Paul Ryan washes clean dishes

In Ohio, Paul Ryan apparently washes clean dishes
10/15/12

Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and his wife Janna wash pots at St. Vincent DePaul dinning hall, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012, in Youngstown, Ohio. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Some of the buzz on the campaign trail today was about this story on Paul Ryan in Ohio.

Did Mitt Romney’s running mate set up a dishwashing photo-op at a soup kitchen, even though there were no actual dishes to wash?

Reported the Washington Post:

 The head of a northeast Ohio charity says that the Romney campaign last week “ramrodded their way” into the group’s Youngstown soup kitchen so that GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan could get his picture taken washing dishes in the dining hall…

Brian J. Antal, president of the Mahoning County St. Vincent De Paul Society, said that he was not contacted by the Romney campaign ahead of the Saturday morning visit by Ryan, who stopped by the soup kitchen after a town hall at Youngstown State University.

He added: “The photo-op they did wasn’t even accurate. He did nothing. He just came in here to get his picture taken at the dining hall.”

Ryan had stopped by the soup kitchen for about 15 minutes on his way to the airport after his Saturday morning town hall in Youngstown. By the time he arrived, the food had already been served, the patrons had left, and the hall had been cleaned.

Upon entering the soup kitchen, Ryan, his wife and three young children greeted and thanked several volunteers, then donned white aprons and offered to clean some dishes. Photographers snapped photos and TV cameras shot footage of Ryan and his family washing pots and pans that did not appear to be dirty.

Read more here

Antal, the head of the shelter told the Youngstown Vindicator that the shelter was used for a ‘publicity stunt.’

Juanita Sherba, St. Vincent’s Saturday coordinator for the dinning hall, had equally harsh words about Ryan’s visit.

The event “was a photo op,” she told the Vindicator.

“It was the phoniest piece of baloney I’ve ever been associated with. In hindsight, I would have never let him in the door.”

Here’s MSN’s take and CBS News’ story

Here’s the Romney campaign’s response, from the Washington Post story:

Chris Maloney, Ohio communications director for the Romney campaign, said that the visit by Ryan had been intended to highlight the work of the soup kitchen volunteers.

“Our campaign and Congressman Ryan were pleased to bring attention to the meaningful charitable contributions the St. Vincent De Paul Society makes to people in need,” Maloney said.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2012/10/15/in-ohio-paul-ryan-apparently-washes-clean-dishes/