Oops.
Campaigning in Ohio, Congressman Paul Ryan’s campaign made plans to showoff the vice-presidential candidate’s social justice side, bringing him and his family to a soup kitchen to meet some volunteers and lend a helping hand. So far, so good. But then this:
Ryan stood at the sink and took some large metal pans that did not appear to be dirty, soaped them up and rinsed them, remarking as the cameras clicked and the TV cameras rolled that he had spent a summer washing dishes when he was younger.
The reporters were sent to the press bus when a group of men who “appeared to be homeless” approached Ryan. Photographers were sent out to capture the image, but reporters were not allowed to listen to the exchange.
The head of the soup kitchen isn’t happy with the staged photo-ops:
Brian J. Antal, president of the Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society, said that he was not contacted by the Romney campaign ahead of the Saturday morning visit by Ryan, who stopped by the soup kitchen after a town hall at Youngstown State University.
“We’re a faith-based organization; we are apolitical because the majority of our funding is from private donations,” Antal said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “It’s strictly in our bylaws not to do it. They showed up there, and they did not have permission. They got one of the volunteers to open up the doors.”
He added: “The photo-op they did wasn’t even accurate. He did nothing. He just came in here to get his picture taken at the dining hall.”
Whatever you pretend to do for the least of these you do for me. Or something.
Update: NBC News' First Read is reporting that Ryan, in fact, did wash some dirty pans.
That figure is, however, over 15 times greater than that of current VP Joe Biden, which prior to his election as VP ran approximately .14 of 1% of his income for the 3 or so years prior to his vice presidential run.
And that .14 of 1% for someone making $300K a year represents not an "oops," but a pattern characteristic of a tightwad on personal financial contributions to those in need and organizations which serve them, such as the Vincent de Paul Society.
Fraud-deception deliberately practiced. We could point some of the more substantive examples, but one's character is revealed in many some ways.
Fraud-deception deliberately practiced. We could point some of the more substantive examples, but one's character is revealed in many some ways.
Former Florida Gov. and Sen. Bob Graham famously had work days, working a single day, or part of the day, on various tasks. He did not pretend he did the job regularly, but as part of trying to understand the job. It was also plainly political theater. But it was not misrepresented.
I will say that personally, pretensions of piety are an outsized sin. Not sure that's what this is, but if it isn't, it borders on it.
He's a fraud in cultivating an image as a deficit hawk, when he is anything but. Just the opposite. Those can be unfair to label him a Randroid in all senses, including religious ones, he certainly has been drawn into her immoral worldview and has internalized it in all its evil manifestations. He epitomizes the GOP's preferential option for the wealthy and powerful.
Perhaps Biden simply does not report his charitable contributions on his income tax. Some people don't bother keeping track, you know.
The other is JUSTICE where we create systems of equity that reduce poverty and increase human dignity so that less soup kitchens will be needed. We are also all responsible for this, however, not everyone has equal opportunity to create systems of justice. But legislators, heads of industry, CEO's, etc do and they have a moral obligation to work for Justice.
Of what use is it for a politician to propose or pass legislation that decreases human dignity and then go and wash some pots? That smacks of washing the outside of the cup, as Jesus accused the pharisees of. Ryan should be more concerned about how his economic plans stand up to Catholic social teaching and less about how dirty the pot he was pretending to wash was.
Ryan's economic plans are more in sync with Catholic Social Teaching then those of the Democrats.
Thank you once again for injecting good sense into worthless commentary about a worthless debate. These various public relations photo ops and other such nonsense tell us nothing about Ryan and Biden other than that they do whatever their handlers tell them to do.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/16/14485409-ryan-did-wash-dirty-dishes-during-soup-kitchen-visit?lite
Will Mr. O'Loughlin change this article based on a later news report, granted it is a right wing one?
A couple points. I do not live in Briarcliff. It is interesting that you would try to go after someone personally by saying where they lived, like that proved something. I live in a town where half the people are blue collar workers. When I first moved here the percentage was higher and they taught Italian in the local schools to the children of immigrants but it has become more of NYC bed room community so the percentage now is about half.
Second, maybe I get it better than some others because I read a lot. Maybe I read the wrong stuff but I have not seen anything recommended here that would support the argument that Ryan is not on the right track for helping the poor. I would suggest providing information to somehow counter those who many have it wrong as opposed to getting personal especially with where they might live. I find that creepy.