Paul Ryan introduces himself to Bill Clinton, 2011

Ryan talked Medicare and government paralysis with the former President

A hot mic offers a glimpse into their behind-the-scenes conversation: “Give me a call,” Clinton says.

Rebecca Elliott
BuzzFeed
8/11/2012

After Democrat Kathy Hochul edged out a win in an New York special election in May 2011, former President Bill Clinton chatted with Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan off-stage…

This video via JenningsBay on YouTube.

The conversation, for those who have difficulty hearing, is this:

Clinton: “So anyway, I told them before you got here, I said I’m glad we won this race in New York, but I hope Democrats don’t use this as an excuse to do nothing.”

Ryan: “My guess is it’s going to sink into paralysis is what’s going to happen. And you know the math. It’s just, I mean, we knew we were putting ourselves out there. You gotta start this…you gotta get out there…you gotta get this thing moving.”

Clinton: “If you ever want to talk about it, give me a call.”

Ryan: “Yeah, I’ll give you a call. Thanks.”

Here’s our original post from 25 May 2011 explaining New York’s District 26 special election, how a third party candidate got the Democrat elected, why the election mattered for Paul Ryan, and this conversation between Clinton and Ryan.