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August 14, 2012 10:48 PM UTC

Paul Ryan Avoids "Personhood," Medicare In Suburban Denver Debut

  • 47 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE #2: NBC News’ Rachel Maddow covers the action Tuesday in great detail:



—–

UPDATE: Despite the apparently successful pranks described below at today’s Paul Ryan rally, Westword’s Michael Roberts reports on a group of Lakewood High School students who were allegedly denied access to the event under dubious circumstances:

Earlier today, we reported that four students who don’t support Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan were banned from the vice presidential candidate’s Lakewood rally after they were overheard speaking to yours truly; see our complete coverage below…

Jacob Spetzler, an eighteen-year-old rising freshman, got a ticket last night to watch Ryan speak today. He then posted a Facebook status that read, “who else is going to the paul ryan rally? are signs expressing our displeasure in order?”

One of his high school friends, who volunteers for the Romney campaign, apparently saw the status and commented: “just so you know, protesters won’t get in tomorrow.” [Pols emphasis]

And he didn’t–even though someone named “Fertilized Egg” did. Kids are mean, aren’t they?

—–

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols has the first report up on today’s rally at Lakewood High School featuring newly-minted GOP vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan:

Ryan’s speech, which lasted less than 20 minutes, was a looser version of the five-point plan Romney outlined in Jefferson County two weeks ago, hitting on the five key priorities of a Romney administration: energy independence, education reform, debt reduction, small business outreach and job growth…

Interestingly,  Ryan never sought to frame the argument over his controversial House GOP budget that has, with his selection as Romney’s vice presidential candidate, suddenly become a central issue in the race for the White House.

The Obama campaign is already highlighting how Ryan’s package includes drastic spending cuts to entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which could cost Romney in a state like Florida.

Increasing the pressure on Ryan in Colorado, the editorial board of the Denver Post, the only remaining metro daily and single-most influential newspaper in the state, published an editorial Monday night calling Ryan a “radical” choice who is “likely to alienate” moderate voters.

By all accounts, Rep. Ryan’s speech at Lakewood High School today was notable mostly for its inoffensive platitudes, and generalized calls for “reigniting the American Dream” and “turning our country around.” As Stokols reports, Ryan made no mention of his controversial budget proposals to privatize Medicare, and no mention of Ryan’s support for banning abortions even in cases of rape and incest–similar to what’s called for in the “Personhood” amendment headed to Colorado’s ballot for the third consecutive election. Ryan may have been able to slip in and out of Colorado without addressing his support for “Personhood” today, but we seriously doubt he’ll be able to skate through to November–this is a state this campaign has to win, after all.

Though as Politico’s Glenn Thrush reports, there were pranksters in the crowd, scoring press on Ryan’s controversial stands without his help:

Someone forwards along a picture of ‘Fertilized Egg’ being admitted to Ryan’s event in Lakewood, Colo.

It’s, of course, a reference to Ryan’s position on fetal personhood – and his support for the  Sanctity of Human Life Act, which defined fertilized eggs as a human being.

We’re kind of shocked that this ticket made it through security, but we’re thinking this is the last time it’s ever going to happen. Meanwhile in the air outside, Raw Story reports:

Members of the Choose Ryan, Lose Choice campaign managed to fly a banner while Ryan was speaking in Lakewood, Colorado. CNBC reporter Eamon Javers tweeted a picture of the banner, which read, “Hey girl, choose me, lose choice – P. Ryan.”

Bottom line: the more you try to dodge the tough questions, the less people let you.

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47 thoughts on “Paul Ryan Avoids “Personhood,” Medicare In Suburban Denver Debut”

  1. It’s very upsetting that Colorado Pols is making light of attempts to breach the security of today’s rally. It’s terrible that liberals are willing to falsify information on a secure, nontransferable ticket just to score political points. I would have had whoever tried to pass this ticket off arrested.

    Rep. Ryan, on the other hand, was passionate and inspiring today. The greatest moment was when a member of the audience shouted out his pride that Ryan wasn’t using a teleprompter like Obama constantly does. Paul Ryan spoke from the heart about his love for this country, and desire to leave this nation a better place for our children.

    It’s too bad that Colorado Pols has to attack no matter what. It’s unfair to your readers and the voters of this state. In truth, Paul Ryan inspired thousands of your fellow Coloradans today. Not by scare tactics and lies, but by displaying his love for the American system and the hard working self-sufficient American people.

    Sniveling naysayers be damned!

    2. By the act of ordering a free online ticket with a name that is not your legal name, printing it out, and accessing an event, then doing nothing disruptive or violent at that event?

        2. Feel free to attempt to attend an Obama speech with a ticket that doesn’t have your real name on it. I’m guessing they won’t let you in, but if they have you arrested for that alone and no other disruptive or threatening act, I’ll be the first one outside with a “Free ArapaGOP” sign.  

            3. I’ve never been ID’d at an Obama event, including the one where I got to shake his hand. My bag was searched and I went through a metal detector. No ID.

    3. Go ahead and arrest someone for having a (not inaccurate) sense of humor.  Boy, that’s the right for you.  Achtung!  You veel not haf any fun, you enemy of the state!

