If Rep. Paul Ryan is toast, then we must have thought he was destined for bigger things, right? Wasn’t he among the vanguard of young, conservative Republicans who were going to lead the United States back to fiscal responsibility? In fact, we seem to remember a movement to have Ryan replace John Boehner as House Speaker so that someone would finally make the tough decisions. Maybe we were dreaming, and Ryan’s “yes” vote to Tuesday’s craptastic fiscal cliff deal was a rude wake-up call.
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/286321397729460224
.@TabithaHale Paul Ryan is the con equivalent of the guy the chick in the Rom-Com dumps for the guy who is like Marco Rubio. #caring
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) January 2, 2013
Paul Ryan just spent an entire campaign season battling Obama's class warfare, only to support a bill that raises taxes on "the rich."
— Jedediah Bila (@JedediahBila) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/EckmanRon/status/286598999803301888
https://twitter.com/UncleCLo/status/286593684051488769
Thank u Paul Ryan for showing us you are not presidential material. Your vote clearly shows us you are just like the rest of the statists!
— Michael E Greene (@MichaelEGreene) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/lovecountryusa/status/286602142842753024
Thank you @RepPaulRyan and other #congress members for giving #Obama a blank check. #fiscalcliff #fourtrillion #gutless
— Brian Bledsoe (@BrianBledsoe) January 2, 2013
@RepPaulRyan I'm ashamed that you are a Congressmen from WI. You lost votes next election on that #fiscalcliff vote
— EricK (@Killer54467) January 2, 2013
If @RepPaulRyan is still a member of the so called comeback team, please tell him to retire so a true conservative can take his place
— Stephen Vasil (@Stephen_Vasil) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/DarthWyatt/status/286576391925927936
https://twitter.com/Liontoothcom/status/286664057191276545
I'm super surprised that @RepPaulRyan voted for that disaster of a "bill". What the hell was he thinking?!
— Chris Enloe (@chrisenloe) January 2, 2013
What was he thinking? Ryan explained his “tough decision” as a necessary concession to “the realities of governing.”
Will the American people be better off if this law passes relative to the alternative? In the final analysis, the answer is undoubtedly yes. I came to Congress to make tough decisions — not to run away from them.
Now, we must return our attention to the real problem: out-of-control spending. Washington’s reckless spending drives the debt. And this debt is hurting the economy today. Unless we get at the heart of the problem, Americans will face a debt crisis — one that will threaten our most vulnerable in particular. It is our responsibility to prevent such a crisis.
Not everyone was surprised by Ryan’s vote, though.
Also, why is everybody shocked that Paul Ryan voted for the "fiscal cliff" deal?
— Jason Pye (@pye) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/BenHowe/status/286490909682593796
@jaseliberty People have a hard time separating the rhetorical Paul Ryan from actual Paul Ryan. It's consistent w/ his voting record though.
— Corie Whalen (@CorieWhalen) January 2, 2013
Would be cool if Paul Ryan actually had a conservative voting record or something.
— Julie Borowski (@JulieBorowski) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/calfcreek_2/status/286676571270569985
@RepPaulRyan voted 4 No Child L.B., new drug entitlement, TARP, caps on CEO pay, AIG & GM bailout, debt ceiling, & now fiscal cliff #tcot
— TheConservativePost (@TheConservative) January 3, 2013
People are just now jumping off of the Paul Ryan bandwagon? He already had an awful voting record and this last vote was easily predictable.
— scott arthur (@scotty_likes_it) January 3, 2013
Ryan found new support among those who most likely opposed his run for vice president. Reaching across the aisle almost always seems to do that, as long as it’s a Republican doing all the reaching. That’s what liberals call “bipartisanship.”
https://twitter.com/januaryboten/status/286321971510272000
And, thank you to Paul Ryan for voting yes. Credit where credit is due
— Andy Suchorski (@AndySuchorski) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/cguirre/status/286326303303540736
@RepPaulRyan
Thank you for your vote tonight sir. Courageous
— Leonard Mann (@LEM1122) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/Action_DougRH/status/286328543649095680
Thank you, @RepPaulRyan , for doing the right thing by voting yes on the #fiscalcliff deal.
— Justin Smith ?? (@SternFanJustin) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/buckeye003/status/286585896952815616
https://twitter.com/thehardytruth/status/286446494184243200
Ryan won kudos from some conservatives too.
Thank you Paul Ryan for choosing leadership over grandstanding.
— big tuna (@keder) January 2, 2013
https://twitter.com/EdwardMKE/status/286322945029193728
https://twitter.com/EdwardMKE/status/286331399840083968
https://twitter.com/MaryClimer1/status/286321517179056128
https://twitter.com/matthew_willis/status/286321511118290944
Maybe that ridiculous campaign ad was a clue.
https://twitter.com/DanielKThomas/status/286644840568061952
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