November 6, 2017

Ever since Randy Bryce came out with his introduction video, he has taken the country by storm. He connected with many Americans because he was able to connect with so many people on so many levels.

On the other hand, Lyin' Paul Ryan is continuing to tank. His poll numbers are lower than even Trump's. He has continuously led the charge to harm people, including those he's supposed to be represent. First, he tried to take away their healthcare coverage and now he's trying to take away their hard-earned money to give to his wealthy friends and campaign donors. Then he refuses to even meet with the people in his district to hear their concerns and their grievances. He won't even take their phone calls.

Needless to say, this has left Ryan and his supporters rattled and more than a little nervous. Ryan, for the first time, is facing a serious challenger and is losing ground to him on a daily basis. So Ryan and his dark money backers did what any loser does - they spent bundles of cash and time to do opposition research on Randy.

They combed over all the minutia to see if they could find a “t” tuncrossed or an “i” undotted. All they came up with is that Randy is an everyday American. Like millions of other Americans, his medical bills and other costs got to be too much and he had to declare bankruptcy 17 years ago. That's it.

Team Ryan has been working hard at finding someone - anyone - to run with this bankruptcy non-story from nearly 20 years ago. Instead of running and hiding and hoping it will blow over, Randy did what he's always done - he faced it head on.

Randy wrote a piece that was published at HuffPo, which, in my humble opinion, is as moving, if not more so, than the video. Randy speaks directly to his past without blinking an eye and touching the reader's heart. With his permission, I give you a large part of it here:

It’s fair to say that working people are underrepresented in Congress ― Paul Ryan certainly doesn’t understand what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck, to have to choose between food and paying your bills, or to literally be faced with life and death decisions with no health insurance.

But I do understand. I’ve survived some really awful times and it’s time there’s someone in Congress who knows what everyday people are going through.

I know what it’s like to work 100 hours a week, doing hard, manual labor ― because I’ve done it.

I know the fear and uncertainty of having a serious disease ― cancer ― and no health insurance. Because I have been there.

I know what it’s like to be fighting for your life while watching your world crumble around you. Because 17 years ago, I had to file for bankruptcy when my mounting medical bills and other debt became too much to bear.

I know what people are facing, and that’s exactly why I jumped into this race.

Sadly, my story is not unique. Thousands of people across Wisconsin have experienced the same soul-crushing decision to file for bankruptcy. It’s just wrong. I was very lucky to be able to resolve my case over a few years, but not everyone is that fortunate. As a veteran, I know some of the hardest hit by this crisis are the brave men and women who have served our country only to have the system turn its back on them. It’s gone on too long, and it’s not something I will stand by and continue to watch.

I know what it’s like to look your child in the eyes and have to explain that your job has changed and times were going to be tight for a while. I had to do it, and I fell behind on my child support payments.

Thankfully, my son’s mom and I were able to work together, putting our son first, and we made a plan to ensure all his needs were met in the fastest way possible. But kids shouldn’t suffer because parents fall on hard times. We have to do better, and I believe we can.

It breaks my heart that these stories are as common as they are, right here in Southeastern Wisconsin and across the country. It’s scary being in these situations. You’re a nervous wreck, you’re ashamed you can’t protect and take care of your family, and you don’t know how you’re going to claw your way back. Like so many people, I can say that I’ve had to borrow money from friends and family in tough times.

That’s the thing about working families ― we know how to work together and lift each other up. It’s that sense of shared community that I want to bring to Congress.

Indeed, medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcies in this country. The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, did a lot to drive that number down, helping a lot of people. Yet, Ryan is still bemoaning that they haven't repealed it.

And just Sunday morning, Ryan was on TV, crying about the law not allowing him to use wishful thinking to support his tax cuts for the ultrawealthy while hurting the average American. His rationale was that he was very worried about treating these millionaires and billionaires with fairness.

Think about that for a minute. Ryan is saying that corporate oligarchs need a massive tax break because it's the "fair thing" to do but is attacking Randy for not being rich enough and going broke because of his medical bills. If that's not class warfare, I don't know what is.

It also shows why Ryan needs to be repealed and replaced. We meed someone like Randy, who understands what we're going through and will work like hell to fix it. Randy has already said he's all for tax fairness, that the wealthy and the corporations pay their fair share.

You can help make it happen by helping Randy repeal and replace Lyin' Ryan by donating to him here or here via Blue America.

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