Republican Fauxto Op
Truly, it is hard to imagine anything more feckless than what the Ryan/Romney campaign pulled a day or two ago when they decided to make an unscheduled stop at an already closed soup kitchen. Paul Ryan and the family took time out from their busy campaign schedule to wash previously cleaned pots in an empty and closed soup kitchen. Of course, this little stunt did allow Paul Ryan to double his private sector work experience. It seems to be the perfect metaphor for the Romney/Ryan Campaign.
Brian J. Antal, president of the Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society, said that he was not contacted by the Romney campaign ahead of the Saturday morning visit by Ryan, who stopped by the soup kitchen after a town hall at Youngstown State University.
“We’re a faith-based organization; we are apolitical because the majority of our funding is from private donations,” Antal said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “It’s strictly in our bylaws not to do it. They showed up there, and they did not have permission. They got one of the volunteers to open up the doors.”
He added: “The photo-op they did wasn’t even accurate. He did nothing. He just came in here to get his picture taken at the dining hall.”
Ryan had stopped by the soup kitchen for about 15 minutes on his way to the airport after his Saturday morning town hall in Youngstown. By the time he arrived, the food had already been served, the patrons had left, and the hall had been cleaned.
So let’s look at all that’s wrong with this situation:
1. The Campaign used a non-partisan organization which relies solely on private contributions. The soup kitchen vigorously works hard to maintain their apolitical position, and now fear losing contributions due to this.
2. The Campaign never asked for permission, and basically bullied their way in by convincing some volunteers to open back up.
3. Their kids are involved in this fake photo op, thus teaching their kids that it must be OK to fake your way through life.
4. Does it concern anyone Ryan was apparently having to explain, in detail, to his children how to wash dishes. Me thinks someone’s not having to do their share of the chores.
What a sad commentary on the disdain the Romney/Ryan campaign, and the candidates themselves, feel towards the less fortunate in our society…use the images of helping, but do it only one the “unclean” are no longer present.
