Teamster retirees head to Congress to demand pension security

Teamsters met with an aide to House Speaker Ryan.

Teamster retirees from Wisconsin, Ohio and elsewhere met with representatives of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) today to voice their outrage over proposed Central States Pension Plan cuts.

Bob Amsden, a Local 200 retiree and a spokesman for Wisconsin Committee to Protect Pensions, said retirees are in crisis over the potential cuts, which run as high as 65 percent. After spending the morning at an IRS hearing on the matter, they headed to Capitol Hill this afternoon to let elected officials know their constituents need help from Congress.

Amsden, whose own pension is being cut by more than 55 percent, said:

It is the most immoral and painful set of reforms in the country. And many still don't know that it is coming.

Amsden said there are some 50 committees around the country set up to demand the federal government not adopt the cuts. People can learn more by going to www.mycspensionhandsoff.com.

The Teamsters have made clear they are not satisfied with the proposal put forward by Central States. In a filing earlier this month with the Treasury Department, General President Jim Hoffa and Secretary-Treasurer Ken Hall wrote that hundreds of thousands of retirees will been hurt if it is adopted:

In the final analysis, we do not believe that Central States can save itself through more intensive cuts or higher employer contributions. The reality is that Central States will become a "zombie" plan -- its funding ration will sink to 40% and its active worker population will decline by two-thirds. If the Federal government is truly concerned with the economic future of Central States' participants, it will find a way to provide direct financial support to the plan and its participants.

Hoffa and Hall are far from alone in their opposition. Nineteen House members have signed onto two separate letters sent to Special Master Kenneth Feinberg urging him to reject efforts to slash monthly pension payments by as much as 60 percent. One of those letters, signed by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Rep. Rick Nolan (D-Minn.) and 16 others, says doing so is a matter of fairness:

Simply put, America's workers are entitled to the pensions they've earned over a lifetime of hard work -- and the big corporations that fall into financial trouble or even declare bankruptcy should not be permitted to take those problems and failures out on employee pensions, especially while executives secure golden parachutes.

The federal government needs to listen to the feedback it is getting from retirees, Teamster leaders and elected officials and oppose the Central States' draconian proposal. Workers deserve better!

