Since we have one on Kerry and his 'flip-flopping' here is one of our wonderful commander in chief and his flip flopping.

 

 

Anyone want to sling more mud?

 

 

 

 

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.as...JRJ8OVF&b=42263

 

 

President Bush: Flip-Flopper-In-Chief

 

July 7, 2004

 

From the beginning, George W. Bush has made his own credibility a central issue. On 10/11/00, then-Gov. Bush said: "I think credibility is important.It is going to be important for the president to be credible with Congress, important for the president to be credible with foreign nations." But President Bush's serial flip-flopping raises serious questions about whether Congress and foreign leaders can rely on what he says.

 

1. Social Security Surplus

 

BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS... "We're going to keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding the Social Security surplus." [President Bush, 3/3/01]

 

...BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS The New York Times reported that "the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay for other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than $1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." [The New York Times, 2/6/02]

 

2. Patient's Right to Sue

 

GOVERNOR BUSH VETOES PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE... "Despite his campaign rhetoric in favor of a patients' bill of rights, Bush fought such a bill tooth and nail as Texas governor, vetoing a bill coauthored by Republican state Rep. John Smithee in 1995. He... constantly opposed a patient's right to sue an HMO over coverage denied that resulted in adverse health effects." [salon, 2/7/01]

 

...CANDIDATE BUSH PRAISES TEXAS PATIENTS'

 

 

RIGHT TO SUE... "We're one of the first states that said you can sue an HMO for denying you proper coverage... It's time for our nation to come together and do what's right for the people. And I think this is right for the people. You know, I support a national patients' bill of rights, Mr. Vice President. And I want all people covered. I don't want the law to supersede good law like we've got in Texas." [Governor Bush, 10/17/00]

 

...PRESIDENT BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION ARGUES AGAINST RIGHT TO SUE "To let two Texas consumers, Juan Davila and Ruby R. Calad, sue their managed-care companies for wrongful denials of medical benefits would be to completely undermine' federal law regulating employee benefits, Assistant Solicitor General James A. Feldman said at oral argument March 23. Moreover, the administration's brief attacked the policy rationale for Texas's law, which is similar to statutes on the books in nine other states." [Washington Post, 4/5/04]

 

3. Tobacco Buyout

 

BUSH SUPPORTS CURRENT TOBACCO FARMERS' QUOTA SYSTEM... "They've got the quota system in place -- the allotment system -- and I don't think that needs to be changed." [President Bush, 5/04]

 

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION WILL SUPPORT FEDERAL BUYOUT OF TOBACCO QUOTAS "The administration is open to a buyout." [White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo, 6/18/04]

 

4. North Korea

 

BUSH WILL NOT OFFER NUCLEAR NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM... "We developed a bold approach under which, if the North addressed our long-standing concerns, the United States was prepared to take important steps that would have significantly improved the lives of the North Korean people. Now that North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program has come to light, we are unable to pursue this approach." [President's Statement, 11/15/02]

 

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFERS NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM"Well, we will work to take steps to ease their political and economic isolation. So there would be -- what you would see would be some provisional or temporary proposals that would only lead to lasting benefit after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs. So there would be some provisional or temporary efforts of that nature." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 6/23/04]

 

5. Abortion

 

BUSH SUPPORTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE... "Bush said he...favors leaving up to a woman and her doctor the abortion question." [The Nation, 6/15/00, quoting the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 5/78]

 

...BUSH OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE "I am pro-life." [Governor Bush, 10/3/00]

 

6. OPEC

 

BUSH PROMISES TO FORCE OPEC TO LOWER PRICES... "What I think the president ought to do [when gas prices spike] is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots...And the president of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price." [President Bush, 1/26/00]

 

...BUSH REFUSES TO LOBBY OPEC LEADERS With gas prices soaring in the United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds." [Miami Herald, 4/1/04]

 

7. Iraq Funding

 

BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004... "We do not anticipate requesting supplemental funding for '04" [White House Budget Director Joshua Bolton, 2/2/04]

 

...BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004 "I am requesting that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops." [President Bush, Statement by President, 5/5/04]

 

8. Condoleeza Rice Testimony

 

BUSH SPOKESMAN SAYS RICE WON'T TESTIFY AS 'A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE'... "Again, this is not her personal preference; this goes back to a matter of principle. There is a separation of powers issue involved here. Historically, White House staffers do not testify before legislative bodies. So it's a matter of principle, not a matter of preference." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 3/9/04]

 

...BUSH ORDERS RICE TO TESTIFY: "Today I have informed the Commission on Terrorist Attacks Against the United States that my National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, will provide public testimony." [President Bush, 3/30/04]

 

9. Science

 

