Seriously, what is this?
The food had been served, the patrons were long gone, and the cutlery cleaned when Rep. Paul Ryan, his wife, three kids and photographers pulled up Saturday at a St. Vincent de Paul food kitchen in Youngstown Ohio.
Ryan and his wife put on aprons and washed several pans that already appeared to be clean, and then were off to the airport
I’d guess something on the order of 80% of photo ops are more waste of time than actual help. But at least the politician usually does something, even if more could be done without them. Oh, and by the way:
“We’re a faith-based organization: We are apolotical because the majority of our food is from private donations,” Brian Antol told The Washington Post. “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.
…
“I can’t afford to lose funding from these private individuals,” he said. “If this was the Democrats, I’d have exactly the same problem.”
If Ryan pretends to help out at a food kitchen, isn’t he supporting a imaginary culture of dependence?
Don’t you hate staged photo-ops?
Almost like the time Obama’s people pulled the wrong color minorities off the stage so they could have more of the right color minorities in the background.
Yes, it was staged. Everyone does it.
Quickly the liberal argument for re-electing Obama is boiling down to Big Bird, Seamus, Sandra Fluke, and now Pot-scrubbergate.
What a complete asshole.
It would be one thing if Ryan actually did ever volunteer at a shelter, and, wanting to use that politically, arranged to have photos taken while he pretended to do something he actually does at other times. Smarmy, but not quite dishonest.
In this case, Randroid Ryan had photos taken of something he has never really done – it’s a total fraud, a cynical attempt to make him appear human. It’s a lie.
Both Rmoney and Ryan are inhuman. They’re plastic cut-outs of real people, little machines that spout platitudes and pretend numbers. As has been said elsewhere, they are what dumb people think smart people sound like. They are completely in service to the already-wealthy and their mission is to preserve that wealth and pull up every proverbial ladder they can find.
Cap’n Dr. Robert Timex is back!
Running away from the other thread, Bob?
Big Bird…community support for education, particularly that of poor kids.
Seamus…deep character flaws, particularly lack of empathy in this version of the RomneyBot.
Sandra Fluke…women’s autonomy over their own bodies.
Ryan…an inescapably deceitful man.
Sounds right to me.
Why do you hate Obama so much, Cap’n Dr.?
The Tea Party brings us this ad, now running in predominantly white Ohio counties.
NAAWWWW, Republicans aren’t racists, how could you think that.
Dr. Bob vehemently denies that while he wages a personal war against Obama, but won’t explain why. He seems to have skittered off into some dark room somewhere – maybe his boss was watching his internet usage at work.
Also from the Teahaddists, this time Janis lane of the Central Mississippi Tea Party…
What is wrong with these people?
I’ll admit that every poltician has his/her own “unfortunate” photo ops at times. I’m sure behind the scenes they tell stories to one another and laugh about them (except for Nixon – he had no sense of humor about himself). Dukakis riding in the commander’s turrent of a tank is one example which comes to mind.
But this probably hit the extreme, in that (a) it wasn’t cleared with the organization ahead of time (asking a volunteer if it is okay isn’t the same thing as asking permission of the organization, (b) having the volunteer instruct other volunteers to stick around considerably after closing just for the photo op, without telling them why, and (c)pretending to do work which didn’t need to be done at all (washing clean pots), just for the photos.
Ryan could have salvaged the situation without embarrasment just by showing up, realizing the work was already done, and thanking the volunteers for their service, and leaving. But he took it “a bridge too far”, to borrow a phrase from a WWII book and movie.
Wow…epic posting day frim lib sci the clown…..between posting here and “working on the house”, how does any “scientific” work get done.
Funny to watch him get frustrated and go into achy vagina mode when someone doesn’t answer his bs questions..or heaven forbid they actually have to step away from the computer to like, do some work.
OWSer scientist? Lol
I personally dislike national politicians showing up for tours of disaster areas. It takes up an inordinate amount of time needed by professionals and volunteers to actually do the needed work, and it’s mostly just a photo oop for the politician.
During a Presidential year, there’s a race to such sites, with the first one there claiming that the other “doesn’t care” about the suffering – even if the other politician is actually doing more by working elsewhere to get resources, funding, etc. to the disaster site.
Next on my list are “celebrities” who’s publicist tells them they need to seem likeable by jetting into some disaster or war zone, getting a few pictures taken, tweet about what a good job the soldiers/volunteers are doing “They are SOOO AMAAAAZING”, then jet home in time for the next party. But a few of them stick around and do some real good, like a couple of notable exceptions who have taken Haiti and the conflict in Sudan as their personal causes.
Quoting: ““I can’t afford to lose funding from these private individuals,” he said. “If this was the Democrats, I’d have exactly the same problem.””
But it wasn’t the Democrats, was it? :-)
@ 10
Next on my list are “celebrities” who’s publicist tells them they need to seem likeable by jetting into some disaster or war zone, getting a few pictures taken, tweet about what a good job the soldiers/volunteers are doing “They are SOOO AMAAAAZING”, then jet home in time for the next party.
Um, that’s our president, rhp.
As Obama, 51, campaigns for re-election in a race with Republican nominee Mitt Romney, the Commander-in-Chief will answer questions from Us Weekly’s readers — about his platform, his opponent, life at home in the White House with Michelle, Sasha, Malia and Bo, touring America on the campaign trail, his favorite celebs (Beyonce and Jay-Z, perhaps?) and more!
Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/cele.....z29U3HcgUi
Sez so right there in the link title – ‘Celebrity news’.
As usual conservatives light the straw man on fire rather than face the real issue. The real issue is not that photo ops are phony and stupid. They are. It sucks that politicians feel they need to do them and that they apparently sway voters.
The problem is that Ryan forced himself upon this charity which has enough problems, no doubt, without a pushy narcissist storming into their kitchen and putting their funding at risk as a result. That’s bullshit. He’s a fucker for doing it.
The fact that charity is considered anathema to his hero Ayn Rand and he’s a complete hypocrit for even pretending to work at a charity is beside the point. Because photo ops are, generally speaking, phony.
@13
Which makes Paul Ryan a champion phoney among phonies.
@2. No link, no context so for all we know, that story could be made up. Was the tea party a source? the blaze? brutbart?
A manufactured photo op? Like using a carrier to announce mission accomplished? Republicans are shameless. Anything to get power.
(Here is a link http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-250_162-614998.html)
And if President Obama had pulled such a stunt, the conservatives would have come unhinged. Yet, because it’s their guy, they don’t care. Hypocrites.
Definitely a campaign faux pas. As for Paul Ryan himself, at least he knows how to wash dishes! Yes, of course, they appeared to be clean already. But Ryan worked in a restaurant in college and even for extra part-time evening and weekend work when he was starting out as a congressional staff employee. Not so sure how the other candidates (especially Romney) would do at washing dishes …
Anyway, haven’t political candidates volunteered at soup kitchens in the past? I thought that was quite common. Needless to say, every single soup kitchen is a non-profit, charitable and non-political organization.
Here is Barack Obama and older daughter volunteering in a Washington DC soup kitchen. I assume the people running the soup kitchen were political supporters of Obama (unlike the Ohio director, who votes in Democratic primaries), so no one raised a stink about it.
Garden variety cynicism like this is nothing compared with making a secret pact to destroy the US economy for the sake of winning in 2012:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/.....rank-Luntz
I’m surprised that this hasn’t been more of a campaign issue with Ryan right on the R ticket.
@2 “Quickly the liberal argument for re-electing Obama is boiling down to Big Bird, Seamus, Sandra Fluke, and now Pot-scrubbergate.”
Yep, it’s immaterial that he saved our country from another Great Depression, passed the first meaningful health care reform in 50 years, or killed Osama bin Laden. These things can be overlooked by Republicans who would rather focus on Sandra Fluke (who has more character in her little finger than all the Republicans in Congress) and Ryan’s showboating (let’s call it by its right name).
Is it possible to be more vapid and insipid than this?
@17 “Ryan worked in a restaurant in college”
Only real job he’s ever had, and washing dishes is his only marketable skill.
@11 “But it wasn’t the Democrats, was it? :-)”
I would guess their orientation is Democratic, even though they can’t admit it for funding reasons. After all, when did Republicans ever care about the poor and hungry? The GOP is a party dedicated to cutting food stamps, unemployment benefits, and Medicare in order to spend more on weapons and spare billionaires from the inconvenience of paying taxes like the rest of us.
Yes, but volunteering at s soup kitchen, even if it’s just for an hour, is a lot different than inviting yourself into a closed soup kitchen, where you’re not wanted, and pretending to do to work for 15 minutes so that you can have a “humanizing” photo op.
Ryan apparently doesn’t get that and his “humanizing” photo op backfired.
@3 “Both Rmoney and Ryan are inhuman.”
Au contraire…They’re very, very human, with characteristically human vulnerability to the temptations of greed, hubris, opportunism and the desire to climb by whatever available means to a sufficient height to be able to look down their noses at most of their fellow humans and regard them as pismires. That both of them (along with a great many others on the right) have convinced themselves that Jesus gave them permission is both ironic and sad. In truth, they’re more like the mob who shouted, “Crucify him!”
The same thing will happen if elected, he’ll pretend to govern for all of the American People. He and Mitt will pretend to care for all of the people. They will focus on the rich and religious right and that’s it. The middle class will be taxed higher or the deficit will balloon. It’s all pretend for them.
Free Phone – who cares. Social Security and Medicare – I care. The Racist White Ohioans will have the last laugh on them. They are too stupid to realize they are being taken advantage of, used and abused by the Pretenders.
@25
My sister was on SS disability when she was going through ovarian cancer treatments- radical hysterectomy and two rounds of chemo. She didn’t get much money, but every little bit helped and signing up was a pretty straight forward process. There’s always room for improvement in any system, but the current system works and is needed and helpful.
@26 How is your sister doing today, she ok?
Hey guys:
Karl Rove just IM’d me. He told me to pass on to all of you that Paul Ryan says each and every one of you can go fuck yourselves. Gman, he know’s it’s a comment wasted on you because you already did.
Ryan did wash dirty dishes during soup kitchen visit
By NBC’s Alex Moe and Betsy Cline
LYNCHBURG, VA — Amid questions and criticisms related to Paul Ryan’s visit this weekend to an Ohio soup kitchen, the charity’s president said the Republican vice presidential candidate did, in fact, scrub dirty dishes though his visit wasn’t officially sanctioned.
The question of whether the Wisconsin congressman cleaned dishes that were actually dirty – as opposed to re-washing already clean dishes so as to get a good photo opportunity — Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society President Brian Antal clarified that Ryan did clean soiled dishes. This differs from what Antal had told The Washington Post Monday.
Speaking Tuesday morning with NBC News, Antal said he was not on-site when Ryan was at the soup kitchen and attributes his earlier comments that the dishes were clean when Ryan washed them to hearing the details second-hand from a volunteer.
and
The Washington Post posted an updated article online Tuesday morning noting: “The head of an Ohio charity who criticized Mitt Romney’s campaign for staging a ‘photo-op’ at one of the group’s soup kitchens has consistently voted in Democratic primaries.”
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_.....id=twitter
In response to questions about Antal’s comments to the Washington Post that Ryan “did nothing” while at the soup kitchen, Antal said his words were mischaracterized. He told NBC News in that Ryan did very little work only compared to the larger context of Saturday morning, when the kitchen fed 180 homeless people breakfast. Antal conceded that Ryan did wash several dirty dishes.
Don’t you guys have more useful things to falsely allege of Ryan? How about that his wife bleaches her anus?
http://www.theblaze.com/storie.....ed-tweets/
What are we left with, now? A partisan soup-kitchen worker takes issue with Ryan showing up to a non-partisan soup kitchen?
Really? That’s the point of this post?
Hey, Carl, about an update to the top of the thread, at least. Maybe something with a link to an Emily Litella video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3FnpaWQJO0
You’re out of ammunition. Your guy is an empty suit and you’re grasping at straws. Tonight you’ll play the flip-flop card. Gee, that’ll come as a surprise to Team Romney.
Wow. Just wow. Somebody’s getting really testy.
He did wash dirty dishes, he did, HE DID!! *stamping feet*
Robert, do your partners know how much time you spend digging up political retorts, and writing inane and progressively more shrill thread posts, rather than working?
“Karl Rove just IM’d me.”
Yeah, right. And next you’ll be telling us you got a voicemail from the Pope.
@ 31
People who work with me know more about me than you know about your teenage son, in all likelihood, Moe.
Trying it out (Moe) because you come off as a stooge so many times but when I interact with you what really comes to mind is Mel Gibson’s character in Conspiracy Theory. I think that character’s name is Jerry. You don’t seem like a Jerry to me. More like an educated George.
Nuttin’ as good as Cap’n Crunch, tho.
I’ll keep working at it. Somethin’ will stick.
Although you’ll certainly be in major despair very soon, maybe even at 7:30 tonite, so I probably should stay with Lib Despair.
Rabbit @ 20
Don’t underrate Ryan’s skills too much. He has a few more than just dishwashing. He also worked as a waiter in D.C., and as a fitness instructor. And from his workout photos, he would still have great credibility helping folks build their bodies. And certainly polite and polished enough to still wait tables.
@27
The woman is unstoppable. She’s doing great.
@29
According to today’s Cleveland Plain Dealer.
@ 32
Inside joke.
@33
I rather like Cap’n Crunch.
No, Moe doesn’t really work. Nor does lib despair, though you are persistent.
Funny you mention George, that’s my dad’s name, and his dad’s, too – though the latter was ‘Georgi’ on the register at Ellis Island.
I’m growing to like calling you Robert, though – that is your real name, isn’t it, Robert?
The formal name of a guy who goes by Bob is actually Robert. Nothing much gets past you, does it, Moe?
Do you think he scientifically vetted that conclusion out?
Doesnt seem like Lib Sci the Clown has done much science lately – I mean with all the posting he is doing between “working on the house”….
With any luck, Obama can score a few points against Romney in tonight’s debate, by exploiting this Brillo-Gate scandal.
No, not really.
It’s the magnets, doc.
The problem was not that the photo op was fake. All photo ops are fake. The problem is that Ryan, like the other guy on his ticket, has shown little empathy for the millions of people struggling in this country. And the little empathy they have shown has been overwhelmingly offset by their “I’ve got mine, screw you” actions, statements and policies.
That’s the problem, for you thick-as-a-brick conservatives who are demonstrating your usual difficulty with drilling down to the core of “the problem”.
@43 The Great Pretenders.