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Paul Ryan Stumps for Small Government in West Chester

Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan made a campaign stop in West Chester Tuesday at the American Helicopter Museum.

West Chester resident Bob Gross served in the military.  He’s a former Marine, and he’s tired of the nonsense.

“Where do you begin,” Gross said.  “The country is $6 trillion in debt.  We’re socializing and nationalizing our businesses, and we’re wasting billions on companies like Solyndra that go bankrupt in a couple of days.”

Gross added, “I am tired of the nonsense in Washington.”

Gross echoed the sentiment expressed by who visited the in West Chester Tuesday.

“Government is important to a society,” Ryan said.  “But it is not the nucleus.  The nucleus is ‘we the people.’”

Ryan added, “Government’s job is not to pick winners and losers in the economy.  That job is for our entrepreneurs, our investors, our risk-takers.”

Ryan also said that the Obama adminstration is out-of-touch--that Obama doesn't understand the needs of the American people.

"Remember last time around when Obama said people in states like Pennsylvania cling to their guns and their religion," Ryan said.  "Well as a catholic deer hunter consider me guilty as charged.  That's what freedom really is."

Ryan shared the stage Tuesday afternoon with several southeastern Pennsylvania Republicans including Congressmen Jim Gerlach and Charlie Dent as well as Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello.

“I know you all believe in hope and change like I do because I hope for a change in the White House this November,” Costello said.

Ryan and the other speakers said that this election could define a generation, and that the idea of what America would be in the future was at stake.

“America is not just a place,” Ryan said.  “It is also an idea.”

Ryan added, “The idea of America is that our rights come from nature and God, not government.”

Besides the several thousand Romney supporters that attended the event, there was a small contingent of about 25 protesters at the rally Tuesday.

“As Paul Ryan prepares to roll in here, I’m proud to stand here too,” said West Chester Mayor Carolyn Comitta.  “Obama and Romney represent two separate visions for seniors, for students and for the poor.”

Congressman Jim Gerlach said that because of his stance on Medicare, the Democrats like to portray Paul Ryan as “the man who would push grandma off a cliff in her wheelchair.”

“By picking Ryan, Romney shows that he is serious about turning the country around,” Gerlach said.

“I want to earn your support,” Ryan said.  “I want to reaffirm our nation’s founding principles so that we can get people back to work.”

“Our duty is to save the American dream for our children,” Ryan added.  “We will not replace the country’s principles.  We will reapply those principles.”

"I like what Romney and Ryan represent," said West Chester resident Bob Whetstone who attended Tuesday’s rally. "Small government, a controlled economy—all the things I'm concerned about."

Ryan did not mention abortion or the much talked about inflammatory comment from Rep. Todd Akin's (R-Mo.) that "legitimate rape" victims rarely get pregnant. The topics were brought up on protesters signs.

Did you attend the rally? What did you think of the speech? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.

