CNN reports on what may be the dumbest, most self-immolating Tweet in the history of Tweets:
House Speaker Paul Ryan deleted a tweet Saturday touting the GOP tax overhaul after critics called him out for appearing out of touch with the reality of low-income individuals’ financial situations.
The tweet shared the story of a secretary who, according to a report by the Associated Press, was “pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week.”
“A secretary at a public high school in Lancaster, PA, said she was pleasantly surprised her pay went up $1.50 a week … she said [that] will more than cover her Costco membership for the year,” Ryan tweeted with a link to the full article.
So, just in case there was anyone on the planet not already aware of this, the knock on the Republican tax cut bill passed last month is that the overwhelming majority of the benefits go to the richest people in the country. President Donald Trump stands to personally reap millions. Members of Congress voted for significant cuts to their own taxes. Christopher Ingraham of the Washington Post replied to Paul Ryan that the annual benefit of the tax cut to this public school secretary was less than Ryan makes in one hour as Speaker of the House.
People, including several prominent Democrats, noted on social media that $1.50 per week is not a significant pay bump.
It’s not just that $1.50 a week is a pitifully small amount of money in today’s economy, which of course it is. The issue is that Ryan chose to promote this pitiful amount of money as a success story. It’s as if Democrats came up with the absolute worst parody of a pitch for this bill, and somehow persuaded Ryan to repeat it like he means it. The PR damage from this gaffe is frankly incalculable, validating every trope about out-of-touch wealthy Republicans there ever was.
And yes, deleting a Tweet only ensures it will live on in infamy! If somebody on Paul Ryan’s staff gets fired over this episode, Democrats should give them a medal.
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Anyone with time and a sense of adventure should consider spending a month or two in Janesville, WI next summer. Or Racine.
Both are beautiful in the summer. Aside from Lake Michigan, there are dozens of smaller lakes. Rent can be affordable. Not to worry about missing the big things – this is Cubs tv market and you can register and vote there if that kind of thing matters to you.
And, don’t forget kiddies . . .
. . . among your Republican friends, Ryan is what is acknowledged to be “one of the smartest ones”.
Standing between Kevin McCarthy, Louie Gohmert and Devin Nunez, Paul Ryan still looks like Albert Einstein.
BTW, has anyone asked the teacher if she was being ironic with her comment?
I presume it was an unsolicited testimonial posted to Ryan's email or web site that some dim, Moldy-esque staffer turned into a tweet for his boss.
Kinda hard to think she was truly overjoyed at that pittance.
Hope she doesn't spend it all in one place. Maybe she'll follow Moddy's lead and put it all in the stock market.
It was in a print article. The teacher, tracked down later, said "I don't know why they chose my story."
I posted a few weeks ago that a family of four making $60,000 with two kids under age 16, taking the standard deduction will save a net of ($1,570) in Federal and CO income taxes. (Another h/t to OldTimeDem who helped me with this.)
Specifically, the Fed taxes go down by ($1,797), but CO income taxes actually increase by $227 (because the increase in the standard deduction of $11,300 is offset by the lost exemptions of $16,200 yielding an increase in taxable income of $4,900). Caldera has a column today in the Denver Post complaining about this increase in CO income taxes.
So, the GOP should be boasting about this real decrease in taxes to a typical middle class family. Too bad the Dems didn't propose a middle class tax break first.
The Dems should point out that Americans were robbed blind by this tax bill that gave 83% of the tax breaks to the top 1% and will create deficits in excess of $1.5 Trillion. To restore fiscal sanity, Dems should agree to rescind the tax breaks to millionaires when they take over Congress.
"…restore fiscal sanity, Dems should agree to rescind the tax breaks to millionaires when they take over Congress."
After the election.
If they promise now – the tv ads write themselves: See- we cut your taxes, they just wanna take it all back…. so they can spend it on illegal immigrants and poor people.. they think you know how to spend it better than you do
Can't we run ads featuring Thurston Howell III? (The real Thurston, not Zap's.)
"Oh, Lovey, we've been saved by the Republicans! Now we can afford that car elevator garage!”
no — James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989)
No, it is NOT "too bad the Dems didn't propose a middle class tax break first."
What this tax scam did was allow for FURTHER debt to be paid off at some point, either by explicit tax payments (and I'd bet that at best, any increase will be skewed to NOT recapture rates or amounts given to the top 1%) or by inflation (which will hit the poor the most). "Rescind the tax break to millionaires" sounds great, but it will be messaged as "Democrats are raising taxes."
Here's all you people need to know about Ryan and the $1.50.
http://www.randybryceforcongress.com
He's the Dem military vet and union ironworker running against Ryan. I don't normally support Dems for obvious reasons. But this guy will get a check from me later this month. Ryan is a heartless p.o.s.
I am too…….
The last long shot I wrote a check to was some guy in Alabama named Doug Jones.
Margaret Bennan coaxed an extremely poignant explanation for his decision to leave congress out of Trey Gowdy this morning on Face the Nation. While he did not mention them by name, t
he cold-hearted, win at all costs attitude exemplified by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell is the reason he gave for hanging it up. Even "Mr. Benghazi" himself has a shred of dignity.
As an aside, Ms. Brennan did an excellent job as the new host of "Face the Nation", replacing the recently promoted John Dickerson. The Columbia Broadcastng System (CBS) seems to be taking the news seriously nowadays….
Of course Fox News has all the real journalists..😜
I thought Ryan was leaving Congress. Bryce is running in this district but I didn't think the Money Changers have a nominee yet other than Kelpto the Clown.
Didn't he walk back his comment about this being his last term? It would be nice to see him adjust to being minority leader next year.
Even nicer to see him actually lose reelection as a sitting speaker.
Except for ryan to lose re-election, the Yamistas would have to keep their majority.
I like Yamistas. Stealing it.
With no sense of irony that he mentions Costco, whose company founder believed Obama would be better for business than Mitt Romney?
That new-found $1.50 in the secretary's paycheck? Costco employees get that every hour on the hour (long before the current Administration) (Note to Nutlid: this was written during the Obama years)