Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), after being read a passage of a New York Times op-ed about the "great disconnect" between the Obama administration's agenda and the desires of the American people on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," said he didn't need to read that newspaper to know that the country remained focus on jobs and economic growth.
Host Joe Scarborough brought up the part of Ross Douthat's piece that discussed the huge majorities citing jobs and the economy as their policy priorities for 2013, followed by "sizable majorities" mentioning health care costs and entitlement reform. Obama administration agenda items like gun control, immigration reform and climate change legislation were at the bottom of the list in American priorities.
"Look, I didn't need to read the New York Times to know that," Ryan said. "I spent all last fall crisscrossing this country talking to Americans. I represent Wisconsin. That's all I hear from constituents. I, just in the last recess, did a series of town hall meetings. Jobs, jobs, jobs. I talked about immigration because I think we have a broken system that needs fixing, but at the top of everybody's list is how can I make ends meet."
The hosts of "Morning Joe" are fond of reading New York Times editorials and columns in setting their discussion agenda for various segments.