Ryan says nation needs Romney to trim spending

DAVID PITT and THOMAS BEAUMONT, Associated Press

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Just how competitive is Iowa in the presidential campaign? Enough so that both vice presidential candidates were vying for voters on Monday, just 140 miles apart.

Republican Paul Ryan told about 450 people that the nation needed Romney to reduce government spending, which he says makes sense to frugal residents of Iowa or his home state of Wisconsin. Ryan was critical of a decision by the Federal Reserve last week to initiate additional help to keep interest rates low, saying the government was simply printing more money.

"All this money printing, all this creation of money is sugar-high economics," Ryan said. "What we want, what we deserve, what now need in this country is honest money."

Ryan said borrowing so much will turn the U.S. into a nation similar to those in Europe, where many countries are struggling under heavy debt.

"We're guaranteeing the next generation has a diminished future. We've never done that before in this country," Ryan said.

Meanwhile, in the Mississippi River town of Burlington, Vice President Joe Biden told about 600 people that Obama has a better understanding of their lives. He contrasted that with Romney, saying the Republican was "totally out of touch with the reality everyday Americans deal with."

The Obama campaign has reminded voters across the Midwest that Romney called for the structured bankruptcy of the U.S. auto industry. He made the proposal in an op-ed for The New York Times that the newspaper headlined "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt," which Obama and Biden have used to rally voters whose jobs were made more secure by the bailout the administration backed for the auto industry.

"That has real impact in Iowa and Michigan and Ohio and all over this Midwestern part of the United States," Biden said.

Of his Republican counterpart, campaigning in Des Moines, Biden said Ryan is "a smart guy and a good guy." He then proceeded to tie Ryan, a House member from Wisconsin, to the right wing of the GOP, and Romney to him by extension.

The stop featured the twin strengths of Biden: A friendly, folksy air and a willingness to mix it up.

"I hear Romney and Ryan talk about this culture of dependency, this country in decline. I don't live in a country that is dependent or declining. There is no give-up in America," Biden said.

The trip by Ryan and Biden came not long after their last Iowa visit. Ryan spoke Sept. 5 in Adel and Biden visited Iowa City with the president on Sept. 7.

Biden will remain in Iowa for two campaign stops Tuesday.

Obama carried Iowa in 2008 and is hoping to do so again in November. Romney is doing his best to claim Iowa for himself.

Early voting begins in the state on Sept. 27.

The vice presidential candidates are scheduled to meet in a nationally televised debate next month.

Pitt reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

More like this story

RobHunterJohnson 8 months ago

Ryan needs to inform Mitt to think before he speaks, because the only ones who are listening are the Wealthy. Rob

clingingredneck 8 months ago

Are you part of the 47%? Cause you sound like a kid whose afraid he's going to get his candy taken away.

RobHunterJohnson 8 months ago

I am fighting for your Social Security and Medicare! These too clowns that you seem so interested in are fixing to strip you of the things you have paid on your whole life. Unless you are the independently wealthy you need to read a little different literature out there in the out house! Rob

JCLifer 8 months ago

The entitlement class feels like they are going to continue to ride the gravy train.

clingingredneck 8 months ago

I love that they post a video of Mitt telling the truth about the 47% who don't pay taxes and ride on the sweat of others, thinking it would embarras him. LOL He was just telling the truth and shaming the devil. We need someone like that!

Sequoia 8 months ago

But those 47 percent actually pay lots of OTHER taxes, like sales and property tax, besides income tax. Surely you get that. So you know they're not actually "riding on the sweat of others."

What should be embarassing is that you feel the need to perpetuate this myth that others are freeloading off you, like that makes you great or something. Like you can pretend you're in some sort of league with Romney and his folks.

Clinging, unless you're one of those rich rednecks driving a giant ocean boat on the Lake of the Ozarks, a vote for Romney is a vote against your own economic interests.

And moreover, Romney is just a goon. He's totally blowing this election.

connor 8 months ago

My guess is that the "lot of other taxes" is diminished greatly when you figure in the payback for earned income credit refunds.

