Quote of the Day: Paul Ryan May Be Conservative, But He’s No Tea Party Knuckle-Dragger

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From House Speaker John Boehner, explaining why Paul Ryan defied the tea party and voted for TARP in 2008:

He’s got a very conservative voting record, but he’s not a knuckle-dragger, all right?

That is an admirably clear explanation. Do you ever suspect that in private, Republican leaders talk about the tea party the same way Democrats do in private? I do.