Paul Ryan: Wisconsin Protests 'Like Cairo Has Moved To Madison' (VIDEO)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Budget Committee, compared on Thursday the large, ongoing protests in his home state to those that took place in Egypt against former President Hosni Mubarak earlier this month, claiming that they're "like Cairo has moved to Madison these days."

HuffPost's Amanda Terkel reported on the controversial budget proposal by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), which has triggered massive protests at the state's capitol building:

Wisconsin is facing a $137 million budget deficit. In order to close it, Walker wants to sharply curtail the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions, effectively preventing them from negotiating benefits, hours and working conditions. (They would, however, still be able to bargain over base wages, and Walker decided to exempt firefighters and police workers from his measure.) Public workers would also have to contribute more money toward pension and health insurance plans.

What has attracted the most attention is Walker's threat to call out the National Guard in order to respond to a walk-out or any resistance to his plan

The proposal has caused many-thousands of demonstrators to flock to Wisconsin's state house and inside the halls of its capitol building in protest of what they characterize as an assault on state workers.

Ryan, however, claimed that the budget proposal is a necessary austerity measure and likened the clamor to a bigger, more violent, pro-Democracy one in Egypt.

"It's like Cairo has moved to Madison these days," Ryan claimed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "It's just, all of this demonstration. It's fine, people should be able to express their way, but we've got to get this deficit and debt under control in Madison, if we want to have a good business climate and job creation in Wisconsin."

Host Mika Brzezinski responded: "I think a few more people are gonna know who Congressman Paul Ryan is this morning."

WATCH:

Comments

[jwhittaker]

05:33 PM on 02/21/2011

The Governor of Wisconson should do what President Regan did to the Air Traffic Controllers; set a date to return to work, if they don't, decertify the Union and make the jobs available to anyone qualified to hold the positions. The Unions are being unreasonable; the day of the "bottom-less trough" are over; get real, the gravey train has come to a complete stop. Its time to get on the bus - and keep your job - or get run over by it.

[Candide33]

08:18 PM on 02/20/2011

It is funny that everything Beck accused the left of doing, the right is doing instead... right out in the open...no fear of being called out for any criminal activity that they engage in.

The only way I can lose is if I'm caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy.
Edwin Edwards

Yes they are that cocky

[Candide33]

07:58 PM on 02/20/2011

Eddie Munster is a liar... but he is a con, you can't can't get a shred of truth out of a con with axle grease and a crowbar.

[mdemploi]

06:53 PM on 02/20/2011

"Dude, it's like, Cairo!"

get back to the gym, Mr. Ryan. Muscle confusion has apparently gone to your head.

[TyneCrescent]

01:56 AM on 02/20/2011

Ryan's buddy Walker is the one who brought about the shortfall. Walker couldn't wait to get into office so he could start handing out tax breaks to all the corporations and repaying the Koch brothers by being their front man since they help finance his election.

Too good Walker, Ryan and the Brothers Koch underestimated the response of the Wisconsin people, and now they have a PR disaster on their hands. Its good that it highlights the national agenda of conservatives and right-wingers who want to minimize middle class workers and create a country that reflects "their" values. Well, their values aren't everyone's values, and the GOP should take note that people aren't going to sit idly by and let you and your zealots wipe them out. And all of those other state legislatures and governors who have similar plans, you should be taking note.

[bigdumbgirl]

10:46 PM on 02/19/2011

Here's video of the riots: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOk4CLZb_dM&feature=player_embedded#at=84

[Patrick Stinnett]

10:05 PM on 02/19/2011

I went to the rallys in Madison today and then stumbled on this video about what the republicans really did to the democrats. You must watch Republicans are undermining our democracy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsOKNfNkfQ

[stroker248]

01:48 PM on 02/20/2011

To get the full impact of what happened in the Wisconsin State Assembly, you need to watch the whole thing:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO8RE1UM8Yg
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f4G19Lq5yY
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM4kE3EtRGI
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ROFMQWtHpI

It starts slow, but it doesn't take long for the fury to pick up.

[Candide33]

08:00 PM on 02/20/2011

Yep, they are as shady as it gets...

[bsherman]

09:46 AM on 02/19/2011

How does removing rights of public employees affect business in any even remotely positive way? If anything it's the opposite. Companies require roads to be repaired, schools educating future employees, police on the street, firefighters at the ready. If these services are greatly curtailed that would be really bad for businesses in Wisconsin.

[Candide33]

08:03 PM on 02/20/2011

The repubs plainly said that the only thing they will do for the next 2 years is make sure Obama does not get reelected.... for that to happen the whole country has to collapse. They are pretty much on their way to collapsing it now.

[bsherman]

09:43 AM on 02/19/2011

He's right it is like Cairo. Masses of citizens standing up against a dictator. I love the fact that a republican makes an analogy that compares Walker to Mubarak.

[Malik Skyy]

01:51 AM on 02/19/2011

It is perfectly patriotic when members of the grand opposition party, including their mini-me siblings, to yap about their love of freedom and their distain for intrusive government whenever cameras are panning their gun totting, racist- sign carrying Lott. Yet, they are at ease in their desire to control the masses in ANOTHER state, in effect, in their desire to thwart the will of the people of WI. They talk the talk, but they walk like fascist dictators. The level of noise they made leading up to the last election must h ave affected their collective brains. Do they really believe that they are that IMPORTANT THAT they are going to start protesting protesters who refuse to walk in lockstep with the tea party and their cooperate elite masters? They should stick to doing what they do best: back extreme, mentally challenged candidates, and stop trying to run interference on real Americans exercising their rights—Americans who refused to drink the kool-aide.

[hellinahandcart]

11:23 AM on 02/19/2011

"The level of noise they made leading up to the last election must h ave affected their collective brains."

You're more right than you may even believe. They are spoiled, now-- to the core rotten. They were allowed to stomp and yell and scream and spew all manner of outrageous lies, and it benefited them. They've become used to this mode of operation as an effective one, are ramping it up even more, and now feel invulnerable to any and all rebuke.

You're F&F.

[Candide33]

08:04 PM on 02/20/2011

Yep, never forget that Hitler was popularly elected too.

[ErnestineBass]

06:41 PM on 02/18/2011

That's the first halfway intelligent thing Ryan's ever said.

[Vote2bfree]

06:16 PM on 02/18/2011

They have a 137 Million dollar Budget deficit, but when Walker took office they had a 128 million dollar suprlus....what did they do to cause a deficit? It wasn't the Unions that got that money...who was it? This is all about eliminating the power of the unions at election time....it is all politics...do some homework...

[avg american]

06:00 PM on 02/18/2011

Rep. Ryan, what are you doing to focus on jobs in your state?

You were voted in to help the economy and produce jobs. Where are the jobs?

What are you doing to generate jobs?