This story dropped Friday night, via National Review’s Robert Costa.
I’m reliably informed that Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the Budget Committee chairman, has submitted paperwork to the Romney campaign. Sources confirm that he is being vetted for the vice-presidential nomination.Ryan, one of the GOP’s brightest young stars, is clearly a favorite of Romney allies. But some top Republican officials are wary of plucking him from the House, where he is the party’s most influential voice on fiscal issues.
Earlier this week, Romney campaigned with Ryan in Janesville, Wis., Ryan’s hometown. Ryan previously stumped for Romney in late March and early April, ahead of Wisconsin’s Republican presidential primary.
For their part, Ryan and his team remain mum on the issue, telling NRO: “Respecting their campaign’s internal process, we’re not going to comment.”
I for one genuinely like Paul Ryan. He strikes me as one of the few politicians inside the Beltway who isn’t afraid to either (a) tackle the tough issues facing our country or (b) lose his prestigious seat in Congress for doing so. (By the way, these are two qualities the president obviously lacks). Indeed, Rep. Ryan has been one of the most vociferous advocates for putting our fiscal house in order. He even introduced a budget proposal last March -- The Path to Prosperity -- which cut long-term spending to sustainable levels, reformed Medicare, and balanced the federal budget. Not too shabby. Setting aside the fact the president’s plan (which was voted down unanimously) accomplished none of these abiding goals, the proposal was -- surprise! -- demagogued relentlessly by Democrats and died in the United States Senate after narrowly passing the House. I suspect it’s scattered across Harry Reid’s desk right about now (underneath all those Republican jobs plans).
At any rate, given Paul Ryan’s many accomplishments, this does not necessarily mean he is without shortcomings. To my knowledge, he’s essentially spent his professional life in government and has no foreign policy credentials or executive experience. This may, indeed, hurt his chances of becoming Mitt Romney’s running mate. Tina Korbe, on the other hand, points out that placing Rep. Ryan on the ticket would demonstrate that Republicans -- finally -- were serious about resolving the nation’s impending debt crisis. And, of course, it would further underscore The One’s ineptitude and failure of leadership over the last three and half years. I like it!
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Exit question: What do you guys think about a Romney/Ryan ticket? Feel free to duke it out in the comments section…
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