

town hall (Video:

Paul Ryan at a Waterford, WItown hall (Video: ThinkProgress

Earlier this year, Paul Ryan and every other House Republican voted to protect federal tax subsidies for oil companies. So when a constituent asked him on Thursday morning if he supports those subsidies, you'd expect him to say that he did, right?

Wrong:

QUESTION: The subsidy for the oil companies that the federal government gives. They’ve gotta stop. RYAN: Sure. QUESTION: End the oil company subsidies… RYAN: I agree. QUESTION: …and you will gain a lot of that money in the red back.



Well, if he really agrees, then why did he vote to extend them? Ryan claims he wants to get rid of the subsidies as part of a long-term effort to reform the tax code, but given that there's Democratic support for getting rid of them, why not take the bird in hand and end the subsidies now? Why is he protecting the oil companies?

Oh yeah. Here's why. Republicans got more than three-quarters of the oil and gas money contributed to political campaigns in 2010. That's more than $16 million, and that's only including the stuff that needed to be disclosed. Clearly, it was money well spent.