Cincinnati, Ohio (CNN) – Gearing up for deer-hunting season, Rep. Paul Ryan bought hunting clothes for his daughter to go with the rifle the Republican vice presidential nominee gave her for Christmas.
"She's hunted with me but this is the first time she gets to do the hunting herself," Ryan said of daughter Liza. "She's 10 years old and you can hunt starting at 10. I got her a rifle for Christmas last year and so I'm getting her ready."
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On Tuesday in Ohio, between a town hall in Cincinnati and a rally with GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney in Vandalia, Ryan stopped at Bass Pro Shops in the Forrest Park neighborhood to get his daughter outfitted for hunting season.
The outdoorsman went directly to the "Women's Camo" area to check out their assortment of camouflage items. He purchased his daughter gloves, a beanie and a bib and paid for the $101.14 bill in cash. With a couple items in hand, he explained to reporters the hat and gloves include carbon which helps block a human's scent.
The Wisconsin-native, tapped to be Romney's running mate in August, often mentions his love of hunting on the campaign trail. Ryan tries to cast their Democratic opponent, President Barack Obama, as out of touch because of a comment he made in the 2008 campaign in which he said, "People like to cling to their guns and their religion."
"Hey, I'm a Catholic deer-hunter. I am happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion," Ryan first said in Carnegie, Pennsylvania on Aug. 21.
Liza, the oldest of Ryan's three children, received her first rifle for Christmas last year. "I got her a Remington 700 243 junior model – 243 is a caliber – it's a good gun," Ryan, an avid bowhunter, explained to reporters at the store.
According to an ">interview with Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, Ryan "shoots a Mathews Z7 Xtreme compound and loves the thrill of bowhunting, but also enjoys firearms."
"My daughter she's been hunting with me for years, watching me, but she's old enough this year to hunt on her own," he said. "She's really looking forward to it."
Ryan said he hopes to go hunting this fall in his home state and in Oklahoma, where his wife Janna grew up.
The vice presidential hopeful may not have as much time to hunt as he has in previous years, juggling his role as congressman and now vice presidential nominee, but soon he'll be able to mix a little work and pleasure. Ryan is expected to do an event with sportsmen in Columbus, Ohio this weekend.
From CNN Politics
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Killing sentient, living things as sport? Grow up, please.
Yeeeehaw! Let's go Bambi killing, eh? And let's teach some children to do it too!
Stuff like this make me glad I am from the Northeast. Can't imagine my daughter at the age of 10 with a rifle in her hand. Children ought to mature a bit before teaching them to shoot animals. It's not as if the Ryans were starving and needing the animal for dinner! Disgusting.
In this day and age of domesticated animals and cheap meat from Walmart...hunting is plain and simple blood lust.
This hunting meme is one of those things certain elements of the Republican party wraps themselves in to relate. Bow hunting is a cruel sport. How long do you think it takes for an animal to die with an arrow in their hide? Worst yet, what are the chances they miss the "kill shot" and, instead the animal runs off to die in the woods from bleeding out? And to have a child watch this from a very early age? Will we ever evolve to a point where Hunting isn't an automatic go-to for the Republicans? Will we ever shrug off the NRA and pass common sense legislation? Will the hunting, bible thumping Tea Party finally recede back under the rock they came from? Only time will tell.
He's a Little Dick Cheney.
He should get her an army rifle for the next war he wants to start. This family really does not have many veterans so maybe she could be the first.
So this is the way we show how well we fit in with the common folk, yep every 10 year old I know shoots guns, bows and arrows and throws knives.....NOT.
If he gave her the rifle last Christmas, chances are she was just 9 years old. Two years before that, she was just learning to read. What's wrong with this picture? She'll be able to kill deer before she's able to understand her dad's beloved Ayn Rand books.
OTHER AGAIN :..., VP Dick Cheney was involved in a hunting accident, In 2006...Dick Cheney Shooting Harry Whittington During Quail Hunt...
How barbaric. Definitely a role model for this country!!
I wander if she wanted this or is daddy ?
Is this all daddy's idea kinda creepy .
Again from what comments I se you shouldn't have a gun. I was taught gun safety starting at age six and so did my children if more people taught their kids about gun safety you wouldn't have people shooting their self.\
Ryan and Mitt 2012 we can't afford four more years of the out of control spending and failed polices of Obama and his merry men.
Isnt it a little ironic to be a religious hunter for sport? Doesn't the bible teaches that god created everything and your supposed to respect it. Killing innocent animals for sport doesn't seem to be what god would want want. i mean one thing is to kill for food another is to kill as part of a vacation. Just my thought. Plus i've never understood what's exciting about hiding in a tree and using a high powered rifle to kill an animal. Its actually cowardly.
How transparent can he get, unbelievable! What kind of a rifle did he but his 10 year old daughter, a 22 cal or a 50 cal? What a complete idiot. He probably got her a 22 in which case she won't be getting any deers, maybe Mitts dog, even that would be too be to bring down. I noticed the comment by Lynda/Minnesota and she is absolutely correct, I doubt that Ryan gets too many deers because indeed he can't be still. He would scare all the wildlife away.
And he calls himself 'pro-Life!' bwahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!! just another hypocrite. how sad he passes the sickness of liking to kill for fun to his children.
Looking forward to being a stay at home dad. I like that.
This story makes me ill. If I was feeling disconnected from Paul Ryan about his budget and Medicare stands, I feel sick to my stomach hearing about his choice of birthday presents for his "ten year old" daughter. If he were someone I was personally acquanited with, I'd punch him in the nose.
As he teaches her the joy of killing.
...and the point is? It makes no sense whatsoever.
I find this thoroughly disgusting.
Sad. Very discouraging – a 10 year old!
I have no doubt this will be a tight race. Big Lib Media is doing all in their considerable power to prop up this regime. Hope you and they fail, Liberals. GOD BLESS AND SAVE THE USA. If you like to see ol' Glory flyin', you'll vote for Romney an' Ryan!!!
Yeah, like I would like to go hunting with 10 year olds with guns walking around the forest.