Today's Teamsters News 12.30.13

Refinery news: Minnesota Northern Tier workers may strike Dec. 31 on wages, safety issues: Teamsters  Platts   ...Minnesota's Northern Tier refinery is facing a potential strike that could shut its refinery in Saint Paul Park, Minnesota, as soon as December 31, according to Teamsters Local 120, which represents about 200 workers at the plant...
Service Corporation International : Teamsters Local 727 Updates on Service Corp. International Refuses Interest Arbitration  Teamsters Local 727   ...Teamsters Local 727 announced Service Corp. International refused an interest arbitration offer made by the Teamsters to end a five- month lockout of Chicago funeral directors and drivers...
Antiques to replace NYC horse carriages  CNN   ...If activists have their way, horse-drawn carriages in New York City may soon be replaced by antique electric cars...
Charts: The Worst Long-Term Unemployment Crisis Since the Depression  Mother Jones   ...the economic downturn remains in full effect for millions of Americans, particularly the nearly 40 percent of the unemployed who have been looking for work for six months or more...
Where the 1.3 million people losing unemployment aid this week live  Washington Post   ...every state but one — North Dakota — has added more people than jobs since the recession began...
Elizabeth Warren: It's the Right of Every American to Retire with Dignity -- Why We Must Expand Social Security  Alternet   ...If we do nothing, Social Security will be safe for the next 20 years and even after that will continue to pay most benefits through the end of the century. With some modest adjustments, we can keep the system solvent for many more years, and could even increase benefits...
Wis. teachers refuses award from Paul Ryan during MLK ceremony: 'Lackey for the 1%'  The Blaze   ... A Wisconsin teacher refused to accept an award from Rep. Paul Ryan during a ceremony last week, saying he couldn’t do so “in good conscience” because of the Republican congressman’s politics...
As critics gain, ALEC gives ground  Politico   ...The American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group of state lawmakers and corporations that, among other things, drafts model legislation, saw an exodus of members and a sharp decline in fundraising after it was tied to controversial “stand your ground laws” like the one made infamous following the shooting death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin...
“Honey, I Shrunk Killed the Middle Class”  naked capitalism   ... even as the stock market roars ahead, more investors are coming to recognize the shoddy foundations of this so-called recovery and perhaps more important, that the legitimacy of the ruling classes erodes quickly when ordinary citizens recognize how badly the deck is stacked against them...
'Military-Style' Raid on California Power Station Spooks U.S.  Foreign Policy   ...Around 1:00 AM on April 16, at least one individual (possibly two) entered two different manholes at the PG&E Metcalf power substation, southeast of San Jose, and cut fiber cables in the area around the substation. That knocked out some local 911 services, landline service to the substation, and cell phone service in the area, a senior U.S. intelligence official told Foreign Policy. The intruder(s) then fired more than 100 rounds from what two officials described as a high-powered rifle at several transformers in the facility. Ten transformers were damaged in one area of the facility, and three transformer banks -- or groups of transformers -- were hit in another...
Home Prices Back at Peaks in Some Areas  Wall Street Journal   ...Home prices have zipped back into record territory in a handful of American cities, a milestone that comes seven years after the housing bust ravaged the market and the broader economy. Values are up more than 13% from their 2007 high in Oklahoma City and by more than 6% in the Denver metro area. Prices are back to all-time highs in 10 of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas...
This Trade Fight Is Against ‘Global Apartheid’ (opinion)  Campaign for America's Future   ...organizations ... (should) step up against is what she calls “this global apartheid phenomenon” in which “international elites, some of whom don’t have a allegiance to any country,” are creating conditions that are worsening economic inequality and racial inequities around the world, including the United States...
Why China is stepping up its presence in Detroit auto industry  TradeReform   ...Encouraged by the low price of real estate and the high level of advanced engineering talent, dozens of Chinese auto companies and suppliers are opening plants and offices in and around the Motor City, where they hope to one day sell cars to US buyers...
‘Safe Harbor’ in Bankruptcy Is Upended in Detroit Case  New York Times   ...“When you’re in a municipal bankruptcy, where the debtor is a municipality, there are very strong public-interest considerations that ought to be balanced,” Mr. Schwarcz said. He and other specialists said there had not been any such discussion in Detroit’s case...
France’s Hollande Gets Court Approval for 75% Millionaire Tax  Bloomberg   ...French President Francois Hollande received approval from the country’s constitutional court to proceed with his plan to tax salaries above 1 million euros at 75 percent for this year and next....
Setback for Scalia in Attempt to Curtail Labor Rights  truthout   ...the Supreme Court decided against ruling on a legal decision from a lower court which, if broadly applied, could have undermined some of the few remaining effective union organizing techniques: neutrality and card check agreements...

'Sequester' is anti-growth and anti-prosperity (video)

Some call it the Sequester. We call it austerity.

The spending cuts aren't even the worst part of austerity. The destruction of jobs and stifling of business activity -- which will lead to more cuts -- are the worst part of it.

The Europeans tried austerity and it's destroying the Eurozone. Alternet did a nice summary last month:

Most of the recent economic data out of Europe has been exceedingly grim. A record high number of workers across the Eurozone are unemployed. Economies are shrinking. Debts are rising. 

The anecdotes, though, are even worse. Hospitals are asking patients to supply their own syringes due to lack of funds. Trees on public land are being cut down by workers desperate for firewood to warm their homes. An entire generation of young workers is going to experience lower wages for the rest of their lives, due to years of being unemployed while in their 20s. 

At this point, it’s safe to say that Europe’s response to the financial crisis of 2008 and its ensuing recession has failed. Austerity packages that were meant to jumpstart business investment and reduce what were viewed as unsustainable debt loads have instead crippled growth and caused untold amounts of human misery.

Memo to premium-wine enthusiast Paul Ryan: Austerity is the opposite of a pro-growth policy that promote prosperity.

3 out of 4 Americans want minimum wage raised to $10 an hour

No.

A poll by Lake Research Partners shows that 73 percent of Americans surveyed want the minimum wage raised to $10 by 2014, including 50 percent of Republicans.

Currently the federal minimum wage is poverty pay of $7.25 (though it's higher in many states).

Sadly, the minimum wage probably won't be raised soon. President Obama said in 2008 he wanted to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011. He no longer has a majority in the House of Representatives, and key Republicans say they'll block it.

