Elizabeth Warren
(Screenshot)
Apr 09, 2014
Senator Elizabeth Warren is making headlines for a speech some are saying is not only a take-down of Rep. Paul Ryan's views on poverty and unemployment but a lesson in the kind of visionary approach that Democrats would be wise to emulate.
The Massachusetts Democrat made the remarks as the keynote speaker at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor's Humphrey-Mondale Dinner on March 29th, a fundraising event for the party of Paul Wellstone.
Warren took apart the Rep. Paul Ryan's maligned statements regarding "men not working" in our "inner cities," and his corporate- and Wall Street-friendly vision.
"Congressman Ryan attacked unemployment insurance, saying it is, and I'm quoting here, 'a hammock, which lulls able-bodied people into lives of complacency and dependency.' I am really serious. I want you to think about that."
"If our neighbors and friends who are laid off when a company moves overseas, or the recession shuts them down, Paul Ryan thinks that a little help to try to help keep the mortgage paid and to put food on the table will cause them to kick back and live large, with no plans to work again," she said.
"Paul Ryan looks around, sees three unemployed workers for every job opening in America, and blames the people who can't find a job. In 2008, this economy crashed, wiping out millions of jobs."
"Paul Ryan says, 'Don't blame Wall Street -- the guys who made billions of dollars cheating American families. Don't blame decades of deregulation that took the cops off the beat while the big banks looted the American economy. Don't blame the Republican Secretary of the Treasury and the Republican president who set in motion a no-strings-attached bailout for the biggest banks.' Nope." "Paul Ryan says keep the monies flowing to the powerful corporations, keep their huge tax breaks, keep the special deals for the too-big-to-fail banks and put the blame on hardworking, play-by-the-rules Americans who lost their jobs."
"Let me tell you, that may be Paul Ryan's vision of how America works, but that is not our vision of this great country," she said.
The Nation's John Nichols writes that Warren's speech "school[ed] Democrats with regard to what they should expect from a presidential contender." He adds, "Democrats can't just talk about inequality. . . They have to challenge the assumptions of those who argue for the failed strategies of the past."
"Whether or not Elizabeth Warren ever runs for the presidency, she is teaching her party a great deal about how to take the events of a moment and weave them into a narrative that addresses the fundamental challenges facing the country," Nichols writes.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Senator Elizabeth Warren is making headlines for a speech some are saying is not only a take-down of Rep. Paul Ryan's views on poverty and unemployment but a lesson in the kind of visionary approach that Democrats would be wise to emulate.
The Massachusetts Democrat made the remarks as the keynote speaker at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor's Humphrey-Mondale Dinner on March 29th, a fundraising event for the party of Paul Wellstone.
Warren took apart the Rep. Paul Ryan's maligned statements regarding "men not working" in our "inner cities," and his corporate- and Wall Street-friendly vision.
"Congressman Ryan attacked unemployment insurance, saying it is, and I'm quoting here, 'a hammock, which lulls able-bodied people into lives of complacency and dependency.' I am really serious. I want you to think about that."
"If our neighbors and friends who are laid off when a company moves overseas, or the recession shuts them down, Paul Ryan thinks that a little help to try to help keep the mortgage paid and to put food on the table will cause them to kick back and live large, with no plans to work again," she said.
"Paul Ryan looks around, sees three unemployed workers for every job opening in America, and blames the people who can't find a job. In 2008, this economy crashed, wiping out millions of jobs."
"Paul Ryan says, 'Don't blame Wall Street -- the guys who made billions of dollars cheating American families. Don't blame decades of deregulation that took the cops off the beat while the big banks looted the American economy. Don't blame the Republican Secretary of the Treasury and the Republican president who set in motion a no-strings-attached bailout for the biggest banks.' Nope." "Paul Ryan says keep the monies flowing to the powerful corporations, keep their huge tax breaks, keep the special deals for the too-big-to-fail banks and put the blame on hardworking, play-by-the-rules Americans who lost their jobs."
"Let me tell you, that may be Paul Ryan's vision of how America works, but that is not our vision of this great country," she said.
The Nation's John Nichols writes that Warren's speech "school[ed] Democrats with regard to what they should expect from a presidential contender." He adds, "Democrats can't just talk about inequality. . . They have to challenge the assumptions of those who argue for the failed strategies of the past."
"Whether or not Elizabeth Warren ever runs for the presidency, she is teaching her party a great deal about how to take the events of a moment and weave them into a narrative that addresses the fundamental challenges facing the country," Nichols writes.
Senator Elizabeth Warren is making headlines for a speech some are saying is not only a take-down of Rep. Paul Ryan's views on poverty and unemployment but a lesson in the kind of visionary approach that Democrats would be wise to emulate.
The Massachusetts Democrat made the remarks as the keynote speaker at the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor's Humphrey-Mondale Dinner on March 29th, a fundraising event for the party of Paul Wellstone.
Warren took apart the Rep. Paul Ryan's maligned statements regarding "men not working" in our "inner cities," and his corporate- and Wall Street-friendly vision.
"Congressman Ryan attacked unemployment insurance, saying it is, and I'm quoting here, 'a hammock, which lulls able-bodied people into lives of complacency and dependency.' I am really serious. I want you to think about that."
"If our neighbors and friends who are laid off when a company moves overseas, or the recession shuts them down, Paul Ryan thinks that a little help to try to help keep the mortgage paid and to put food on the table will cause them to kick back and live large, with no plans to work again," she said.
"Paul Ryan looks around, sees three unemployed workers for every job opening in America, and blames the people who can't find a job. In 2008, this economy crashed, wiping out millions of jobs."
"Paul Ryan says, 'Don't blame Wall Street -- the guys who made billions of dollars cheating American families. Don't blame decades of deregulation that took the cops off the beat while the big banks looted the American economy. Don't blame the Republican Secretary of the Treasury and the Republican president who set in motion a no-strings-attached bailout for the biggest banks.' Nope." "Paul Ryan says keep the monies flowing to the powerful corporations, keep their huge tax breaks, keep the special deals for the too-big-to-fail banks and put the blame on hardworking, play-by-the-rules Americans who lost their jobs."
"Let me tell you, that may be Paul Ryan's vision of how America works, but that is not our vision of this great country," she said.
The Nation's John Nichols writes that Warren's speech "school[ed] Democrats with regard to what they should expect from a presidential contender." He adds, "Democrats can't just talk about inequality. . . They have to challenge the assumptions of those who argue for the failed strategies of the past."
"Whether or not Elizabeth Warren ever runs for the presidency, she is teaching her party a great deal about how to take the events of a moment and weave them into a narrative that addresses the fundamental challenges facing the country," Nichols writes.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.