David Curran August 30, 2012 at 01:43 pm
I know, I know he lies; but he has exquisite taste in wines and charming dinner companions. This is what a Washington insider looks like people. Don't be fooled by the "aw shucks"hometown boy act.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/mystery_solved_ryans_dinner_dates_ided.php?m=1
Mike Shortall August 30, 2012 at 02:15 pm
You beat me to it, Tim. Amazing how little some people know about our country's origins and how the FFs structured our government!
Marc Lombardi August 30, 2012 at 03:03 pm
Wow...even Fox News is calling Paul Ryan a liar this morning. I guess even the fact-checkers at Fox News must be biased, huh? Does this officially make Fox News part of the liberal media?
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/ "[To] anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech."
Bill August 30, 2012 at 03:45 pm
From Twitchy.com:
“The Paul Ryan-deranged Left developed a strange new respect for Fox News overnight. Progressives lavished praise on Fox for publishing a “fact check” of Ryan’s GOP convention speech that called it “an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies.” Naturally the highly retweeted column included too-good-to-check falsehoods like this one: While Ryan blamed President Obama for the shut down of a GM plant in Janesville, Wisconsin, the plant was actually closed under President George W. Bush. The plant closed in 2009 while Obama was in office. What these genius libs failed to note is that the piece was an opinion column written by progressive activist Sally Kohn.” So much for your comment about the FACT CHECKERS at Fox!!
Marc Lombardi August 30, 2012 at 04:15 pm
Bill: Please tell me that you understand the different between an Opinion and a Fact. Please also confirm for me that you understand that an OpEd piece can indeed contain facts.
If you're disputing any of the facts that Sally Kohn posted in her article, by all means -- show me where those details have been proven false. I won't hold my breath.
Morgan King August 30, 2012 at 04:18 pm
Wait - are you actually proudly flaunting that FOX itself didn't bother to fact check this? "Don't worry everybody - the fact-checker was a liberal! You can now resume blissfully paying no attention to the veracity of this speech!"
Marc Lombardi August 30, 2012 at 04:23 pm
And FYI... the decision to close the Janesville, WI plant was made in 2008 when Bush WAS in office. And then in October 2008, GM announced that the plant was going to be idled as of December 23, 2008 (which was when the SUV production ended). While minor assembly work continued (for work on a remaining contract that wasn't completed when the plant shut down the year before) at the plant into April of 2009, it was in essence closed down in 2008. When Bush was in office.
When the last bit of remaining work from 2008 was completed in 2009, it was decommissioned.
Anthony Wayne August 30, 2012 at 04:25 pm
The unbalanced condition among our three branches of government, sanctioned by eighty or so years of the American voters continually electing people who place emphasis on federal government solutions to state issues has resulted in the huge crisis we now find ourselves in. The American voters got us in to this mess and are the only ones who can get us out. The republicrats will never relinquish their power and show us time and again that anything goes when it comes to keeping it. Way too much money has changed hands. It's up to us as citizens to select a congress and executive who will return to the Constitution as the way forward and who are not wholly owned subsidiary's of corporate America. Funding for these brave men and women will need to come directly from the people. The good news is that a few exist. Will Americans wake from their slumber and smell the coffee or continue to drink the kool aid? The real power is in the vote, all we have to do is use it.
David Curran August 30, 2012 at 04:53 pm
A.W., that is the precise reason the Reps are striving to suppress legitimate voters. They just do whatever it takes to keep power (lie, misrepresent, and where possible deprive people of their Constitutional rights); it really is shamefull.
Mike Shortall August 30, 2012 at 05:14 pm
Now, now, Marc ... Sally Kohn, while indeed a Fox contributor, is as Liberal as they come. So let's not kid ourselves as to where her loyalties lie. Saying Fox News was calling Ryan a liar is more than a little disingenuous; and I'm sure you knew that.
In the meantime, maybe your fact checkers can tell me where the "lie" was in this part of Ryan's speech: "President Barack Obama came to office during an economic crisis, as he has reminded us a time or two. Those were very tough days, and any fair measure of his record has to take that into account. My home state voted for President Obama. When he talked about change, many people liked the sound of it, especially in Janesville, where we were about to lose a major factory. "A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that GM plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: “I believe that if our government is there to support you … this plant will be here for another hundred years.” That’s what he said in 2008. "Well, as it turned out, that plant didn’t last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day. And that’s how it is in so many towns today, where the recovery that was promised is nowhere in sight." Ryan makes no accusation; places no blame; and doesn't even claim that then-candidate Obama made a promise he couldn't keep. Factually, everything Ryan said was truthful. The claim that a lie is in there somewhere is an amazing over-reach, even for a bunch of Democrats!
Marc Lombardi August 30, 2012 at 05:24 pm
