41st Conservative Political Action Conference ...Next > |
March 6, 2013--Rep. Paul Ryan
(R-WI) devoted most of his speech to presenting an optimistic view of
the state of the Republican Party during a time of "vibrant debate" and
"creative tension." (prepared remarks)
Ryan
highlighted
ideas
advanced
by
a
host of Republican leaders and said that "a conservative, modern reform
agenda is now taking
shape." "We're offering a vision, and we have got plenty of
ideas," he said. "The Left isn’t just out of ideas; they're out
of
touch," Ryan said. However, Ryan got into hot water for remarks
he made toward the close of his speech. He repeated an anecdote
he had heard at a hearing: “The left is making a big mistake
here. What they’re offering people is a full stomach and an empty soul.
The American people want more than that. You know this reminds me of a
story I heard from Eloise Anderson. She serves in the cabinet of my
buddy, Governor Scott Walker. She once met a young boy from a very poor
family, and every day at school, he would get a free lunch from a
government program. He told Eloise he didn’t want a free lunch. He
wanted his own lunch, one in a brown-paper bag just like the other
kids. He wanted one, he said, because he knew a kid with a brown-paper
bag had someone who cared for him. This is what the left does not
understand.”
Fact-checkers found fault with the story, which traced to a
book, and Ryan was forced to issue a clarification:"Today
at CPAC, I shared a story I heard from Eloise Anderson, the secretary
for children and families for the state of Wisconsin. She mentioned it
in her testimony for a House Budget Committee hearing last year. I have
just learned that Secretary Anderson
misspoke, and that the story she told was improperly sourced. I regret
failing to verify the original source of the story, but I appreciate
her taking the time to share her insights."
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