Ryan hits ‘tragic’ Democratic platform changes
(CNN) – Changes between the 2008 version of the Democratic Party platform and the document offered this week are both “peculiar” and “tragic,” Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican vice presidential nominee, said on Wednesday.
The Democrats' official platform, released late Monday, omits a clause from the party's 2008 document proclaiming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a subject of intense diplomatic scrutiny that Obama's Republican challenger Mitt Romney has put at the center of his position on the Jewish state.
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Ryan called that omission “tragic” Wednesday, saying it was one of the few areas of agreement four years ago between Democrats and Republicans.
“Our two party platforms were emphatic about Jerusalem being the capital,” Ryan said on Fox News.
“We had bipartisan agreement in our two party platforms on this very important issue for our strong ally Israel,” the Wisconsin lawmaker continued. “Now that the Obama administration has removed it from the Democratic Party platform, it undermines our nation's support for our ally, Israel.”
A spokesman for the DNC said Tuesday the official party platform was fully in line with governing policies used by presidents for the past four decades, and reflected President Barack Obama’s own stance on the capital of Israel.
"As the White House said several months ago, the status of Jerusalem is an issue that should be resolved in final status negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians – which we also said in the 2008 platform,” the spokesman said. “We will continue to work with the parties to resolve this issue as part of a two state solution that secures the future of Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland of the Jewish people."
American policy has long been intentionally vague on the status of Jerusalem. A U.S. law passed in 1995 designates Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and stipulates the American embassy should move to the city from Tel Aviv. The past three presidents, however, have signed waivers suspending the law, citing security and diplomatic concerns.
Democrats also omitted the word “God” from all parts of their platform, a decision Ryan called “peculiar” on Wednesday.
“It's not in keeping with our founding documents, our founding vision,” Ryan said. “But I guess you have to ask the Obama administration why they purged all this language from their platform. There sure is a lot of mention of government. I guess I would put the onus of the burden on them to answer why they did all the purges of God.”
In 2008, Democrats wrote, "We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values, and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential."
The paragraph extolling the value of hard work in 2012 reads, "We gather to reclaim the basic bargain that built the largest middle class and the most prosperous nation on Earth-the simple principle that in America, hard work should pay off, responsibility should be rewarded, and each one of us should be able to go as far as our talent and drive take us."
Democrats did include a section in their 2012 platform specifically devoted to faith, writing faith "has always been a central part of the American story, and it has been a driving force of progress and justice throughout our history."
"There is no conflict between supporting faith-based institutions and respecting our Constitution, and a full commitment to both principles is essential for the continued flourishing of both faith and country," the document reads.
"Democrats also omitted the word “God” from all parts of their platform"
Ryan tell that to the founders when you look thru the Constitution.
as Jefferson would want:
Christianity neither is, nor ever was, a part of the common law.
- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Dr. Thomas Cooper, February 10, 1814,
Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times
for these exercises, & the objects proper for them, according to their own
particular tenets; and this right can never be safer than in their own hands,
where the constitution has deposited it. I am aware that the practice of my
predecessors may be quoted.... Be this as it may, every one must act according
to the dictates of his own reason, & mine tells me that civil powers alone have
been given to the President of the US and no authority to direct the religious
exercises of his constituents.
- Thomas Jefferson, to Samuel Miller, January 23, 1808
Well, you moron (and the Mormon), Tel Aviv is technically the capital of Israel. Just a little geography lesson for you. Jerusalem is the religious capital...of many different religions. Only a nation can change her capital...not a right-wing-nut like Ryan...just sayin.
At Catherine Maybe it's me, but why would ANY American political party have any business 'proclaiming' any foreign city a capital of a foreign country. That is a discussion best left to that country. I understand it is a contentious issue in Israel, but we have contentious issues here as well and I would be thinking what business is it of theirs if their politicians started proclaiming what our laws would be.
Dear lady, about 275 million intelligent and caring US citizens totally agree with you, besides, the Israelis just like most of us are smart and they would give a CRAP about the comments of the ryand's pathological LIES.
Dear Lord,
We are honoring you by completely eliminating all references to you from our platform.
-------------------------------------------------
You must've missed the various references to God and country last nigh (the third graders reciting the Pledge of Allegiance).
Maybe you did not understand Julian Castros' parting: "Dios te bendiga"?
I wonder which founding documents Ryan is reading, The Declaration of Independence credits a "Creator" and "Nature's God(Gaia?)" for our individual rights and standing among people. But other than that political document asserting our right to form our own government, none of the founding documents of the government features anything presumably divine.
The Constitution specifically forbids any religious test for office and goes on to guarantee our freedom of worship/non-worship, belief/non-belief.
Our first treaty (Treaty of Tripoli) with a foreign nation explicitly disavows Christianity.
What country is he reading about?
This man has LIED about everything thus far on the campaign trail. Then has the nerve to call somebody else tragic because the American people aren't buying his message...
The word God is not in the Declaration of Independence or Constitution either, is that peculiar?
And frankly, as an American, I could care less where another country puts their capital.
@Jon
"Only Socialist forms of government omit God"
Plus the founders of your country's constitution.
No one cares what Lyin Ryan has to say. He has no weight at all..........
myviewis wrote:
I just went to FactCheck and it says that Mayor Castro said there have been 4.5 million jobs under Obama but in fact we only regained 4 million jobs of the 4.3 million jobs that were lost since Obama took office.
--------------------------–
Your credibility is not worth much when you cherry pick your facts.
The Great Recession didn't "officially" end until June 2009, and we had lost well over 3 million jobs during the first 6 months of 2009. The month to month jobs gains/loss had gone from a negative 750,000 per month to a positive 200,000 month, which is a nearly 1 million per month change, until Republicans started laying off public employees at 40,000 per month starting in early 2011.
Pure desperation by lying Ryan. I hope the people in his town throw him out and get some wisconsin ethics again.
myviewis.......sorry to tell you, your view is completely false and you are following ryand's LIES, where did you get the false info you just posted? from the CONS and REPUGS platform?, well, why don't you take the next flight to kolov???...you are nauseating.
The founders did not place God in the constitution either:
Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times
for these exercises, & the objects proper for them, according to their own
particular tenets; and this right can never be safer than in their own hands,
where the constitution has deposited it. I am aware that the practice of my
predecessors may be quoted.... Be this as it may, every one must act according
to the dictates of his own reason, & mine tells me that civil powers alone have
been given to the President of the US and no authority to direct the religious
exercises of his constituents.
- Thomas Jefferson, to Samuel Miller, January 23, 1808