Black Constituent Confronts Paul Ryan Over ‘Inner City’ Remarks

[DonViejo]

BY SCOTT KEYES ON MARCH 20, 2014 AT 8:57 AM

RACINE, Wisconsin — If you could pinpoint the moment when Paul Ryan lost control of his message on Wednesday, it was when he began explaining to an African American constituent why his recent comments about lazy “inner city” men actually had nothing to do with race.

“You said what you meant,” Alfonso Gardner, a 61-year-old African American man from Racine, told Ryan at a town hall meeting. “(Inner city is) a code word for black.”

Ryan remained defiant though. “There is nothing whatsoever about race in my comments at all,” he said. He admonished Gardner for drawing a connection between his “inner city” remarks and race. “I think when we throw these charges around, it should be based on something.”

ThinkProgress spoke with Gardner after the town hall to get his reaction. He said Ryan’s trying to have it both ways, saying different things to different people. “He’s out here shucking and jiving,” Gardner said. “He’s been in Congress eight terms and just now talking about poverty?”

Gardner isn’t the only constituent taking offense. ThinkProgress interviewed a number of Racine residents this week about Ryan’s statement. They were not amused with their congressman’s words.

more
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2014/03/20/3416789/paul-ryan-inner-city-town-hall/

[Democracyinkind]

1. I love it when they backtrack.

"No, no, "inner city" has nothing to do with race. I was thinking of all those "inner city whites" you read about in the newspapers every day."

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Mr. Gardner is a very clever, intelligent man who means what he says

And says what he means . . .

And because he obviously understands nuance - he said something very innocent that he KNOWS hits home to Paul Ryan -

He’s out here shucking and jiving,” Gardner said


We really need an evil laugh emoticon!

[sinkingfeeling]

3. " ...shucking and jiving"! Ain't that the truth?

[okaawhatever]

4. I'll repeat what I said earlier about this: Paul Ryan is right. The problem with

America IS a culture of inner city men who are lazy.

Culture=Politics
Inner-City=Washington D.C.
Lazy Men=Congress

Isn't it funny when a congressman slips on his Freudian?

[noiretextatique]

5. “I think when we throw these charges around, it should be based on something.”

perhaps the racist asshole should heed his own advice. it's not the racism, it's just how you're taking...right

[Scuba]

6. Thank you Alfonso Gardner.

[dembotoz]

7. and they say old white guys can't dance

we need to nail this racist fucker at every oportunity

[treestar]

8. He remained defiant

Typical right winger.

[Cha]

9. Thank you, Mr Gardner!

[jsr]

10. Excellent question: “He’s been in Congress eight terms and just now talking about poverty?”

Yeah, everyone knows inner city is full of white picket fences and white people.