MSNBC guest suggests Paul Ryan’s admiration for Ayn Rand make him pro-terrorist (Video)

TheDC ^ | April 19, 2011 | Jeff Poor

[Rufus2007]

Holy guilt by association, Batman.

If a fictional character in a piece of literature from an author you admire commits some acts that would likely result in a felony conviction, does that mean you’re a proponent of felonious acts? That’s the deductive logic David Cay Johnston, the 2001 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for beat reporting, displayed on MSNBC’s “The ED Show” Monday night.

In a segment about Wisconsin Republican Rep. Paul Ryan’s proposal to reduce the deficit, which includes simplifying the tax code and eliminating deductions to lower overall rates, Johnston called in to question Ryan’s legitimacy, as he’s a fan of Ayn Rand. And according to Johnston, in Rand’s book, “The Fountainhead,” the fictional character Howard Roark blows up a building, and that means people should evaluate the possibility Ryan is a proponent of blowing up buildings.

...more (w/video)...

[Rufus2007]

There have been some desperate attempts to marginalize Paul Ryan, but I think this is the probably the worst. I suspect there are a lot of Ayn Rand disciples in government we would have to be worried about...

[Crim]

And Obama’s admiration for Bill Ayers is....

*crickets*

[Art in Idaho]

Another proof that liberalism is a mental disorder.

[Retired Greyhound]

Why would you be worried about Rand disciples?

I wish there were MORE in government.

[paulycy]

Incredible.

I like Ayn Rand too. Do I get to pick which one specific action of which one of her many characters that people should look out for?

Didn’t Dagney Taggert crash an airplane? Better watch out. Maybe I support crashing airplanes...

[Norm Lenhart]

I hope this moron gets on every show and brings this ‘brilliance’ to a wide audience. We need many more lefties to follow his example.

It will push even more undecideds into our camp.

[92nina]

If a boy likes a pirate character from a novel, then he is a buccaneer? If a girl likes a character from a Jane Austen novel, does that make her a better ballroom dancer?

[G Larry]

The Ayn Rand characters only qualify as “terrorists” if the questioner is a Stalinist.

[MrB]

Basically, if you like Ayn Rand, you’re not going to fit into the coming Marxist Utopia,

and it would be a simple kindness, nay, the most loving thing to do, to eliminate you.

[allmendream]

I like Batman.

That doesn't mean I am a proponent of vigilante justice.

[allmendream]

I like Batman.

That doesn't mean I am a proponent of vigilante justice.

[paulycy]

Basically, if you like Ayn Rand, you’re not going to fit into the coming Marxist Utopia, and it would be a simple kindness, nay, the most loving thing to do, to eliminate you.

If I don't go Galt first.

[Ted Grant]

Howard Roark blew up a building in ‘The Fountainhead’ for essentially philosophical reasons. You could make a case that it was a terrorist attack.

[nolongerademocrat]

I guess that means Obama really is flying through the air on the back of a rainbow unicorn!

[MrB]

My favorite line from any Batman movie was where the guy was demanding blackmail money and the Batman’s friend said

“you think your boss is a rogue vigilante that goes around beating up criminals at night and you want to blackmail him? Good luck with that.”

[Jim Scott]

Leftist delusion on parade. Well, that and a clumsy attempt to demonize Paul Ryan because he advocates smaller government and is serious about it, as a grown-up should be today. We all know these left-wing loons have no argument for increasing taxes and refusing to seriously address the federal deficit. Instead, they launch ad hominem attacks on Republican politicians that actually have a plan to at least begin to address federal budget deficits and/or the left demagogue the issue with ridiculous accusations about the homeless, grannies, etc all being left to die in the snow - or some such drivel. It's old, tired and really desperate when the lefties start using a politicians admiration of a fictional character in a 54-year-old novel as somehow representing 'terrorist' proclivities on his part. Absolutely loony stuff and again, indicative of the desperation of the political left because they have no case except more tax-and-spend...and that won't work any more.

[MrB]

You left out “skittle crapping” from your description of his unicorn.

[ken21]

i bought a copy of ayn rand’s “the new left: the anti-industrial...” as a grad student

and walked into the philosophy department to speak to a professor and

was told that “i could not bring THAT book into the department”.

[nolongerademocrat]

LOL! Why, yes I did.

[Michael Barnes]

Exactly...

Adding to: There was no "right" in the country until the "left" hopped up and started pointing fingers.