Sequoia 8 months ago

Your guess? Who cares about what your guess is? You got some numbers? A cite to something I can read? Or do you just guess?

connor 8 months ago

OH don't really need to go dig up the info. A single person making less than 30K a year would qualify I think and I believe it is around $1500.00 more or less back. That would take care of a good number of sales/use etc taxes, especially if they didn't drive.

Throw in a dependent child and their overall tax rate would be in the negative numbers.

Believe it or not as you will.

TickledPink 8 months ago

I have been the person with a dependent - 3 actually - making less than $30k. Yes, I got (and still get) a sizable tax return each year. Why? Because I take advantage of my tax breaks. Isn't that what Romney does? We keep hearing about all the rich peoples' "legal loopholes". The difference with mine though, is I've kept all my money in this country. And because I did pay my share in taxes, while the IRS had my tax money, it was earning interest and being used for our infrastructure.

Do you know what I've done with my returns every year? I've bought things - which generates sales tax. I've hired people to work on my home - which generates employment. (That kinda makes me a job creator! :) Yay me!) I've spent my money in the community, with local stores, local shops, local businessmen.

connor 8 months ago

Which all means you are a non-tax payer. Interest? You wanna haggle about interest that has been set artificially low so the government can keep borrowing without fear (Along with their favored big business I will admit). Less than 1% since what 09? That isn't enough interest to even matter individually at least.

Bottom line is you pay no tax. I am not making a judgement call nor even suggesting you should in fact pay a tax. Just pointing out the obvious. If all your taxes paid including sales, property etc comes up to less than you receive from the government in a refund then you don't pay taxes. It is that simple.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

"What you believe" is wrong. What do you think they spend that $30,000 on? NON TAXABLE items???? No, they pay sales tax on a substantial portion of those wages. PLUS, a single person can only get a maximum of of $464, and that's if they make $6,000. Yes, multiple children households can get a substantial amount of EIC (almost $6,000), but that's with a household income of $14,000 with three kids.

Sequoia 8 months ago

Why let facts get in the way of the "feeling" that I'm a noble, hard working real American who is working so hard to support all those freeloaders (especially those with suspicious names, skin tones, religious affiliation or political leanings).

It feels so good to think of myself as better than all "those" people. Why are you trying to kill my self esteem on this beautiful day?

John 8 months ago

My daughter and son-in-law have 3 children ages 3, 9, and 10. He makes approx 32,000. They get ALL of their paid in taxes back, plus earned income credit, plus the are registered for and use medicare and WIC. . . . They get approximately10,000 per year in money from the IRS. I have no idea if they get any state tax monies back. Their taxes are prepared by an upstanding accredited tax preparing agency here in town. I am certain that the "kids" are truthful in what and how they file.

John 8 months ago

Oh, and they own their home and the, approx, 3/4 acre of ground upon which the house sits. The house is comletely pair for.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

The argument above was that a single person got that kind of EIC back. At most, your daughter and son-in-law get what they paid in, plus another $5,700 back.

connor 8 months ago

Your comment makes no sense. For one thing I know for a fact a single person with a child making less than 24K a year can receive as much as $5500.00 back in refund with earned income and other credits. My statement, and I still hold to it, is that most who receive this much are not paying anywhere near that same amount out in taxes of anykind for the entire year. No matter how much merchandise they buy or permits they get they are NOT paying out over 5K in taxes therefore they are living tax free.

And no one pays sales tax on wages. Sales tax is paid for purchases, income tax is taken out for wages.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

Your original statement had to do with a single person with no dependent. If you are earning $30,000, then you are also spending $30,000. A fair amount of that is spent on taxable items, or on rent, which partially goes to pay for the property taxes on the place that you're living in. Yes, a single parent making $24,000 is essentially living tax-free, however they're getting at most $2,000 more back than what they paid in (not the $5,500 that you claim), and they're paying close to that in other (direct or indirect) taxes during the year.

connor 8 months ago

The only claim I made was they are getting more back than they pay out yearly in taxes. A correct statement that I believe is as easy to verify as saying the sky is blue.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

Your statement that a single person making $30,000 with no dependents was getting more back than what they paid in is completely false, no matter how much you backtrack now.

