Paul Ryan caught lying

It’s been less than a week and already Paul Ryan was forced to admit he repeatedly lied about making multiple requests for stimulus money.

Ryan had denied doing so as recently as Wednesday, when he spoke to ABC’s Cincinnati affiliate, WCPO, in Ohio.

“I never asked for stimulus,” Mitt Romney’s new running mate said. “I don’t recall… so I really can’t comment on it. I opposed the stimulus because it doesn’t work, it didn’t work.”

Two years ago, during an interview on WBZ’s NewsRadio he was asked by a caller if he “accepted any money” into his district. Ryan said he did not.

“I’m not one [of those] people who votes for something then writes to the government to ask them to send us money. I did not request any stimulus money,” the congressman answered.

You can listen to the audio interview here.

Paul Ryan only admitted the truth after four letters he signed were revealed by the media. So, Mr. Ryan voted against the funding and while he was “publicly calling the stimulus a ‘wasteful spending spree,’” he was also secretly begging the government to give him the money for his district. And he was happy to take it and claim credit. In the end he grabbed up “more than $20 million in stimulus funds for a local energy efficiency organization.” And “according to the reports, the documents showed that Ryan also brought in $5.4 million for local bus services.”

After he was caught lying, Mr. Ryan mumbled something about it being a mistake and constituent services. And despite the fact in his letter he based his request for funds on the benefits of developing “an industry-driven training and placement agenda that intends to place 1,000 workers in green jobs,” he still has the hubris to claim:

“Regardless, it’s clear that the Obama stimulus did nothing to stimulate the economy, and now the President is asking to do it all over again.”

In fact, without those millions his district would have suffered much more greatly from the after-effects of the great crash of 2008. And ironically, he requested money for green jobs and public transportation then, while the slash and burn budget he’s so proud of creating now, would virtually eliminate funding for both and will presumably hurt his own constituents as well as the whole country.

But leaving his hypocrisy aside, the greater question is, if Mr. Ryan is willing to so blatantly lie about such easily checked aspects of his own legislative record, why should anyone believe a word he says, about anything?