Ryan jumps “over the pail”
by digby
Ryan was questioned about his horrendous record on women’s rights and abortion yesterday. And he proved what a hot potato it is with his lies, obfuscations and non-denial denials:
“His statements were outrageous, over the pail. I don’t know anybody who would agree with that. Rape is rape period, end of story,” Ryan told KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano.
Ryan, like Romney, distanced himself from Akin’s remarks, but in Congress, he joined Akin in opposing abortions even when a woman has been raped.
Delano: “Should abortions to be available to women who are raped?”
Ryan: “Well, look, I’m proud of my pro-life record. And I stand by my pro-life record in Congress. It’s something I’m proud of. But Mitt Romney is the top of the ticket and Mitt Romney will be president and he will set the policy of the Romney administration.”
Despite Ryan’s views, Romney says he will allow exceptions for rape and incest. Ryan also seemed to back away from earlier views on types of rape.
Delano: “You sponsored legislation that has the language ‘forcible rape.’ What is forcible rape as opposed…”
Ryan: “Rape is rape. Rape is rape, period. End of story.”
Delano: “So that forcible rape language meant nothing to you at the time?”
Ryan: “Rape is rape and there’s no splitting hairs over rape.”
As for the president’s claim that Romney-Ryan will restrict birth control, Ryan calls that ridiculous.
“Nobody is proposing to deny birth control to anybody,” says Ryan.*
First of all, what the hell is “over the pail?” I thought it might be some Wisconsin cow vernacular that I’d never heard, but it doesn’t come up on google. Neither does “over the pale.” So it would appear that he meant “beyond the pale” which means that Mr Ryan has more in common with his predecessor on the wingnut VP circuit, Sarah Palin, than we realized.
Anyway, that’s hardly important compared to everything else he said, which is bullshit. He’s obviously running from his clear record as a hard core anti-abortion zealot and these local reporters aren’t going to be able to pin him down on it.
But the birth control answer is such a straight up lie that I can hardly believe he didn’t start smirking like Beavis and Butthead when he said it. Both he and Romney have promised to shut down Planned Parenthood, they both agree that no insurance plans should be forced to offer it, they are both in favor of allowing “conscience exceptions” to anyone who can’t bring themselves to participate in contraceptive evil. Basically, he’s saying “sure you sluts can have your birth control — if you can find it.”
Just because he has boyish looks and a winsome smile doesn’t mean he isn’t a hard-core wingnut crusader with a record to match Todd Akin’s. It’s going to be interesting to see if the Democrats and their allies are clever enough to successfully hang him — and the GOP generally — with it in the eyes of the public.
Ryan, of course, is against the exceptions for rape and incest, but says he’ll defer to Romney’s views — which are frankly bizarre in light of the fact that he’s in favor of “personhood” which would render any abortion murder. But then he’s not exactly known for his philosophical consistency.
*That portion of the interview was not included in the Think Progress clip. You can see the whole thing here.