BUSH PLEDGES TO ISSUE REGULATIONS BASED ON SCIENCE..."I think we ought to have high standards set by agencies that rely upon science, not by what may feel good or what sounds good." [then-Governor George W. Bush, 1/15/00]

 

...BUSH ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS IGNORE SCIENCE "60 leading scientistsincluding Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors and university chairs and presidentsissued a statement calling for regulatory and legislative action to restore scientific integrity to federal policymaking. According to the scientists, the Bush administration has, among other abuses, suppressed and distorted scientific analysis from federal agencies, and taken actions that have undermined the quality of scientific advisory panels." [union of Concerned Scientists, 2/18/04]

 

10. Ahmed Chalabi

 

BUSH INVITES CHALABI TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS...President Bush also met with Chalabi during his brief trip to Iraq last Thanksgiving [White House Documents 1/20/04, 11/27/03]

 

...BUSH MILITARY ASSISTS IN RAID OF CHALABI'S HOUSE "U.S. soldiers raided the home of America's one-time ally Ahmad Chalabi on Thursday and seized documents and computers." [Washington Post, 5/20/04]

 

11. Department of Homeland Security

 

BUSH OPPOSES THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY..."So, creating a Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." [White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY "So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people." [President Bush, Address to the Nation, 6/6/02]

 

12. Weapons of Mass Destruction

 

BUSH SAYS WE FOUND THE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION..."We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories...for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." [President Bush, Interview in Poland, 5/29/03]

 

...BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION "David Kay has found the capacity to produce weapons.And when David Kay goes in and says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out." [President Bush, Meet the Press, 2/7/04]

 

13. Free Trade

 

BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE... "I believe strongly that if we promote trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of this issue." [President Bush in Peru, 3/23/02]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE "In a decision largely driven by his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states crucial for his reelection." [Washington Post, 9/19/03]

 

14. Osama Bin Laden

 

BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE... "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01]

 

...BUSH DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OSAMA "I don't know where he is.You know, I just don't spend that much time on him... I truly am not that concerned about him."[President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]

 

15. The Environment

 

BUSH SUPPORTS MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE... "[if elected], Governor Bush will work to...establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide." [bush Environmental Plan, 9/29/00]

 

...BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE "I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act." [President Bush, Letter to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 3/13/03]

 

16. WMD Commission

 

BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE... "The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central Intelligence Agency." [NY Times, 1/29/04]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE "Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission, chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." [President Bush, 2/6/04]

 

17. Creation of the 9/11 Commission

 

BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News, 5/23/02]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News, 09/20/02]

 

18. Time Extension for 9/11 Commission

 

BUSH OPPOSES TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION... "President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post, 1/19/04]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION "The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN, 2/4/04]

 

19. One Hour Limit for 9/11 Commission Testimony

 

BUSH LIMITS TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF 9/11 COMMISSION TO ONE HOUR... "President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have placed strict limits on the private interviews they will grant to the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that they will meet only with the panel's top two officials and that Mr. Bush will submit to only a single hour of questioning, commission members said Wednesday." [NY Times, 2/26/04]

 

...BUSH SETS NO TIMELIMIT FOR TESTIMONY "The president's going to answer all of the questions they want to raise. Nobody's watching the clock." [White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 3/10/04]

 

20. Gay Marriage

 

BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE... "The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Admin King Live, 2/15/00]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE "Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]

 

21. Nation Building

 

BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING... "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road." [Gov. George W. Bush, 10/3/00]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING "We will be changing the regime of Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." [President Bush, 3/6/03]

 

22. Saddam/al Qaeda Link

 

BUSH SAYS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM... "You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02]

 

...BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT "We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03]

 

23. U.N. Resolution

 

BUSH VOWS TO HAVE A UN VOTE NO MATTER WHAT... "No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." [President Bush 3/6/03]

 

...BUSH WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR VOTE "At a National Security Council meeting convened at the White House at 8:55 a.m., Bush finalized the decision to withdraw the resolution from consideration and prepared to deliver an address to the nation that had already been written." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]

 

24. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict

 

BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS... "Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the area." [President Bush, 04/05/02]

 

...BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS "If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East." [President Bush, 5/23/03]

 

25. Campaign Finance

 

BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD... "George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post, 3/28/2000]

 

...BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW "[T]his bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law." [President Bush, at the McCain-Feingold signing ceremony, 03/27/02]

oh hell yah he's flip-flopped

Yes, he sure has changed his principles.

 

As have I.

 

The first quote listed on gay marriage was in 2000, when it was not such a threatening issue to those of us who (God forbid) believe in family.

 

The second quote is this year, and I think that traditionalists in this country have come to realize that action must be taken to protect the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What you see here is Republicans not crawfishing around when the facts are presented.

