Paul Ryan’s Catastrophic Lack of Political Skill and Judgment

American Thinker ^ | March 27, 2017 | John Ellis

[detective]

Everyone knows that a competent lawyer never asks a question in court to which he doesn’t already know the answer. And likewise, a competent political leader never puts a piece of legislation up for a vote without having a good idea of what the vote will be. But when Paul Ryan released his American Health Care Act he evidently had no idea what its reception would be. Whole sections of his own party were angered, and it was obvious that his bill had no chance of passage without truly major changes.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm 100% behind President Trump, but I think this whole charade demonstrated that he's really in over his head. This is probably the first time in his life that he's in a role where he is not the boss in most matters.

He ought to bring someone on board who can give him an ongoing education in civics on how Congress works, the President's role in legislative matters, etc. He sure isn't going to get that from Ivanka Trump or Jared Kushner.

[i_robot73]

False dichotomy. You left out the root cause: the DONORS, whom have bought and paid for his election/seat for whom he does ANYTHING.

The vs. Trump Admin is just a fringe benefit.

And, the Constitution is just too simple vs. education to follow to chalk anything up to “stupidity”

[Just mythoughts]

I am not ready to consider it a slap. First, I want to know who Ryan had helping him secretly write this legislation. Ryan refused to communicate with Senator Paul. Why did Ryan as speaker take and hold total control over what got put in this supposed repeal of ObamaCare?

[central_va]

Von Ryan's Cheap Labor Express rolls on.

[Vlad The Inhaler]

[Bigg Red]

... I want to know who Ryan had helping him secretly write this legislation.

***
I want to know about that, as well. Please ping me to any info on this.

My suspicion is that this bill was already there in the cabinet ready to be dusted off, if necessary, no matter who became president. Probably written by the same group that wrote Obamacare.

[combat_boots]

[Avalon Memories]

I agree with the author of the posted article. Ryan is a disaster as speaker. Maybe he is a wonk, but he’s not very smart in ways that count in political leadership. After his horrible behavior during the campaign last year, the first thing House Republicans should have done in January was to replace Ryan if a suitable replacement could be found.

[COBOL2Java]

"Ryan’s own explanation of what he had done made things worse: he was excited at having secured the extension of some relatively circumscribed tax breaks—breaks applicable to particular business situations, not to the general public. In exchange for these he had given away everything his party’s voters cared deeply about. Ryan had demonstrated that he is a wonk and number-cruncher so focused on budgetary detail that he loses sight of political reality: he is politically tone-deaf."

---

This paragraph alone sums up Ryan's singular lack of ability to be Speaker.

[Political Junkie Too]

This is probably the first time in his life that he's in a role where he is not the boss in most matters. He ought to bring someone on board who can give him an ongoing education in civics on how Congress works...

Maybe this is now a case where someone is elected by the voters to teach Congress how the real world works.

Trump tried it Congress' way by letting Ryan, Paul, McConnell, et. al., do it there way. Now that they failed spectacularly in front of the people, maybe the will be a bit chastened when Trump decides to take the reins and do it HIS way?

I'm not saying that this was the plan, but I am saying that the time is ripe for Trump to MAKE it his plan.

I'm saying that Trump needs to be the person with the bully pulpit and call the balls and strikes himself. Trump should lay the blame on the GOP leadership for ineptly managing the bill they had 7 years to craft, and not blame the Freedom Caucus for not going along with a campaign renege.

Trump should declare that he will campaign for the primary opponents of the Congressmen who do not support the next Obamacare repeal bill, which he should target for September, after the August recess.

-PJ

[COBOL2Java]

After his horrible behavior during the campaign last year, the first thing House Republicans should have done in January was to replace Ryan if a suitable replacement could be found.

Unfortunately, Washington isn't run like a business (as Trump is learning - albeit quickly). To have jettisoned Ryan so early may have been a mistake. Better to have set him up for abysmal failure, which is what happened.

We'll learn soon enough if things play out as they should.

[Joe Boucher]

Ryan needs to be dumped

[Avalon Memories]

Thanks to our vastly leftist media, Democrats can afford one catastrophic leadership failure after another. Republicans can’t. Other than the possibility that there was no suitable replacement, keeping Ryan as speaker is monumentally damaging to both the Trump presidency and Congressional Republicans. It sure doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize Ryan’s weaknesses. They were on full display during his pathetic vice presidential debate performance.