Premium-wine enthusiast Paul Ryan says raising the poverty wage would stifle job creation. Let's be honest: Paul Ryan doesn't give a rat's ass about job creation. Even if he did, he'd be wrong.

Study after study shows raising the minimum wage has no impact on employment.  The Center for Economic and Policy Research found "no impact."A Berkeley study found "no detectable employment losses."

And one study showed raising the minimum wages increases employment. David Card and Andrew Krueger found that New Jersey created jobs in 1992 by raising the minimum wage to $5.05.

How Paul Ryan spent his last day campaigning (The Onion)

CEOs who loot run companies that depend on government largesse are mounting a full court press to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. They're seeking a "grand betrayal bargain" to avoid missing a phony deadline going over a "fiscal cliff" during the lame-duck session of Congress.

Former Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan will be involved in negotiations as he is still chairman of the House Budget Committee (and probably will be for the next two years). So we thought this is an appropriate time to bring you this parody from The Onion.

Enjoy. And remember, it's a joke.

Today's Teamsters News 10.03.12

Top 1% Got 93% of Income Growth as Rich-Poor Gap Widened  Bloomberg   ...The 1.2 million households whose incomes put them in the top 1 percent of the U.S. saw their earnings increase 5.5 percent last year, according to estimates released last month by the U.S. Census Bureau. Earnings fell 1.7 percent for the 96 million households in the bottom 80 percent -- those that made less than $101,583...
After Mortgage Settlement, Banks Continued Abusive Practice, California Monitor Says  Huffington Post   ...The five big banks that agreed in a $25 billion mortgage settlement to reform foreclosure practices have continued to "dual-track" homeowners, an abusive technique that pushes families out of homes they thought their bank was trying to help them save, according to a new report by a monitor overseeing the settlement in California...
GOP Consultant: Koch Brothers Bought Ryan’s Nomination With $100 Million Promise  The National Memo   ...David Koch played a key role in Ryan’s selection and that Koch’s wife Julia had been quietly lobbying for Ryan. The selection was cemented at the July 22nd fundraiser Koch held for Romney at the former’s sumptuous Hamptons estate. Koch pledged $100 million more to C-4 and Super PAC efforts for Romney [in exchange] for Ryan’s selection...
Groups Join Forces to Oppose Amendment 3  Tampa Bay Times   ...Florida religious leaders, labor unions and senior citizens marched to the state Capitol on Monday to protest a proposed constitutional amendment they say will lead to massive cuts to education and crucial social services...
Teamster UPS Driver Dies In Tragic Workplace Shooting  Teamsters Joint Council 32   ...On Thursday, September 27, 2012, UPS Driver Keith Basinski was tragically killed while making a pickup in Minneapolis, Minnesota…A Memorial Fund has been established for the Basinski family...
Teamsters OK Nichols labor deal, end dispute  American Metal Market   ...Nichols Aluminum LLC and the Teamsters union have agreed on a new five-year labor contract, putting an end to a nine-month dispute...

Today's Teamster News 10.01.12

A Glimpse of the Oligarchy’s View of the Future for US Workers  firedoglake   ...That’s the future: jobs at about $13-18 an hour are competitive with Chinese labor, considering other costs, so that’s what we get...
Thousands march in Paris against 'austerity'  France 24   ...Chanting "resistance", demonstrators took to the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest against austerity policies and Europe’s new budget treaty, in the first major demonstration since President François Hollande took power four months ago...
Paul Ryan To Fox News: ‘I Don’t Have The Time’ To Explain How We Will Pay For Our Tax Plan  ThinkProgress   ...For much of the general election, the Romney campaign has avoided any discussion of specifics, especially when it comes to the tax plan that he and Paul Ryan have put forward...
Riverside County GOP registration surge raises questions of fraud  Los Angeles Times   ...At least 133 residents of a state Senate district there have filed formal complaints with the state, saying they were added to GOP rolls without their knowledge...
Dan Carpenter: Testing teacher unions (opinion)  Indianapolis Star   ...There is a road map to take over public education. Corporate America sees a whole new opportunity to make a profit...
Citations Issued for Spontaneous Event at Wisconsin Capitol  Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative   ...The recent Wisconsin Capitol crackdown under the leadership of Chief David Erwin has resulted in another round of citations making their way to citizens’ homes via Certified mail...

