Associated Press: Andrew Taylor: 'Fact Checking Representative Paul Ryan's RNC Speech'

Source:Associated Press- U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (Republican, Wisconsin) 2012 Republican Party nominee for Vice President.

"Laying out the first plans for his party's presidential ticket, GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan took some factual shortcuts Wednesday night when he attacked President Barack Obama's policies." 

From the Associated Press

I think Representative Ryan's 2012 RNC speech highlights the need to distinguish the differences between a news briefing or news report and a partisan meat lovers convention speech. 

When you give a news report or you are briefing public officials about key situations that they have to make key decisions about, to paraphrase Sergeant Joe Friday: just the facts, ma'm or sir. Maybe a little analysis about what should be done about the facts and evidence at hand, but you are there to report on whatever new information and facts are now available. 

When you give a partisan meat lovers speech, especially at a convention, you are there to hit the other side and to get the audience to like you. I wouldn't say facts don't matter or be dammed, but you are there to hit the other side and to make yourself look good in comparison, if you can. And that means not just stretching the truth, but saying things that simply aren't true or be disingenuous. Which is what Paul Ryan did at the Republican National Convention.