[Alberta's Child]

Candidate Donald Trump crafted a very specific seven-point plan for health care reform in March 2016 and posted it to his website.

That plan has been removed from his website.

I have no idea what this means, but Ryan's AHCA bill was such a pathetic mockery of that plan that Trump is probably embarrassed he ever pushed the AHCA at all.

[PTBAA]

I think “The Swamp” has come up with what they consider to be a winning strategy against our agent of change (Trump). Put up “crap” legislation on major policy issues knowing that it will fail, and then repeat, while pushing the narrative that we have an incompetent President that no one can work with.

Keep repeating that mantra with the assumption that his base will eventually turn on him so they can get back to business as usual.

[COBOL2Java]

Well said. Trump may have stumbled a bit in his initial work with the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. I believe he was unprepared for the idiocy he got from the GOP over there. However, he’s learning fast. Besides, he’s trudging along with lots of other victories - too many to list...

We shall see what victories he’ll have with the GOP jerks like Ryan and McConnell.

[COBOL2Java]

Thanks to our vastly leftist media, Democrats can afford one catastrophic leadership failure after another. Republicans can’t. Other than the possibility that there was no suitable replacement, keeping Ryan as speaker is monumentally damaging to both the Trump presidency and Congressional Republicans. It sure doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize Ryan’s weaknesses. They were on full display during his pathetic vice presidential debate performance.

Very true. Like I said, one of the signature miscalculations Trump made early on was in thinking he had better backing from the fools on the Hill.

[moehoward]

“Personally, I do not believe for a second Ryan cared whether it passed or ever got voted for or against. He got Trump on board and then tried to dunk Trump.”

How many scheming climbers like Ryan do you think he’s handled in his years? Just give the guy enough rope...

[JayAr36]

Paul Ryan’s Catastrophic Lack of Political Skill and Judgment

Ryan is a back stabbing snake that pushed his plan and left out any input form real conservatives. It is his plan to bury anything that the President wants in BS.

[GailA]

All of it. It was to be RYANCARE or noting. He and his dem wife sold their souls to Big Pharma, health ins, and finance for campaign $$. Ryan’s 20 biggest backers are in the financial, insurance, or health sectors, so are her’s, he was not going to cut his own funds off.

Study: Senate Can Repeal Obamacare’s Regulations through Reconciliation, with Only 51 Votes
https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/study-senate-can-repeal-obamacares-regulations-through-reconciliation-only

The Real Repeal Obamacare Bill has been Languishing in Committee since February 10 (links)
http://thewashingtonstandard.com/real-repeal-obamacare-bill-languishing-committee-since-february-10/

Sherman Antitrust Act Break UP MONOPOLIES, Big Pharma, INS and Congressional Lobbyist
https://www.britannica.com/event/Sherman-Antitrust-Act

The Big Money Behind Paul Ryan’s Political Career
Ryan’s 20 biggest backers are in the financial, insurance, or health sectors
https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/08/14/the-big-money-behind-paul-ryans-political-career

Paul Ryan: Bankrolled by the Banksters, the Privatizers, and the Kochs
http://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/08/11704/paul-ryan-bankrolled-banksters-privatizers-and-kochs

How the AARP Made $2.8 Billion By Supporting Obamacare’s Cuts to Medicare
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2012/09/22/the-aarps-2-8-billion-reasons-for-supporting-obamacares-cuts-to-medicare/#5d182c745935

How Money From Pharmaceutical Companies Sways Doctors’ Prescriptions
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/04/13/doctors-receiving-pharmaceutical-money.aspx

How Much of Big Pharma’s Massive Profits Are Used to Influence ...
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33010-how-much-of-big-pharma-s-massive-profits-are-used-to-influence-politicians

New drugstore lobby mandate would increase prescription drug costs in Medicare
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/325777-new-drugstore-lobby-mandate-would-increase-prescription-drug

Medicare Funds Totaling $60 Billion Improperly Paid, Report Finds
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/medicare-funds-totaling-60-billion-improperly-paid-report/story?id=32604330

Here’s how hospitals mark up saline solution by 1,000%
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2013/08/hospital-overcharging.html