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"Paul Ryan has revealed himself to be a first-rate demagogue," The Nation’s Katrina vanden Heuvel said on MSNBC’s The Ed Show last night. Not only has Ryan made several inflammatory comments about Obama, vanden Heuvel says, he has also pandered to Washington’s "austerity class," the same group of policymakers, pundits and politicians who have been behind some of the most devastating budget-cutting legislation in recent months. Rather than running to the austerity class’s help, vanden Heuvel argues, the President needs to stand with the majority of Americans who want to see the country’s chronic inequities addressed. You can view more of Katrina’s recent appearances here.

—Teresa Cotsirilos