Yes, a single PARENT of two kids making $30,000 is going to be in a negative taxation position, but that was not your original claim.

connor 8 months ago

NO back tracking you obviously did not read what I wrote and jumped to some conclusion about paying sales tax on income. Typical Liberal emotion fueled smoke screen. a $1500.00 EIC and their taxes paid coming back would more than likely put them in a negative tax situation as I doubt they would purchase enough on 30K a year to pay more than the 1500 back in taxes.

Your poorly thought out reply didn't even call into question any of my points and you still haven't unless you are going to claim a single person making 30k will not receive EIC which as I said I believe was the cut off. It might be 29K or some such but that is nit picking, again a very liberal smoke screen tactic.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

You're wrong. $30,000 income is NOT $1,500 in EIC for a single person with no dependents. You said it was, multiple times. You're wrong, and you're using those inflated values to try and make a point. My "poorly thought out reply" stated exactly that. I didn't call into question any of your other points because the whole basis figure for your argument was either made up, or a misunderstood talking point. I say again, a single person with no dependents making $30,000 IS NOT IN A NEGATIVE TAX SITUATION. Period. There is no arguing that fact. You were wrong in your initial statement, and now you are trying to backtrack on that.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

Did you go back and look at EIC amounts compared to income? Care to explain how your hypothetical single person is getting $1,500 back?

Sequoia 8 months ago

Here's David Brooks (a conservative) just blowing Romney (and Lifer and Clingingredneck) completely out of the water.

nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/brooks-thurston-howell-romney.html?_r=4&smid=tw-share

You're guy is blowing it because the base is forcing him to say wrong things. The conservative movement is a fantasy. It's wrong about America.

Talk about shaming the devil. Here's Brooks laying it down:

"The final thing the comment suggests is that Romney knows nothing about ambition and motivation. The formula he sketches is this: People who are forced to make it on their own have drive. People who receive benefits have dependency.

But, of course, no middle-class parent acts as if this is true. Middle-class parents don’t deprive their children of benefits so they can learn to struggle on their own. They shower benefits on their children to give them more opportunities — so they can play travel sports, go on foreign trips and develop more skills.

People are motivated when they feel competent. They are motivated when they have more opportunities. Ambition is fired by possibility, not by deprivation, as a tour through the world’s poorest regions makes clear.

Sure, there are some government programs that cultivate patterns of dependency in some people. I’d put federal disability payments and unemployment insurance in this category. But, as a description of America today, Romney’s comment is a country-club fantasy. It’s what self-satisfied millionaires say to each other. It reinforces every negative view people have about Romney."

spelchek 8 months ago

"Romney is just a goon." -- Says the Biden supporter. Says the supporter of a president that sends brown shirts to arrest someone for exercising their constitutional rights. (Spare me the "parole" excuse) Says the supporter of an administration that asks Google to pull a video to appease Muslim murderers. Says the supporter of a president at war with "the rich" or "millionaires and billionaires". You're just saying Romney is a goon because you are bigoted and don't like Mormons. Shame on you.

MO4LIFE 8 months ago

And you don't like OBAMA because he is Black along with the rest of the rebloodlicans. All you have to do is listen to romney and you know that he is a phony. A romney presidency will be the collapse of the USA you cannot run a country like a business. Middle East Policy "Just stay away and hope that they work it out" says Romney. "The Middle class makes an average of 200k - 250k"romney said. Just plain Out of touch and ignorant of the facts! Just say whatever you want and don't worry about fact checkers they cant dictate our campaign because to Romney and the Republicans the facts do not matter they are just going to keep saying lies until the american people such as yourself and graceful and lifer believe it is the truth! Which they say Ignorance is bliss and ReBLOODlicans are definitely the blissful party in this country.

JCLifer 8 months ago

Another lie. Obama is more white than he is black. He is 1/2 black at best, but raised by whites in a white world.

Try again.

