Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wisc.) on Thursday downplayed the disputes within the GOP, saying it’s beneficial to have "creative tension" within the ranks to move the party forward.
"The way the Left tells it, the Republican Party is in a civil war. It’s Tea Party versus establishment—libertarians versus social conservatives. There’s infighting, conflict, backbiting, discord. Look, I’m Irish—that’s my idea of a family reunion," Ryan joked at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
"We’re figuring out the best way to apply our principles to the challenges of the day. Sure, we have our disagreements, and yes, it can get a little passionate. I like to think of it as creative tension," Ryan said.
"For the most part, these disagreements have not been over principles or even policies. They’ve been over tactics. So I think we should give each other the benefit of the doubt," Ryan added.