist spoiler candidacy. …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Why Voters Aren't Buying the Ryan Plan

CBO projects that by 2030 Ryan's vouchers would cover only 30% of the cost of an insurance policy equal to Medicare today. And the GOP thinks voters will back that? A footnote to the above posting regarding the Ryan budget plan. The Ryan plan does maximum damage to Republicans because of its …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Paul Ryan: 2012's Goldwater?

NY-26 turned into a referendum on the Ryan plan for Medicare, handing the Dems a win. Yet, the GOP continues to ignore the political dangers in Ryan's budget. I used to worry that Sarah Palin would be the Barry Goldwater of 2012. My bad. Paul Ryan is the Barry Goldwater of 2012. The Goldwater …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday May 25, 2011

Is Ryan Trying to Spook the Markets?

Rep. Paul Ryan's comments Tuesday on CNBC downplaying the odds of a debt deal were careless. Fortunately, this time the markets didn't take him seriously. In an appearance on CNBC Tuesday, Rep. Paul Ryan claimed that holders of US government debt would accept missing payments "for a day or two …

Written by Andrew Pavelyev on Wednesday May 18, 2011

Newt Gets It: Ryan Plan is Toxic to Voters

The trigger for the Journal’s attack on Newt’s long history of overstatement was actually a wise statement: a caution against a huge rework of Medicare. So now we know how to prod the Wall Street Journal into protesting Obama-Hitler comparisons: join those comparisons to a word of criticism of …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday May 17, 2011

GOP Retreats From Ryan Medicare Plan

Two weeks of recess, complete with ginned-up demonstrations against Medicare and Social Security reform were enough to lead to a GOP collapse on the fiscal front. That’s all it took for House Republicans to begin to scatter like a covey of quail? Two simple weeks of recess, complete with …

Written by Steve Bell on Friday May 6, 2011