 

Can't say the same for the other side.

Yep dodgemarlin, Im with ya. Im sick of them liberals crawfishin around. God and Jesus is with the Republicans today because they are close to exactly how you, cfdodgemarlin wants to see this world. Its all simple. Everyone loves jesus. Everyone loves Nascar. The brown people are bad. Im with you buddy. Lets start the march.

 

IM SICK ON THE THREAT OF FAMILY! I know why people get so many divorces! Its the gays! Its always been the gays. Yeah they havent been making much noise until recently and most people didnt come out until the 90s, but the word itself and the idea...GAY...its why the divorce rate has been increasing since the 50s! Its the GAYS!. Just say the word with me...GAY..children are cringing with the word...GAY!.

 

Im with you buddy. Lets take down the threats to family. You with me on these? We should link up and attack these attacks on family.

 

-Hooters

-The Bachelor

-Strip Clubs

-Ronald Reagen's legacy since he got a divorce

-Jeff Gordon and any other Nascar driver who has ever has scandolous women within their sights. (nobody likes Jeff anyway right?)

 

 

Then lets take them there liberals, round em up, and have a barn fire and lynch em! We can let our kids see and thatll teach em the good ol values of tolerance.

Yep dodgemarlin, Im with ya. Im sick of them liberals crawfishin around. God and Jesus is with the Republicans today because they are close to exactly how you, cfdodgemarlin wants to see this world. Its all simple. Everyone loves jesus. Everyone loves Nascar. The brown people are bad. Im with you buddy. Lets start the march.

 

IM SICK ON THE THREAT OF FAMILY! I know why people get so many divorces! Its the gays! Its always been the gays. Yeah they havent been making much noise until recently and most people didnt come out until the 90s, but the word itself and the idea...GAY...its why the divorce rate has been increasing since the 50s! Its the GAYS!. Just say the word with me...GAY..children are cringing with the word...GAY!.

 

Im with you buddy. Lets take down the threats to family. You with me on these? We should link up and attack these attacks on family.

 

-Hooters

-The Bachelor

-Strip Clubs

-Ronald Reagen's legacy since he got a divorce

-Jeff Gordon and any other Nascar driver who has ever has scandolous women within their sights. (nobody likes Jeff anyway right?)

 

 

Then lets take them there liberals, round em up, and have a barn fire and lynch em! We can let our kids see and thatll teach em the good ol values of tolerance.

489109[/snapback]

 

That's hilarious. Seriously, I almost fell out of my chair.

 

A lot of fair points there. Especially about the divorce rate.

 

Peace. :cool

I am really tired of this stupid mud slinging. I am going with Kerry and Edwards and stick to the issues. I'll let Bush wallow in his own mud and prove to the people what a nasty, ugly and mean campaign he can pull, because he has no good ideas to put out there.

 

Peace

or Michael Moore?

and you guys will disavow the NRA?

Yeah, you see, what the NRA stands for is in the Constitution.

f_m, I'm ashamed of you. You are one of the bright posters on here, and I respect your opinion more than most (as I've known you on marlins message boards for a long time), but you are now pointing fingers at others? Lcyberlina is the one complaining about all the mudslinging of the Bush campaign.

 

I'd love to see a system where mudslinging was not needed....but there are also MANY other things I'd like to see changed in our political system...

Yep dodgemarlin, Im with ya. Im sick of them liberals crawfishin around. God and Jesus is with the Republicans today because they are close to exactly how you, cfdodgemarlin wants to see this world. Its all simple. Everyone loves jesus. Everyone loves Nascar. The brown people are bad. Im with you buddy. Lets start the march.

 

IM SICK ON THE THREAT OF FAMILY! I know why people get so many divorces! Its the gays! Its always been the gays. Yeah they havent been making much noise until recently and most people didnt come out until the 90s, but the word itself and the idea...GAY...its why the divorce rate has been increasing since the 50s! Its the GAYS!. Just say the word with me...GAY..children are cringing with the word...GAY!.

 

Im with you buddy. Lets take down the threats to family. You with me on these? We should link up and attack these attacks on family.

 

-Hooters

-The Bachelor

-Strip Clubs

-Ronald Reagen's legacy since he got a divorce

-Jeff Gordon and any other Nascar driver who has ever has scandolous women within their sights. (nobody likes Jeff anyway right?)

 

 

Then lets take them there liberals, round em up, and have a barn fire and lynch em! We can let our kids see and thatll teach em the good ol values of tolerance.

489109[/snapback]

 

That's hilarious. Seriously, I almost fell out of my chair.

 

A lot of fair points there. Especially about the divorce rate.