MO4LIFE 8 months ago

But wait you all went out of your way to say that he was born in kenya and not american but now since it suits your argument. Now he was raised in a white world. The hipocrisy of you ReBLOODlicans never ceases to amaze me. Bailout = Bush but yet to Republicans Bailout= Obama except that he wasn't even in office when the bailout was done. Janesville GM PLant Closed before Obama took office. And His 47% line just sealed the deal for another 4 years of OBAMA. Want to end the USA go ahead and elect Romney so he can outsource all the federal jobs like he did to Massachussetts as governor! Take the blinders off so you can see lifer. Unless you make over 1 million dollars a year the Romneys of the world don't give two cents about you at all. Medicare is an entitlement sound so dumb it doesn't make any sense we pay into medicare and social security so that we can get the funds for retirement.

asb 8 months ago

Lifer, a one-eighth black man could've easily been lynched not many generations ago for smilin' at a white girl, and with full approval of police, courts and church. Get off this idea that Obama's race isn't a primary reason for millions of Americans to want him out. I think it's pretty obvious that his race is also a primary reason for millions to vote for him, but they don't usually deny it and nobody takes "he's not really black" with anything but humor.

Sequoia 8 months ago

Under the law at the time the Constitution was written and democratically approved, Barack Obama would have been a slave, just as the children of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings (a half-black slave herself) were mixed race, but still "black" and still slaves.

Talk about lies. Lifer, you just emote all over the keyboard. You don't care whether what you say is true or false. When you get called on it, you flail like a hooked worm.

JCLifer 8 months ago

No one really knows where Obummer was born. He applied to college as an international student.

Too many lies and no documentation anywhere. What is Obumma trying to hide?

asb 8 months ago

Actually, as we've all seen, the state of Hawaii has official records of the President's birth in that state, right down to the hospital, but you and Orly Taitz, and millions of folks who just want to have a reason to think him disqualified for the office he was hugely elected to, have grabbed at the Birther straw. No lies, endless documentation, and nothing to hide . . . but keep up the smear, it'll help get him re-elected.

Paroquet 8 months ago

Lifer? Would you be satisfied with a video of the crowning, cervical mucus plug, some cord blood, or placenta and amniotic sac?

Are you an "Afterbirther"?

Cripes. All the liberals want are a few tax returns from Romney.

connor 8 months ago

A Hawaii birth certificate from the 50's with questionable or no supporting announcements and an obviously photoshopped electronic version released to the public because no non-Obummer supporter has seen the reported one in Hawaii. A mother who was enrolled and attending classes In Washington the same week as the supposed birth?

A printed and distributed BIO from a publisher claiming Kenyan birth that had to be signed off on by Obama himself?

Ya anyone who questions his birth is just crazy.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

I have a very similar looking certificate that I ordered in the mail from my home state just a couple years ago because my original was destroyed.

So are you saying that his mom isn't his mom? How the heck would she get from Kenya to Washington any easier than from Hawaii to Washington?

connor 8 months ago

I am only pointing out that something doesn't add up. I am also making the claim that getting a birth certificate in the early 60's especially from a State that hadn't been a state very long (I typed 50's above Obama claims to have been born in 61 and Hawaii had been a state for two years) and had a large number of residents with ties all over the Pacific rim would not be all that difficult nor have the same scrutiny as one coming from say Virginia. Especially with an obviously White family pushing the buttons to claim him. You can disagree of course I have only second hand information to base the easy certificate theory on.

I won't even get into International adoption rules or anything else. Things just don't add up. If that is American enough for the ones who vote for him then pointing out all the inconsistencies won't matter anyway.

bluesfan13 8 months ago

What I'm saying, is that I would have just as hard a time proving my American birth as what Obama has had. All my birth state has to show for a certificate is a modern-typed form that I could have easily printed from Microsoft Word on my own PC at home.

asb 8 months ago

That's all been wheely-binned and debunked, but you go ahead and smear away, every vote counts . . . and you know what? Just for the fun of it, you've stumbled on the great secret, Obama was Kenyan born. So What!? It's a stupid rule, now get back to work!