      Love for the American system?  Like always working for the government?  After his family lives off of SS survivor benefits? (History lesson:  Reagan loved the New Deal as it saved his family from starvation. Then he met Nancy and her father.  Then, gummint became the problem instead of the savior.) Hey, isn’t that communism?  Just to score political points?  Holy mother of god, moron, this is called POLITICS.

      1. If a bunch of Republicans tried to get into an Obama event with fake names, you would be screaming bloody murder. Security at presidential events is no laughing matter. It should be taken seriously by everyone.

        IMO, this is no different from throwing glitter. It’s a breach of security and of decorum.

        1. and I’m entitled to tell you it’s stupid. Sorry, pal, but throwing something at someone is very different. If any security has an issue with it, they should require ID to attend. Name on ID must match ticket. Having a fake state ID is a crime. See?

          I think it’s unnecessary, but you’re mad at the wrong people, no matter how you look at it. Nor do you have any basis for assuming anyone here would be outraged if the shoe were on the other foot.

          And the problem with too many Republicans is that the fake name wouldn’t be funny. It’d be something douchey like “Terrorist Muslim Lover.” Not ironically either.

            1. a true Willard . . .

              . . . the little people are all smelly, . . . not that good smell of Adelson money either . . . these little people smell like stinky taxpayers, maybe even like — dare I say — like stinky birth-control using taxpayers!  Yechhhh.

                1. large noses run in my family.  How the hell ya’ been?  (Wait, aren’t I supposed to snub you for a few days first, since you’ve been rather MIA here of late?) Ah well, never was one for protocol . . . anyway, speaking of smelly strangers, how was this summer’s crop of Ozark tourists?

        2. Dems in purple Colorado welcome Rs and in many districts can’t get elected without some R votes  Many Rs have voted for Colorado Dems such as the Salazars and Hickenlooper.

        4. drove about Obama speech sites in buses honking horns.

          How come you don’t condemn despicable behavior when it is done by Republicans?

          Raises hand starts waving it furiously.

          “I know. I know.

          It’s because he is a hypocritical little bitch.

          That explains all of his silly victimization behavior.”  

    4. The greatest moment was a mention about a lack of a teleprompter? Really? If that was the highlight then that’s one helluva crap speech.

      Hell, I could stand up and give generic platitudes about making America better wihtout a teleprompter too.

    5. Which I don’t expect you to acknowledge at all, since it makes you look like a fool. But since Romney DOES use a teleprompter all the time, you’ve already made a fool of yourself.

    6. It’s terrible that liberals are willing to falsify information on a secure, nontransferable ticket just to score political points. I would have had whoever tried to pass this ticket off arrested.

      Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha {snort} ha ha ha ha ha

      That’s really funny.  Thank you.  

      And this…

      The greatest moment was when a member of the audience shouted out his pride that Ryan wasn’t using a teleprompter like Obama constantly does.

      Paul Ryan is running for president?  Finally, someone the GOP doesn’t loathe.  So what if he has no executive experience, less experience than Obama did, at least he can give a speech without a Teleprompter!!!  Unlike THIS loser…

    7. The greatest moment was when a member of the audience shouted…

      Let the person on the stage speak. Applause (and shot boo’s) sure, but leave the speech to the person speaking.

      Imagine how you would feel if the person shouting had said something negative.

      1. President Obama was touting the Affordable Care  Act, and related it to his mother’s fights with insurance companies when she was dying of ovarian cancer.  Someone shouted out “She’s still with us!”  He replied “She is”, and continued to relate how his legislation would have impacted her story.  It was a touching human moment.

      2. What Daft Punk said, plus, have you ever been to a political speech? Not “Jared” wowing ’em in your living room, but an actual political speech? If someone didn’t shout out “We love you!” at an Obama speech, he’d never get to respond, “I love you back!”  

        1. Yes it’s a gray area but where do you draw the line? I think it’s that you respond to the speech but you don’t take the focus away from the person speaking.

          And pretty much every speech I’ve been at, including Obama up at CSU, that is how it worked.

          1. and the event was an official address to Congress by the president. It wasn’t a stump speech delivered to the hoi polloi. That’s why that was much worse.

    8. Apparently, having people arrested who attend Romney campaign events is standard operating procedure.

      Allow me to repost what happened to our own BarronX when he tried to attend a Romney event and an Obama event.  Bottom line: Obama’s campaign treated him with respect even though he was not a supporter; the Romney campaign acted like fascists and tried to have him arrested.

      Posted by BarronX on August 7:

      campaign contrasts

      First, I’m not voting for Obama.  I only care about seeing him because he is my president.  

      But I have to say that there is a huge difference between the 2 campaigns of Romney and Obama.

      When I found out after 10 PM last night that the distribution of tickets in the Springs had been moved up, from 9 AM this morning to 5 PM last night, I figured I had missed my chance.  

      But I posted here and at the OFA blog linked in the diary my questions about whether any tix were left, and if so, when I could get one.  