 

Peace. :cool

489113[/snapback]

You know whats even more hilarious is that mollusk is a liberal himself.

Naw really? :blink:

I am really tired of this stupid mud slinging. I am going with Kerry and Edwards and stick to the issues. I'll let Bush wallow in his own mud and prove to the people what a nasty, ugly and mean campaign he can pull, because he has no good ideas to put out there.

 

Peace

489192[/snapback]

 

Are you ready to disavow MoveOn and their tactics? ...didn't think so.

489209[/snapback]

 

Because the campaign has power over what 527s put out right? Have you even watched a commercial by Moveon.org anyway? I see Bush calling Kerry names and accusing him of ridiculous things every 5 minutes on commercials.

What kind of ridiculous things?

What kind of ridiculous things?

489309[/snapback]

 

Don't play naive. You know what kinds of things the Republicans have been saying of Kerry that are absolutely unfair and not true.

f_m, I'm ashamed of you. You are one of the bright posters on here, and I respect your opinion more than most (as I've known you on marlins message boards for a long time), but you are now pointing fingers at others? Lcyberlina is the one complaining about all the mudslinging of the Bush campaign.

 

I'd love to see a system where mudslinging was not needed....but there are also MANY other things I'd like to see changed in our political system...

489245[/snapback]

 

 

Well I dont think its fair to critisize political mudslinging of one party and not the other. The NRA is just as active is "convenient" advertising and negative ad campaigns. If you guys wanna be objective about this, then critisize everyone. Thats my view.

 

 

and cfdodgemarlin, dont tell me youve never heard of "white hands" or "willie horton", the two most infamous ads, both conservative ones. Its works both ways.

and you guys will disavow the NRA?

489231[/snapback]

 

I haven't seen any NRA ads on TV so far.

 

NRA is a unaligned special interest group. If Kerry supported their goals better than Dubbya, then Kerry would get their support. Its not unknown for the NRA to support Dems in elections if the Republican isn't as supportive of their goals as the Dem.

 

MoveOn OTOH is not a special interest group - it has a single political goal.

489445[/snapback]

oh the NRA is about to start, you should know that. Plus why arent you getting on Bush as much as you get on moveon? He had the huge war chest. His campaign admitted that they wanted to characterize Kerry before Kerry could do it.

 

 

The thing I love is conservatives activley do this stuff, the cry foul when the other side fights back. If youve got a partisan view on things, thats one thing, but a weak attempt at objectivity is self obvious.

both sides do it. stop making excuses for one and then attacking the other.

both sides do it. stop making excuses for one and then attacking the other.

489462[/snapback]

I agree with that.

and you guys will disavow the NRA?

489231[/snapback]

 

I haven't seen any NRA ads on TV so far.

 

NRA is a unaligned special interest group. If Kerry supported their goals better than Dubbya, then Kerry would get their support. Its not unknown for the NRA to support Dems in elections if the Republican isn't as supportive of their goals as the Dem.

 

MoveOn OTOH is not a special interest group - it has a single political goal.

489445[/snapback]

oh the NRA is about to start, you should know that. Plus why arent you getting on Bush as much as you get on moveon? He had the huge war chest. His campaign admitted that they wanted to characterize Kerry before Kerry could do it.

 

 

The thing I love is conservatives activley do this stuff, the cry foul when the other side fights back. If youve got a partisan view on things, thats one thing, but a weak attempt at objectivity is self obvious.

489460[/snapback]

 

Well come back and complain when the NRA acrually does something OK. Its hard to discuss non-existant ads.

 

Kerry is a juicy target at the moment.

 

Every conceivable weapon has already been fired at Dubbya (I'll bet this is what really irks you too - the Dems have fired all weapons and still haven't been able to score a headshot)

489509[/snapback]

 

 

Right, its ok when someone is a juicy target. Nice and objective analysis from the libertarian.

 

and tonyi, I can spin the same just as well as you have. How much has Bush been spending to characterize Kerry as a tax and spend weak liberal and how successful has he been?

 

The dems have been spening money to counter Bush and hence the reason its been a deadlock. You really cant belive that in this political climate, a head shot is even possible do you?

both sides do it. stop making excuses for one and then attacking the other.

489462[/snapback]

I agree with that.

489513[/snapback]

 

Me too.

witness the Ryan collapse in IL.

 

 

Youre misinformed. Obama had nothing to do with that. It was all the Chicago Tribune. They did it to a democratic primary canidate too. Ryan actually has praised Obama and vice versa.

 

The Republicans took Ryan down. He told them there was nothing there and when there was, he pretty much was told to step down. The only people responsible for that debacle are Ryan, the party leadership, and the Tribune. Who knows what the political fallout would have been. Ryan wasnt given a chance.