Politics Comedy Central |
Obama took a veiled shot at Ryan in his speech when he said that entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare "do not make us a nation of takers — they free us to take the risks that make this country great." That was taken as a slight against the rhetoric of Ryan, who said during the presidential campaign that America was becoming a nation of "takers."
Ryan told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham that was a "straw man" argument, saying Obama does not understand the GOP position and that earned entitlement programs like Social Security are not "taker programs."
"Oh, so when you were saying takers, you didn't mean 'Sweet Ol' Grams,'" Stewart said. "You meant 'Hobo Joe.'"
Stewart played clips of Ryan engaging in the "makers vs. takers" argument and then played his backtrack on Ingraham's show, explaining that Ryan has included Social Security and Medicare on the "takers list" before.
"What is the danger of receiving some help from the government when you need it?" Stewart then asked, pointing out how Ryan saved Social Security benefits after his father died to help pay for college at Miami University.
"Where have I heard this before?" Stewart said, playing clips of Obama's inaugural address that closely aligned with Ryan's story and some of his past remarks about it.
"So the rhetorical device Obama used wasn't a straw man. It wasn't even passive-aggression," Stewart said. "It was plagiarism."
Watch the full clip below: