Five Lies from Paul Ryan’s Speech…

How can you tell a Republican is lying? His lips are moving. Seriously, you’d think that someone running to become the Vice President of the United States would at least have the common courtesy to not lie when making his speech at the big convention. Surely they could have found something true to complain about regarding Obama rather than just make stuff up, right?

I’m afraid not.

During his speech on Wednesday night, VP hopeful Paul Ryan lied to the American people. Some journalists and outlets covered Ryan’s lies but others failed to check the facts and didn’t call Ryan out on his deliberate lies.

Here is a short list of five pretty big lies Paul Ryan told when he gave his speech at the Republican National Convention. Every single news outlet should report on these lies and exposing the truth behind them.

Ryan Lie #1: President Obama is the “greatest threat” to Medicare.

The Truth: Obama didn’t make any cuts to Medicare benefits; he made cuts to provider reimbursements, to improve cost efficiency and extend the fiscal security of Medicare by eight years. According to the Medicare actuary, “[Obama’s] Affordable Care Act makes important changes to the Medicare program and substantially improves its financial outlook.” (1)

But Ryan actually does want to cut benefits. He proposed dismantling Medicare and replacing it with a voucher system, leaving millions of seniors to come up with more money to pay for care out of pocket. (2,3)

Ryan Lie #2: President Obama didn’t save a General Motors plant in Wisconsin.

The Truth: First, Obama wasn’t even in office when the GM plant closed. Second, Obama never made a promise to save it.(4)

Ryan Lie #3: President Obama ignored recommendations of a bipartisan debt commission.

The Truth: Paul Ryan actually sat on that commission. And he led Republicans in voting down the commission’s own recommendation. So the commission never gave a report to Obama, because Ryan himself voted to kill the report before it could.(5)

Ryan Lie #4: President Obama is responsible for the downgrading of the U.S. Credit Rating.

The Truth: House Republicans, including Paul Ryan, held the full faith and credit of the United States hostage to try to ransom it for trillions of dollars in cuts to social programs without increasing taxes on the wealthy one dime. Standard & Poor’s said specifically, “We have changed our assumption on [revenue] because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues.” That’s why America’s credit rating was downgraded. (6,7)

Ryan Lie #5: Ryan wants to protect the “weak.”

The Truth: Ryan’s biggest feat in his political career was proposing a budget with dramatic cuts to programs benefiting the poor. He’d cut Medicaid by one third, take away health care insurance from 30 million Americans, and cut Pell Grants for 1 million students. All so that he could give more tax breaks to the rich. (8)

Sources:

1. “Fact check: Paul Ryan at the RNC,” USA Today, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279602&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=8

2. “Undoing Obama Medicare cuts may backfire on Romney,” The Boston Globe, August 18, 2012
<a href="http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279597&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=9
“>http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279597&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=9

3. “Romney-Ryan Medicare Plan Would Cost 29-Year-Olds $331,200: Report,” Huffington Post, August 27, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279596&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=10

4. “Paul Ryan Misleads With GM Plant Closure Tale,” Huffington Post, August 29, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279598&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=11

5. “Fact Check: Paul Ryan misleads on debt panel’s spending cut plan,” CNN, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279608&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=12

6. “Top 5 Fibs In Paul Ryan’s Convention Speech,” Talking Points Memo, August 30, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279595&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=13

7. “Paul Ryan Address: Convention Speech Built On Demonstrably Misleading Assertions,” Huffington Post, August 30, 2012
<a href="http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279604&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=14
“>http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279604&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=14

8. “4 Ways Paul Ryan’s Budget Would Devastate The Poor,” ThinkProgress, August 17, 2012
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=279605&id=50193-9947235-wxQx1Px&t=15