Ryan Faces Lingering Accuracy Questions as He Assails President Barack Obama’s Record
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan defended himself Tuesday against lingering questions about the accuracy of some of his recent statements.
In interviews, Ryan disputed the notion that he misled voters in last week’s convention speech while criticizing President Barack Obama’s handling of debt reduction and the closure of a General Motors plant in his Wisconsin hometown. He also laughed off questions about why he understated his time in a marathon race by an hour.
Asked on NBC’s “Today” whether he would agree that some of his statements have not always been accurate, he said, “No, not in the least, actually.”
In an afternoon appearance in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the 42-year old GOP congressman took the offensive against Obama, even as Democrats opened their convention in Charlotte, N.C., where they will nominate the president for a second term. Ryan aimed his remarks at the nation’s weak economic performance under Obama.
“President Obama, to be charitable, he came into office with a very difficult situation,” Ryan told the crowd. “Here’s the problem: He made things worse. He’s run out of ideas. And he cannot run on his record. That’s why he’s relegated his campaign to a campaign based on the politics of envy and division, smear and fear.”
