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Posts Tagged ‘Paul ryan’

Rep. Paul Ryan: Don’t Back Down On Jobless Culture Comments

Posted in politics, tagged , , , on March 15, 2014| 1 Comment »

GOP Rep. Paul Ryan shouldn’t back down from his honest opinions on inner city young men living in a “don’t even think about working” culture.  The House Budget Committee Chairman and Romney running mate should double-down by acknowledging the culture in rural areas also.

http://news.yahoo.com/paul-ryan-meet-black-u-lawmakers-offensive-remarks-220153718–business.html

I like Ryan because he was a congressional staffer during my Hill days but if we ever bumped into each other, it would have been at his part-time job waiting tables at Tortilla Coast next to Bullfeathers.  He was a high level staffer yet he served nachos and pitchers to interns and receptionists.  That’s the mentality that built America.  Of course, some of the people who built this great nation did so in bondage and the Congressional Black Caucus considers themselves to be guardians of that heritage.

So, Ryan is meeting with the CBC next week and that’s non-sense to me.  The CBC should be making that important observation about the jobless culture before Ryan.  Oh, but a change is coming.  There is a new segment of CBC members and these new folks have budgets and fairness on their minds more than the old “we are suffering” crowd.

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This blog is pleased to rollout a year-long theme/effort called “Changing Mindsets.”  An overview can be found on the tab on the top of this page.  Ryan’s comments are consistent with our contention that many of the problems facing struggling people start outside the range of governmental responsibility and the elected officials should say that.

An old, well-used Chinese proverb states “it’s better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.”  Well, it’s better to start this important conversation involving all sides than to continue on the wrong path.

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GOP: Skinning A Black Cat

Posted in politics, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on December 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

There is more than one way to skin a cat and the Republicans have recently taken the worst ways to address outreach.  First, their outreach reeks because policy, techniques and branding is being driven by their most vocal and most angry.

For years, I have been telling conservative friends that 20% of the Black vote was prime for the taking and that those 20% were actually the head of the snake (the political, economic, faith and social leadership of my community.)  Without the deep thinking 20% of the body, the rest would be aimless. But, talk radio and the Fox News types get paid not for creating good policy and solving problems but for keeping up drama and mess.  I am starting to believe that MSNBC does the same thing on the left.

If the GOP conservatives listened to me years ago, they would have allowed a moderate, centrist segment of their team– a segment that would outnumber the far right and would counterbalance the centrists on the Dem Team.  I wanted to call them Red Dogs like the Dems’ Blue Dogs.  Basically, the Red Dogs would be the traditional conservatives who deliberate and compromise with others.

When I staffed on the Hill, Rep. Paul Ryan staffed and was a waiter a Tortilla Coast.  The guy is old school like me and we remember the days when lawmakers knew each other; when state delegations had a weekly meal together and the dean of the delegation was respected by both sides of the aisle.

During this holiday season, there are minorities and women sitting down with family and discussing the possibility of running for office as a member of the GOP.  Of course, many conservatives don’t realize that people other than those who look like them are also moderate to conservative.

You don’t need to skin a black cat because old superstitions are silly.  Cats are cats and if the GOP spent a little more time getting to know Blakc cats and less time being ticked off, they would have a new segment of their team.  That segment would be just right to approach my community about the sensibleness of personal responsibility and life choices.

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Newt Gingrich and Rep. Paul Ryan: You need a Plan

Posted in politics, tagged , , on March 10, 2009| 6 Comments »

When Newt Gingrich and company produced the Contract with America in 1994, they had a plan for the direction and function of government.  I had to take a picture with this Georgian because he was our speaker and a serious policy thinker.  Democrats should know that Newt is currently mixing and brewing in the lab and the potion he produces next will be a substantive knockout. 

newt2 

 

Republican Rep. Paul Ryan made a lot of common sense on MSNBC this morning.  Ryan is the Ranking Minority member of the House Budget Committee and he has an actual plan.  He should be one of the new leaders of their party.  Ryan is a former senior congressional staffer so he knows the system and knows the game. 

 

I think Paul Ryan should serve as a reasonable counterbalance to Democrat well-intented, fiscally questionable spending.  President Obama might have too much to the table at one time because the congressional leaders want to address all of the issues that the previous president put on the back burner while dealing with the War on Terror.  Actually, Obama needs Ryan to keep the checkbook balanced.  I say Ryan and Obama should develop a working relationship to circumvent the party jostling.

 

Ryan, who was born in 1970, could make himself a future president by constructively analyzing Obama plans.  Black voters could remember that this young fellow stepped up in a positive way to adjust and criticize the first Black President’s plans.  The Blue Dog Democrats should work with Ryan as much as possible.

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