Ryan campaigns against the defense cuts he voted for

FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather

Whoa! Mitt Romney must be in trouble when Fox News exposes Paul Ryan for being against defense cuts after he was for them.

Paul Ryan booed by seniors at AARP conference

Seniors roundly booed Paul Ryan today when he claimed his plan to kill Medicare (he didn't quite put it that way) was somehow better for them.

Reports TalkingPointsMemo:

Paul Ryan’s speech to AARP’s national conference in New Orleans did not go over too well with the audience. 

The Republican vice presidential nominee, who has led his party in proposing a privatization plan for Medicare, drew repeated jeers and catcalls as he made the case for Mitt Romney’s platform on entitlements. 

Easily the worst moments came as Ryan discussed repealing the Affordable Care Act, which increased prescription drug and preventive service benefits for seniors. 

“The first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal ‘Obamacare,’” Ryan said, prompting a chorus of boos. After the outcry, he said: “I had a feeling there would be mixed reaction, so let me get into it.” 

He drew a second wave of disapproval for saying the president’s law “turned Medicare into a piggy bank for ‘Obamacare.’” Ryan was referring to $716 billion in Medicare savings enacted by the ACA — savings he himself has included in two budgets — that largely came out of payments to insurance providers.

Wow. When you've lost the seniors, your campaign is in deep doo-doo.

Lyin' Ryan really wants this video to go away

Paul Ryan reveals his nutty anti-Christian beliefs, summed up as "The idolatry of self and selfishness."

Stephen Colbert nails LyinRyan

The Colbert Report
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Lyin' Ryan: Ran marathon in 4.01

We tried to ignore the Republican National Convention (politicians talking ... how interesting) but we couldn't ignore (a) poor Clint Eastwood's lousy speech, and (b) premium wine enthusiast Paul Ryan's lies.

Short version: He lied in his speech about five big things: the auto bailout, Medicare, the deficit, the stimulus and Romney.

And then he told the biggest whopper of all: He'd run a marathon in under three hours.

Guess what? He actually actually run a 4:01 in the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, in 1990.

Since running times in marathon's are publicly available, Ryan had to 'fess up to a 4 hour time.

We're doubting he'll admit to those other lies.

Today's Teamster News 08.31.12

Low-wage jobs replace middle-wage positions  Tampa Bay Business Journal   ...Jobs created in the years following the economic downturn pay less on average than jobs lost in the midst of the recession...
U.S. flower growers fight to survive amid flood of imports  McClatchy   ...With Colombian imports now accounting for three of every four cut flowers sold in the United States, domestic growers say they can’t compete with the planeloads of Colombian flowers that are flown in through Miami each day...
Federal courts rejects Texas voter ID law, but state vows to win Supreme Court appeal  Associated Press   ...A Texas law requiring voters to show picture ID at the polls was struck down by a three-judge federal panel, who said the state failed to prove the legislation wouldn’t harm low-income and minority voters...
Paul Ryan’s speech in 3 words  Foxnews.com   ...Ryan may have helped solve some of the likeability problems facing Romney, but ultimately by trying to deceive voters about basic facts and trying to distract voters from his own record, Ryan’s speech caused a much larger problem for himself and his running mate...
Teamsters reach deal with SuperMom's, end lock-out  Pioneer Press   ...The settlement between Teamsters Local 120 and Northern Tier Energy LP was reached late Wednesday afternoon, said Christine Carnicelli, Northern Tier Energy spokeswoman...
Republic Airways employees stage protest in Indianapolis  Indianapolis Star   ...Pilots, flight attendants and mechanics for Republic Airways protested this morning against what they call low wages and intimidation tactics by the airline's management...

