Paul Ryan born in Canada?

Map of Lake SuperiorNot that I have anything against Canadians — some of my favorite people are Canadians. But the US Constitution precludes Canadian presidents and vice-presidents, even Alex Trebec.

So it was with some surprise that I note that Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan told the American people during the debate last night that he came from Canada. Here is what he said:

That’s why we’re saying we need fundamental tax reform. Let’s take a look at it this way. Eight out of 10 businesses, they file their taxes as individuals, not as corporations. And where I come from, overseas, which is Lake Superior, the Canadians, they dropped their tax rates to 15 percent.

What Ryan dishonestly fails to mention is that there is also a national Goods and Services Tax of 5% in his home country of Canada (as well as double-digit provincial sales taxes).

About Dr. Conspiracy

I'm not a real doctor, but I have a master's degree.
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22 Responses to Paul Ryan born in Canada?

  1. Sugaree says:

    Ryan was not saying he was born in or from Canada, but rather that where he *does* come from (Wisconsin) Lake Superior and thus Canada are considered “overseas”. He’s expressed the same sentiment much more clearly on at least one previous occasion.

  2. Rennie says:

    Um, that’s not Lake Superior in the image.

  3. The Magic M says:

    Rennie: that’s not Lake Superior in the image

    So you’re saying Ryan has a forged birth map? 😉

  4. Sorry, what he really means doesn’t cut it on this blog.

    Sugaree:
    Ryan was not saying he was born in or from Canada, but rather that where he *does* come from (Wisconsin) Lake Superior and thus Canada are considered “overseas”.He’s expressed the same sentiment much more clearly on at least one previous occasion.

  5. So he lied about the map too.

    Rennie: Um, that’s not Lake Superior in the image.

  6. Arthur says:

    Sugaree: Ryan was not saying he was born in or from Canada, but rather that where he *does* come from (Wisconsin) Lake Superior and thus Canada are considered “overseas”.

    Really??? Wow, thanks for explaining that! OMG–guess that means when Michele Obama says Kenya is Barack’s “home country” she’s only being metaphorical.

    BTW, I was born 12 miles from Janesville, and my father grew up in Janesville. My uncle was the D.A. in Janesville, and in all my time there, I never met Paul Ryan and I never heard anyone refer to Canada as “overseas.” So in my book, that means Ryan is a Communist Cannuck.

  7. I don’t know why I had Lake Ontario in my mind. Ryan said Superior, and I’ve changed the image.

    Rennie: Um, that’s not Lake Superior in the image.

  8. We’ll make this the unofficial vice presidential debate thread…

    Somebody explain this to me.

    Biden said that we could raise lots of revenue by letting the Bush tax cuts expire for those making over $250,000. Ryan said that those people overall didn’t pay that much in taxes and that it wouldn’t make much difference in the deficit.

    Then Ryan said that he would lower the top tax rate to 20% and counterbalance that by closing loopholes mainly on the rich. My question is that if you can raise 1.2 trillion dollars by closing loopholes on the rich, why can’t you raise $1.2 trillion by letting the tax cuts on the rich expire?

  9. Rennie says:

    Dr. Conspiracy:
    I don’t know why I had Lake Ontario in my mind. Ryan said Superior, and I’ve changed the image.

    So much better – and a shoutout to the Keweenaw. Thanks.

  10. CarlOrcas says:

    Dr. Conspiracy: Then Ryan said that he would lower the top tax rate to 20% and counterbalance that by closing loopholes mainly on the rich. My question is that if you can raise 1.2 trillion dollars by closing loopholes on the rich, why can’t you raise $1.2 trillion by letting the tax cuts on the rich expire?

    Or….do both and fix the mess completely. Just a thought.

  11. elmo says:

    Dr. Conspiracy:
    We’ll make this the unofficial vice presidential debate thread…

    Somebody explain this to me.

    Biden said that we could raise lots of revenue by letting the Bush tax cuts expire for those making over $250,000. Ryan said that those people overall didn’t pay that much in taxes and that it wouldn’t make much difference in the deficit.

    Then Ryan said that he would lower the top tax rate to 20% and counterbalance that by closing loopholes mainly on the rich. My question is that if you can raise 1.2 trillion dollars by closing loopholes on the rich, why can’t you raise $1.2 trillion by letting the tax cuts on the rich expire?

    The Republican plan for addressing the deficit is 100 percent spending cuts. Not a single penny of tax increases.

    Mitt will only talk about cutting funding for PBS, but if you want to see the kind of specific cuts that Ryan proposes, take a look at his budget. It’s not pretty.

    And even with all those drastic spending cuts, the Romney/Ryan budget doesn’t balance. It would still increase the deficit.

  12. El Diablo Negro says:

    This explains why he rejects birthism, he is in the same boat as Jindal & Rubio

  13. Mitch says:

    The Republicans are more loyal to Grover Norquist than to the US public.

  14. LW says:

    CarlOrcas: Or….do both and fix the mess completely. Just a thought.

    Sounds good to me.

    Here’s a report on Ryan’s previous loophole efforts.

  15. LW says:

    The “overseas” line, although technically speaking not a “zinger,” I guess, was clearly something Ryan had in his pocket to uncork at the right time. Pity he completely blew the delivery and had to back up and try to explain what the heck he was talking about.

    (In the interest of false equivalence equal time: Biden’s line where he was right on the brink of flat-out declaring Ryan was lying also seemed to me to be a pre-planned “go to” moment. He just did a much better job of delivering it.)

  16. sfjeff says:

    Okay while I mentioned it in another thread, this thread seems appropriate to mention that both Ryan and Biden agreed that Joe is Irish.

    How did we end up with an Irish Vice President?

    Hmmm now why don’t Birthers think that this means that is a sign that Biden is hiding his true birth in Ireland?

    Ah thats right- only if someone is suspected of being “Kenyan” is that a problem. I imagine that would apply to “Nigerian” also, but not to “Italian”…..

  17. gorefan says:

    sfjeff: How did we end up with an Irish Vice President?

    The same way we ended up with an Irish President?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:President_Reagan_in_Ballyporeen_Ireland.jpg

  18. Thomas Brown says:

    What I find interesting is the Tea-O-Cons using “like an obnoxious drunk” against Biden and “lazy” against a black President.

    They just can’t help themselves. But they’re not bigots or racists, of course.

  19. Rickey says:

    Arthur:

    BTW, I was born 12 miles from Janesville, and my father grew up in Janesville.

    I have friends in New Glarus. I was out there just a couple of months ago.

  20. Arthur says:

    Rickey: I have friends in New Glarus. I was out there just a couple of months ago.

    Ah, New Glarus . . . home of Spotted Cow brewery, another fine Wisconsin beer.

  21. Rickey says:

    We took a tour of the new brewery when I was there. The business is doing very, very well.

  22. Dr. Conspiracy: I don’t know why I had Lake Ontario in my mind. Ryan said Superior, and I’ve changed the image.

    Having both of my degrees from Buffalo, there is a mnemonic device for remembering the Great Lakes: HOMES

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