Let’s see now: Paul Ryan’s either got a really bad memory, or he’s a liar and a hypocrite.

When given that choice, Ryan has decided to go with option A.

On Thursday, in a Cincinnati radio interview, he denied seeking money for his constituents from the Obama stimulus package.

Two years ago, he’d said the same thing in a Boston radio interview, pompously huffing: "I'm not one who votes for something and then writes to the government to ask them to send us money."

Well, actually, it turns out that he is just such a one.

He signed letters in 2009 asking for millions of dollars from the Energy Department and the Labor Department on behalf of two Wisconsin companies, saying the stimulus money would create jobs in his district.

When the letters surfaced, Ryan was in a real bind--and not only because he’s been saying that the stimulus didn’t create any jobs.

So, late on Thursday, he finally acknowledged that he did, indeed, ask for the very stimulus money he had voted against.

His explanation: “They were treated as constituent service requests in the same way matters involving Social Security or Veterans Affairs are handled," Ryan said in a statement late Thursday. "This is why I didn't recall the letters earlier."

This ranks right up there with “my dog ate my homework” or “my computer crashed” on the list of lame excuses.

Credibility is a non-renewable resource, and Paul Ryan’s is being rapidly depleted.

If you liked this story by Matthew Rothschild, the editor of The Progressive magazine, check out his story “The Koch-Adelson Ticket."

Follow Matthew Rothschild @mattrothschild on Twitter