Today's Teamster News 08.30.12

Bank of America hasn't modified any mortgages so far under settlement  Reuters   ...The agreement required Bank of America, which bought subprime lender Countrywide Financial in 2008, to provide the most consumer relief. But in a securities filing this month it said a significant number of modifications had not yet been completed "due to the time required to underwrite the modified loans." The bank so far has provided no relief through refinancings, according to the report...
California Defies Lower-Tax Texas In Creating More Jobs  Bloomberg   ...California, which sent a delegation to Austin last year to find out how the Lone Star State had beat it in employment growth, surged ahead of Texas to lead the nation in job creation for the last two consecutive months...
Romney Party Yacht Flies Cayman Islands Flag  ABC News   ...Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands...
Paul Ryan’s brazen lies  Salon   ...His Republican National Convention speech was stunning for its dishonesty...
Florida Victory: Federal Court Removes New Restrictions on Voter Registration Groups  Brennan Center for Justice   ...Civic groups and Florida voters scored a decisive victory today when a federal judge indicated he will permanently remove controversial restrictions on community-based voter registration drives...
The Party of Lincoln and the Right to Vote  The Atlantic   ...While Republicans convene in Tampa this week to figure out how to win more votes, a three-judge panel of jurists convenes in the nation's capital to evaluate the legality of a new state law that's designed to ensure that fewer registered voters are permitted to cast a ballot...
Teamsters Local 79, Pasco still at odds  Tampa Bay Online   ...Pasco County has rejected a special magistrate's ruling that union employees should get a 3 percent pay raise...

Today's Teamster News 08.26.12

CBO: Ending High-Income Tax Cuts Would Save Almost $1 Trillion  Off the Charts   ...The Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) new report shows that allowing President Bush’s 2001 and 2003 income tax cuts on income over $250,000 to expire on schedule at the end of 2012 would save $823 billion in revenue and $127 billion on interest on the nation’s debt, compared to permanently extending all of the Bush tax cuts...
How Voter Suppression Endangers our Democratic Process  policymic   ...Despite virtually no evidence of voter fraud, states all across America continue to enact voter “reform” legislation. Since 2011, 17 states have passed voter reform measures. Not surprisingly, 15 of these states are either solid red/Republican or toss-ups...
Cal State thaws admission freeze for nonresidents  Los Angeles Times   ...Some campus leaders criticize plans to admit higher-paying out-of-state and international students while barring California residents...
So, Mitt, what do you really believe?  The Economist   ...Too much about the Republican candidate for the presidency is far too mysterious...
Ryan's Medicare Cuts Would Hurt Wisconsin and America's Seniors  Huffington Post   ...As Ryan attempts to dismantle Medicare as we know it, he is trying to distract attention from his plan by falsely claiming that Obama is the one who is cutting Medicare...
Pendleton, Teamsters at odds on pact  Buffalo News   ...The Town Board rejected recommendations made by the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, insisting that extreme changes must be made to the old agreement to remain on budget...

Today's Teamster News 08.23.12

Sorry for the late posting folks ... we're on the West Coast today.

The Lost Decade of the Middle Class  Pew Research Center   ...for the first time since the end of World War II, mean family incomes declined for Americans in all income tiers. But the middle-income tier—defined in this Pew Research analysis as all adults whose annual household income is two-thirds to double the national median —is the only one that also shrunk in size, a trend that has continued over the past four decades...
Paul Ryan's 'Path to Prosperity' Is Really a Bad Trip on the Road to Economic Ruin  Alternet   ...Your guide to Ryan’s irresponsible budget fantasies and the lessons of economic history he missed...
China brazenly devalues its currency again  manufacture this   ...The yuan’s recent decline, the first in seven years, is raising eyebrows among U.S. politicians and sparking concerns that the weakening currency could trigger another round of nasty bickering between Beijing and Washington...
Colombian Hunger Strikers Sew Mouths Shut To Protest Firing By General Motors  International Business Times   ...Outside of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, 13 former General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) employees are staging a hunger strike protest charging worker mistreatment by the company, and seven of those men have sewn their mouths shut...
Democratic senators highlight bill to stop outsourcing of call center jobs  The Hill   ...The United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act would make businesses that move call center jobs overseas ineligible for federal grants or loans in order to protect call center jobs in their home states...
Teamsters President Hoffa: "We Have To Fight" To Stop Right-To-Work  Real Clear Politics   ...James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, tells Jennifer Granholm that the first thing Romney would do is push for a national "right-to-work" law to restrict the rights of unions...

