Paul Ryan Decries “Crony Capitalism” As Mitt Romney Fundraises In…the Hamptons?

At a campaign stop in Virginia on Friday, Republican VP hopeful and apparent spokesperson for the Ministry of Equality Paul Ryan complained that President Obama represented “crony capitalism“:

“It is the people who are politically connected, it is the people who have access to Washington, that get breaks. Well, no more. We don’t want to pick winners and losers in Washington. We want you to keep more of your hard-earned dollars. Hardworking taxpayers should be treated fairly, and it should be based on whether they are good, whether they work hard, and not who they know in Washington.”

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney was fundraising in… the Hamptons, where the Wall Street executives who effectively lobbied for deregulation of the financial industry maintain their humble summer cabins. While Ryan struck a populist tone in middle-class Glen Allen, Virginia, Romney spoke mainly about foreign policy during his stops in Southampton and East Hampton. Which is weird, because if there’s anyone who would appreciate a talk on limiting the power of the rich and politically connected, it’s people who summer in the Hamptons.

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[An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Paul Ryan was campaigning in Southampton on Friday; it was Mitt Romney who was campaigning in Southampton.]

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