Paul Ryan lectures the pope

[cbayer]

http://www.salon.com/2013/12/27/paul_ryan_lectures_the_pope/

FRIDAY, DEC 27, 2013 01:30 PM MST

The Catholic conservative who insists he cares about the poor says Pope Francis doesn’t understand capitalism

JOAN WALSH


(Credit: AP)

When 1.3 million Americans lose their unemployment benefits on Saturday, they can thank Rep. Paul Ryan. He took the lead in negotiating a bipartisan budget deal with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, and on behalf of his party, held the line against continuing extended unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless.

Sure, a lot of Republicans share blame with Ryan. But he deserves extra-special (negative) credit for the deal, because he has lately had the audacity to depict himself as the new face of “compassionate conservatism,” insisting Republicans must pay attention to the problems of the poor. Friends say the man who once worshipped Ayn Rand now takes Pope Francis as his moral role model. Except he can’t help treating his new role model with arrogance and contempt.

It’s true that while knuckle-draggers like Rush Limbaugh attack the pope as a Marxist, Ryan has praised him, which I guess takes a tiny bit of courage since normally Republicans don’t like to buck the leader of their party. “What I love about the pope is he is triggering the exact kind of dialogue we ought to be having,” Ryan told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “People need to get involved in their communities to make a difference, to fix problems soul to soul.”

But he couldn’t suppress either his right-wing politics or his supreme capacity for condescension for very long. “The guy is from Argentina, they haven’t had real capitalism in Argentina,” Ryan said (referring to the pope as “the guy” is a nice folksy touch.) “They have crony capitalism in Argentina. They don’t have a true free enterprise system.”

more at link

[rug]

1. Lol, what a munster-haired little twerp.

The Catholic conservative who insists he cares about the poor says Pope Francis doesn’t understand capitalism

If this shitbag thinks capitalism helps the poor, he doesn’t understand capitalism.

[cbayer]

2. Oh, I think he understands it just fine.

He just hopes that others don't.

[kratos00]

3. The key to me is that Murray and the Dems agreed to this.

Everyone knows Ryan is a douchebag hypocrite, but why would our side ever consider such a deal? This "deal" in essence gives the Paul Ryans of the world some cover under the banner of bipartisanship. In fact does anyone NOT think that some Repukes won't run ads actually blaming Murray and the Dems for cutting unemployment? They most definitely will because that's what they do.our side should have made this into a fight and demanded extension of benefits as prerequisite of any deal thus letting the Republicans explain why they are both willing to set up another shutdown and to deny over a million people the very food on their table. In my opinion we fucked up yet again and gave the Repukes cover in exchange for bupkis.

[pinto]

4. (aside) What's that lapel pin he wears? I've noticed it before.

Harvard's "Veritas" symbol?

[cbayer]

6. It's the House of Representatives pin.

I know a congress critter personally and went out to dinner with him in DC one night. His House pin was like some kind of magic key. Service people are trained to look for them and the treatment one receives changes pretty dramatically.

[pinto]

8. Ah. Got it, thanks.

I once was looking to get a cab home from a club in Georgetown. No luck, no luck. Finally one pulled over for a guy who had just stepped up to the curb. "Want to share this one?" he asked. "Sure, thanks." It was Barney Frank.

[cbayer]

10. That's great!

I would love to share a cab with Barney.

[pinto]

12. Personable guy. He caught my slight New England accent so we talked Boston politics.

Adamant and clear on things as he has remained. Didn't talk religion - there's always this undercurrent in Boston. We're mostly all Catholics and we mostly all disagree with the church at times. Eh.

It's not as monolithic as perceived.

[madamesilverspurs]

5. .!.

[cbayer]

7. Exactly right. I love how this makes him look.

[pinto]

9. +1

[libodem]

11. Beautiful!

Nuff said.

[freshwest]

13. Capitalism is the only religion in America that matters. The rest are just teasers. n/t

[arely staircase]

14. I think Francis out ranks him nt

[struggle4progress]

15. He's mastered the "I don't give a shizz but I think this facial expression will fool folks" look

It may convince voters who like looking up into the noses of congress-critters who stare off into space while wrinkling their brows

[okasha]

16. Makes a body wish for a rubber hose,

it does.