Today's Teamster News 08.22.12

Paul Ryan Defended Stimulus -- When George W. Bush Wanted It In 2002 (VIDEO)  Huffington Post   ...Biden's analysis -- that the government needs to juice the economy to promote growth, or else revenue will fall long term -- is one that Ryan himself articulated cogently back when the GOP was urging stimulus...
Court Voids Rule on Coal Pollution  Wall Street Journal   ...A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected the Environmental Protection Agency's latest effort to limit soot- and smog-forming air pollution that blows across state lines, providing a short-term lifeline for aging coal-fired power plants and removing a significant accomplishment from the Obama administration's environmental résumé...
State Workers' Vacation, Sick Time Eyed for Cuts  The Ledger   ...(Florida's) rank-and-file state workers who haven't received a pay raise in the past half-dozen years may now see some perks reduced to help pare what some lawmakers say is a worrisome liability...
Paterson to join protest against Goodwill’s low pay for the blind  Albany Times-Union   ...David Paterson is joining in the protest against Goodwill Industries in the wake of revelations that they paid some workers as little as 22 cents an hour...
Teamsters says it cannot endorse Hostess ‘final offer’ – but puts it to union vote  Food Navigator   ...The Teamsters union has said it cannot endorse a “final offer” put forward by Hostess Brands, which includes an 8% pay cut in the first year of a five-year contract, but it will let members vote on the offer, considering that their jobs may be at stake if they do not come to an agreement...
NY Teamsters Endorse For Senate, Assembly  Daily News   ...President George Miranda (said)  “These endorsements are more than pronouncements for the press; rather, Teamsters will be in the streets in districts across the State putting shoe leather and hard work behind these endorsements...

Today's Teamster News 08.20.12

State Unemployment Paints a Bleak Picture for July 2012  Economic Populist   ... North Dakota is the place to get a job, clearly, their unemployment rate is an astounding 3.0%...
Paul Ryan Supported Economic Stimulus Under Bush: ‘You Have To Spend A Little To Grow A Little’  Think Progress   ...George W. Bush proposed a similar — if less ambitious — stimulus plan to the one President Obama signed in 2009…Ryan took to the House floor to defend this plan, accurately noting that additional government spending would help move the economy out of a recession...
Ed Gillespie: Romney would rapidly remove 65 and 66 year olds from Medicare  Brad DeLong   ...Booting 65 and 66 year olds off of Medicare within the next five years of so seems like bad policy--65 and 66 year olds, especially post-retirement, do not fare well in a health insurance market without the Affordable Care Act's guaranteed issue, and Romney promises to repeal that...
Marcy Wheeler: The Grey Lady Falls Off the Balance Beam  emptywheel   ...Snyder’s preference not to face the dilemma of vetoing or approving a right to work law probably has as much to do with the political calculation that it would be very difficult to win another statewide election in MI if he antagonized labor...
Ohio Republicans finally admit limited hours intended to suppress black voters  Plunderbund   ...“I guess I really actually feel we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine,” said Doug Preisse, chairman of the county Republican Party and elections board member who voted against weekend hours...
Revel's rocky launch  Philadelphia Inquirer   ...Revel has failed thus far to grow the gambling market here (in Atlantic City), and despite massive state subsidies it is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy...

The Romney-Ryan war on workers (video)

They want YOU to pay for Mitt's tax cut.

Morello: Paul Ryan is the target of our Rage

The Teamsters' good friend Tom Morello is furious that premium-wine enthusiast Paul Ryan claims Rage Against the Machine is one of his favorite bands. Morello, Rage's guitarist, wrote an op-ed that appeared in Rolling Stone today saying Ryan is everything they rage about.

...he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades. Charles Manson loved the Beatles** but didn't understand them. Governor Chris Christie loves Bruce Springsteen** but doesn't understand him. And Paul Ryan is clueless about his favorite band, Rage Against the Machine. 

Ryan claims that he likes Rage's sound, but not the lyrics. Well, I don't care for Paul Ryan's sound or his lyrics. He can like whatever bands he wants, but his guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one percent is antithetical to the message of Rage. 

I wonder what Ryan's favorite Rage song is? Is it the one where we condemn the genocide of Native Americans? The one lambasting American imperialism? Our cover of "Fuck the Police"? Or is it the one where we call on the people to seize the means of production? So many excellent choices to jam out to at Young Republican meetings! 

Don't mistake me, I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta "rage" in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment. Basically the only thing he's not raging against is the privileged elite he's groveling in front of for campaign contributions.

Read the whole thing here.