      Within an hour, James responded to say yes, there are some left, and to come by at 10 AM.  

      Compare that to my experience with the Romney campaign, which I think I posted on this site a couple months back.

      I was carrying a sign saying something like “restore the my Constitution.”  Romneybots accosted me, and demanded that I leave the private property where the rally was being held immediately.  

      When I refused, they called the CSPD, and an officer sort of ordered me to do the same thing.  A bot tried to get the police officer to either throw me off the property or arrest me, but that didn’t happen.  

      They assumed that, if I supported the Constitution, that I was a Ron Paul supporter.

      A similar thing happened at a Santorum rally I attended, except when I told them I was NOT a Paul supporter, they said OK and left me and my sign alone.

      At a Paul rally, there were lots of signs, and nobody got upset about mine.  

      1. .

        Caroman posted what happened to me up to the point of getting a ticket to see Obama at the Colorado College campus.  

        I did attend.  

        I snuck in a sign.

        Once the President started to speak, I took it out, unfolded it and held it up.  

        Within 10 seconds, an Obama staffer or volunteer was attacking me from behind, grabbing my shirt and attempting to pull me over backwards.

        I guess that’s the one time it is good to be obese.  

        While he wasn’t able to knock ME down, he grabbed my paper sign, about 2 ft X 3 ft, and tore it out of my hands.  

        CoPols ends this diary with:

        the more you try to dodge the tough questions, the less people let you.

        My incendiary, offensive sign said 2 words:

        BOWE BERGDAHL

        The staffer or volunteer who assaulted me, I asked him later if he understood what the sign meant.  He avoided even looking at me.  Another staffer/ volunteer who was holding the torn sign open and reading it intently didn’t appear to understand its meaning, either.  

        1. Barron, I’m sorry that happened to you at an Obama rally.  The motto of the ’08 Obama campaign was, “Respect, Empower, Include”.  That remains the motto for the ’12 campaign.

          You’re unable to say whether it was an OFA staffer or a volunteer or, maybe just people who showed up for the rally like you who treated you that way.  And, of course, your sign wasn’t offensive, just truly confusing.  (I had to Google it and am still confused about your message.)  

          In summary, you identified clear contrasts between the campaigns and it is still correct.  OTOH, ArapagoOp’s faux outrage is full of crap.

    9. Step 1 Feign outrage

      Step 2 Clutch pearls

      Step 3 Crocodile tears

      Step 4 Gut social security and medicare

      Step 5 ask for an apology from President

      Step 6 Spread misinformation about presidents welfare policy using racial tinged southern strategy. (is calling him welfare president too far?–we’ll just call him the food stamp president)

      Step 7 Bemoan lack of civility in politics

      Put your big boy pants on and stop crying.

      No wonder Republicans couldn’t get Bin Laden, you’re too frightened of Fertilized Egg–and apparently the word vagina too. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-20…

    10. Hijack threads… talk about what he wants to talk about. You realize, he gets a Google Alert when Pols posts a new article, then quits writing his story for Colorado Peaks and is the first to post here, right?



      Now, back to the issue at hand…. Paul Ryan’s support for Personhood…

      1. Not that I’ve ever seen…….

        More likely he keeps hitting Refresh or has a little app for that.  Then he zooms in thinking he is important.

        Now, those of us who are first posters for the daily thread, we ARE.

  3. didn’t address his principles on personhood . . .

    didn’t address his running mate’s position on cutting the wind energy tax credit . . .

    didn’t address gutting Medicare, giving more massive tax breaks to billionaires, or talk about his mathematically impossible budget proposals that will run additional deficits for 40 years . . .

    and, he managed to avoid talking about these principles of his all without the benefit of a teleprompter . . .

    Sounds to me like maybe a teleprompter might be useful to help him remember what he’s claimed to hold as his principles.  Off the cuff he sounds like just another blithering, platitude spewing Willard.

  4. Ryan loves himself some Ayn Rand. Read it if you can….

    Brad de Long:

    Well, given that the Republican vice presidential candidate-presumptive is on record as saying:

    I always go back to, you know, Francisco d’Anconia’s speech (at Bill Taggart’s wedding) [in Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead] on money when I think about monetary policy…

    That means that when Paul Ryan thinks about monetary policy he starts from:

    It is not the moochers or the looters who give value to money. Not an ocean of tears nor all the guns in the world can transform those pieces of paper in your wallet into the bread you will need to survive tomorrow. Those pieces of paper, which should have been gold, are a token of honor – your claim upon the energy of the men who produce. Your wallet is your statement of hope that somewhere in the world around you there are men who will not default on that moral principle which is the root of money…

    That says not that we ought to be on a gold standard, but that we should have a gold coinage–that we should not use credit cards or checks or currency at all,

    Thus I think this statement is coming out now to distract attention from how wacka-wacks Paul Ryan’s monetary policy actually is…

    (unquote).

    I couldn’t get through the passage, but when reading Ayn Rand, I recognize the typical, over-the-top emotional rhetoric that Russians are so fond of. Love the passion; can’t stand it when it is applied like slabs of lard over stupidity.  

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