Mike: The full quote from Ryan is this-
QUOTE Especially in Janesville where we were about to lose a major factory. A lot of guys I went to high school with worked at that G.M. plant. Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said, ``I believe that if our government is there to support you, this plant will be here for another 100 years.'' That's what he said in 2008. Well, as it turned out, that plant didn't last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day. And that's how it is in so many towns where the recovery that was promised is no where in sight. UNQUOTE His crystal clear insinuation is that Obama was to blame for not only the plant closing but for that promise to keep it open not being kept. There are quite a number of other lies and untruths that peppered his speech.
David Curran August 30, 2012 at 05:38 pm
Let's all believe what Mike says and not what are "lying eyes" saw. You cannot put perfume on that pig Mike, he lied and he did it more than once.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/ryan-risks-reputation-with-misleading-nomination-speech.php?m=1
Mike Shortall August 30, 2012 at 05:42 pm
Oh, I get it now ... It's not WHAT he said, it was how you INTERPRETED an insinuation that somehow equates to a lie.
How convenient!
David Curran August 30, 2012 at 05:43 pm
At least Mitt just whips his Etch-a-sketch out and tries to recreate himself as a conservative. Ryan is just a bald-faced liar--end of story!
David Curran August 30, 2012 at 06:20 pm
I know this is not from Fox but here is another dissection of Ryan's lies Mike. Care to comment?
http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/paul-ryans-dishonest-speech/2012/08/30/16bb62d8-f24f-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html
Morgan King August 30, 2012 at 06:41 pm
Mike, if not that, then how do you interpret it? If there's no correlation and he's just rattling off facts, then why say it at all if not to conflate the two? And how, then, is that not actually dishonest?
MrBlue August 30, 2012 at 07:15 pm
I'd say this was misleading since the same cuts are part of the Ryan Medicare plan
. "You see, even with all the hidden taxes to pay for the health care takeover, even with new taxes on nearly a million small businesses, the planners in Washington still didn’t have enough money. They needed more. They needed hundreds of billions more. So, they just took it all away from Medicare. Seven hundred and sixteen billion dollars, funneled out of Medicare by President Obama. An obligation we have to our parents and grandparents is being sacrificed, all to pay for a new entitlement we didn’t even ask for. The greatest threat to Medicare is Obamacare, and we’re going to stop it." And PolitiFact doesn't seems to agree with this comment either... "He (Mitt Romney) was the Republican governor of a state where almost nine in 10 legislators are Democrats, and yet he balanced the budget without raising taxes. Unemployment went down, household incomes went up, and Massachusetts, under Mitt Romney, saw its credit rating upgraded. State spending rose 22% (double the rate of inflation) and Romney increased corporate taxes and state fees by $750 million a year, outstripping his tax cuts. Also 49 out of 50 states in the US balance their budget every year because it's in required their State Constitutions.
Earnest August 31, 2012 at 02:23 am
Mr. Shortall, the point that you are conveniently leaving out is that it was the "big government program" (Social Security) that paid for Ryan's education as well as raising the cost of the money paid out of that "big government program" by going to a college out of state.
That education provided by the "big government program" opened the doors so he could turn around and work for the government and receive a government pay check.
Mike Shortall August 31, 2012 at 03:06 am
Morgan: From the text of the speech, I took Ryan's riff on the Janesville plant as a commentary on the failure of "Hope & Change" as it was sold by candidate Obama. There realy is no accusation made by Ryan. And to say he was "blaming" the plant closure on Obama is an interpretation requiring a lot of reading into Ryan's words.
To me, Ryan's point was that the people of Janesville was told that Government involvement would make everything all right - economically speaking. Of course, after four years an improved economy with more jobs for the working class didn't happen. It's time for a change. That's what I think Ryan was saying.
Mike Shortall August 31, 2012 at 03:19 am
So what, Earnest?
I can believe that Social Security and Medicare are going to be the death of American society, yet still take the full measure of benefit afforded by a system I have paid thousands into for decades, as Ryan's parents certainly did. I claim benefits my family justly deserves ... and paid for. I'd be stupid not to. But just because Ryan benefitted from all that his parents "paid in" does not mean that he is now so beholding to those programs and unable to suggest corrective action, especially when everyone can see the economic peril they pose to everything else the Government does that's good.
Earnest August 31, 2012 at 03:34 am
The Affordable Care Act makes important changes to the Medicare program and substantially improves its financial outlook. - Medicare Actuary, April 23, 2012
David Curran August 31, 2012 at 04:27 am
Your correct there Earnest about the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA), or what is commonly known as Obamacare. My problem is I do not see Obama, who is trying to expand access to health care, would take measures that would specifically target senior citizens(Medicare) , and deprive them of care. Does not this whole Rep. Fairytale just not make sense? Are people not capable of seeing the obvious anymore?