3336 8 months ago

All of you are in an uproar over something somebody else said out of their own mouth but not to the public(Romney). Why didn't he speak this to the public at the convention????????? Also all the people in Congress work for the government and get all the things you claim the 47% wants to get. So if we actually want the gov out of our lives then tell Congress to give up their benefits. Also whether they are in office one day or one year, they get retirement benefits; So who is freeloading and taking the taxpayers dollars???? Also, ALL of them are responsible for the way things are and evidently they don't care otherise they would fix things, They work for us, not themselves, again if you didn't produce in your job; could you keep it??? So just think about what is actually going on, it is all of them, it's time to get to work and quit blaming others!!!!! So look at the facts !!!!!

bluesfan13 8 months ago

Key word in your statement... "Work" for the government. Not freeloading, working for the goverment at an elected position. I don't know where you people get the idea that congressmen get retirement benefits from serving one day in office. They aren't vested in the pension plan until after 5 years (just like many other employers), and they can't get full benefits until at least 20 years service.

asb 8 months ago

"What we now need . . . is honest money." Wall Steet money? leveraged loan money? Venture capital money? inherited money? Corporate buy-strip-and-sell money? Jobs sent to slave labor countries money? Ann Rand money? And he's the smart one . . .

JCLifer 8 months ago

George Soros money! Lots of it!

asb 8 months ago

That's fine, put him in my list. I don't know how George made his fortune, but I doubt it was as honest as your or my pitance.

3336 8 months ago

Now, according to President Obama's race, at least he owns up to who he is, however Candidate Romney will not acknowledge his Mezican heritage; however he did speak of that behind closed doors also; but not to the public!!!!!!!!!!!

connor 8 months ago

Mexican is not a race.

asb 8 months ago

Technically true but not really the point.

3336 8 months ago

Ok you got me on that one, Mexican is not a race, but ok his heritage whatever it is, he is not totally one nationality. However, he does not speak of it. Plus it does not really matter, what matters is to speak the truth. Also remember the Healthcare he put in place in Mass. is working, so how can all of a sudden it's bad for the rest of the country, and it's working????? Lets move on, now is the time to work together and get things done for all of us; regardless of race, creed, gender or ignorance or smart. Let's use whatever it takes to solve problems not create them.He said she said, sounds like a bunch of children!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

connor 8 months ago

Whether some section of his extended or even close family chose to form a religious enclave in Mexico means nothing after he was born. It also means little if they drag him along after or during the fact. Not one shred of that scenario has anything to do with race at all. Why would you even try and compare the two and what would it matter? Now had Romney been adopted by a Mexican national that would present an interesting problem.

As for Romneycare that is a Massachusetts thing and I have no problem with the states choosing how they wish to handle healthcare as long as it stays in that state. The very fact that Romney helped it along proves he is answerable to the majority of his constituents, something Obama certainly isn't.

One of the real reasons we are having the issues we are having right now is that other more populated states and cities are enforcing their will on less populated areas through sheer numbers. States are worlds apart in needs and such is why these things should be left to the states to decide and not forced through Federal mandates backed by more populated states with different needs.

3336 8 months ago

If family or race means nothing then why is it so important to continue to speak of where the President is from and speaking of his family and relatives. This seems it's ok for that scenario but not for all!!!!! I agree with what you say about the differcences in different cities and their particuliar needs. So thanks for the input; that is something to actually think on. This was a nice conversation and that is what I wish we could all do, agree to disagree; and have a good evening!!!!!!

connor 8 months ago

It comes down to simple law really. As I understand it Romney wasn't born outside the US but several family members do reside in Mexico having expatriated there for religious reasons or depending on what you read, for financial reasons as property there was cheap so they could get what they needed.

If someone was born outside the US or it's protectorates with only one parent being a citizen the legal aspects come into play. I am not a lawyer but some lawyers claim he wasn't eligible. There is also the various contentions of foreign adoption and rumors of renounced citizenship which would also apply.

You cannot even purchase a firearm if you have renounced your citizenship but it would be ok to run for and become president?

Frankly there is also the open hostility towards America by Obama's father and adopted father and family. I do not recall any of that sort of rhetoric or questionable circumstances surrounding Romney's family branch in Mexico.

3336 8 months ago

Ok, I can go along with that; thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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