(Eric "Etch-A-Sketch") Fehrnstrom: Ryan Didn’t Say Wisconsin Plant Closed Under Obama

[ProSense]

Fehrnstrom: Ryan Didn’t Say Wisconsin Plant Closed Under Obama

Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign, was taken to task on Thursday morning during an appearance on CNN for misleading remarks made by vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan at the Republican National Convention.

As he has several times during the campaign, Ryan insinuated on Wednesday night that President Barack Obama failed to save a Wisconsin auto factory from closing. In reality, the factory was shuttered in 2008, when former President George W. Bush was still in office. But Fehrnstrom denied that the campaign was suggesting that closure occurred under Obama, offering a confusing and vague explanation for the attack that has become a hallmark of Ryan's stump speech.

ANCHOR: You know, Eric, that the decision to close that plant was made in June of 2008, when President Bush was in office. What Paul Ryan said there was clearly misleading.

FEHRNSTROM: Well, no. He didn't talk about Obama closing the plant. He said that candidate Obama went there in 2008, and what he said was with government assistance, we can keep this plant open for another 100 years. Here we are four years into his administration. That plant is still closed. I think it's a symbol of a recovery that hasn't materialized for the people of Janesville, Wisconsin, just as it hasn't materialized for Americans everywhere.

ANCHOR: He left the impression that President Obama shut that plant down.

FEHRNSTROM: I encourage people to go back and look at what candidate Obama said in 2008. What he said was with his recovery program, with government assistance, we can keep that plant open for 100 years. Four years later, it's still shuttered. I think it's a symbol of a broken economy under this president.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/fehrnstrom-ryan-didnt-say-wisconsin-plant-closed-under

Is Eric "Etch-A-Sketch" Fehrnstrom on drugs?

On edit: This moron is insisting that Ryan didn't say what he said, but then when pressed, his convoluted response is implying the same thing.

Eric, you, not the American people, are an idiot!

[madokie]

1. He's stuck on Stooopid

No fixing that

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

2. They're betting on stupidity...

And they're going use those ridiculous semantic back-flips to argue that they weren't lying at all.

[Ninga]

3. That is exactly what Ryan said in his craftily crafted misleading speech that zig zagged it's way

Through the truth.


The entire GOP theme was pitched to low information voters. sadly, it may work.

[Jennicut]

4. Ryan huffed about how the plant was closed now. He never mentioned it closed before

Obama took office. If that is not lying then what is it? These Rethugs really take notes from Rove on how to blatantly lie.

[Ian62]

5. Looks like Fehrnstrom has got

selective hearing as well as cognitive dossonance.

[reformist2]

6. At least he's being called on it early, which is good. Very good.

It means Romney/Ryan won't be getting as much mileage out of that speech as they had hoped.

[OnionPatch]

7. No, he very cleverly made it sound that way, though.

I saw it. He was clearly insinuating the closing was Obama's fault.

Republicans are just outright lying this season, it's unbelievable!! I guess they feel if they throw around enough lies, people will believe them. Unfortunately, it's probably true. We need to keep calling them out for the LIARS they are. LOUDLY.

[drm604]

8. Fehrnstrom: "That plant is still closed." "Four years later, it's still shuttered."

"still closed"

"still shuttered"

So what is he saying? Is he saying the Obama should have reopened the plant somehow? Someone should ask him how he expects the President to do that. In fact, someone should ask him how Romney and Ryan will do that.

By his implications, if Romney and Ryan are elected and that plant remains closed, then they're just as much to blame as he claims Obama is.

[B Calm]

9. Now they lie about their lies