regina August 31, 2012 at 06:30 am
my taxes are just like another mortgage payment this is a disgrace who the heck can afford this crap
Earnest August 31, 2012 at 11:05 am
- Ryan's most recent budget known as the "Path to Prosperity" keeps most all of the spending cuts to Medicare as in the ACA.
- The ACA calls for a (Reduction in future growth) of Medicare spending (over 10 years). - It is Medicare Part A's trust fund that is set to be insolvent by 2024 and without the spending cuts proposed by the President (about $415 billion) in Future growth payments to hospitals through Medicare Part A, the trust fund won't be able to fully pay the projected benefits for 2016. - This comes directly from the Medicare trustees estimations. - This is exactly why Ryan's "Path to Prosperity" keeps the reductions, which Romney himself approves. The plans are almost exactly the same. The difference is in who will pay for the $716 billion reduction that keeps the trust fund for Seniors, solvent for a longer period of time. - Romney and Ryan places the financial burden on Seniors patients who use Medicare Part A, which was set up as a "trust fund". - The Presidents plan, ACA, slows the future growth of payment to hospitals, without putting the financial burden on Seniors, thus keeping Medicare Part A solvent for Seniors through 2024.
David Curran September 2, 2012 at 12:49 am
Now he's lying about his athletic prowess. This guy is incapable of telling the truth.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80554.html
David Curran September 2, 2012 at 01:02 am
I guess he will say it was an honest mistake. The only honest mistake will be the votes for him and his buddy. Now the buddy is more clever with his lies-he is more into reinventing himself and missinterpreting history. These guys the most untrustworthy canidates I have ever saw.
Scott Weekley September 3, 2012 at 02:19 pm
How in "God's" name could Paul Ryan and/or Mitt Romney be "stumping" for small business and/or large American-based businesses who "employ" Americans? The lobbyists & campaign contributors to The Republican Party are "growing" extremely wealthy by owning Businesses in America, while "sending" most of the potential American jobs to foreign nations such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Lesotho in South Africa, Ski Lanka, etc. Mitt Romney and/or Paul Ryan must believe in W.C. Field's remark, "There's a sucker born every minute!" If you "believe" Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney are "stumping" for American business & American workers, please try to find out who is paying for their "campaign." Small American steel companies cannot compete with "imported" steel girders coming into this United States from China! Paul Ryan can "stump" until he turns blue, but American businesses need him to "stop" taking lobbying & campaign contributions from Republican "friends" who profit by having their denim jeans, fall sweaters, NFL sporting apparel, hunting & fishing equipment, Christmas decorations, computers, tools, etc. IN Foreign Countries! How can American small business compete with China or Lesotho who manufacture these goods for a fraction of our American minimum wage? Paul Ryan's Tea Party friends refuse to legislate Laws so you could see "Made in The United States" on the aforementioned products!
V. Scheurich September 6, 2012 at 04:51 pm
Can anyone tell if this photo has been photo-shopped or is it the real deal?
http://therealrevo.com/blog/?p=82902
Morgan King September 6, 2012 at 05:20 pm
There's a lot of pixel noise so it's hard to tell - the limitations of the camera confuse the issue. There's definitely some blurring and out of place cut-and-paste-ish lines running through the crowd to the left of Farrakahn's head, but that could just be the result of a smeary low quality digital camera. If you were going to fake it, though, that's about the perfect shot to do so - the crop from the railing and the hard lines of the collars at the neck, black suits are common attire, and stadium lights are everywhere so unusual shadows would be hard to pick out. It seems likely that if this were a real occurrence there would be other photos from other angles.
Watts September 7, 2012 at 12:06 am
The comment right below the photo states that it is not from the olympics, but was from an event in Jamaica, where you can see another photo that provides more detail:
http://largeup.okayplayer.com/2012/08/08/impressions-the-jamaica-50-independence-grand-gala/ You can see that the organizers set the seating arrangement and for security reasons (I have put on larger events like this) you sometimes have to clump your "celebrities." And given that this took place in Jamaica, which can be specifically dangerous and also probably a lower security budget, there would be nothing unusual at all about this.

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Monk June 18, 2013 at 09:43 pm
The truth finally spoken in East Goshen! This is without a doubt a conflict of interest. Why wouldRead More anyone think it is appropriate for Battavio to be involved in this decision? Thanks for bringing this into the light.
Jay Valley June 19, 2013 at 07:24 am
I don't live in EG but have heard about how corrupt it is. Good for Lou for bringing this out. IRead More live up north in Chester county and this would never happen here. Common sense would tell you there's a conflict of interest here. What does this say to the residents?
Gregg Westman June 9, 2013 at 04:07 pm
Boomer has been found and returned to our home. Thank you everyone for your positive thoughts andRead More help. Our family is so grateful for his return. A special thanks to the family who saved him and cared for him during his time away.