Romney Veep Pick Announced: Paul Ryan

Published on Saturday, August 11, 2012 by Common Dreams

- Common Dreams staff

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, the Romney campaign confirmed Saturday.

Republican U.S. Presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) introduces U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his vice-presidential running mate during a campaign event at the retired battleship USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, August 11, 2012. Photo: Reuters/Jason

Reed Romney made his announcement to supporters via a phone app. "Mitt's Choice for VP is Paul Ryan," it read. Minutes later, the campaign sent out a press release to confirm, calling Romney and Ryan “America’s comeback team.”

Paul Ryan, the 42-year-old Wisconsin representative and chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee, is known for his budget plan that would double down on tax cuts for the wealthy while instituting massive cuts to government programs such as social security, medicare, medicaid, food stamps, student loans and other social programs. Along with Ryan comes his budget, a proposed $5.3 trillion cut to social services across the country over a decade.

On Paul Ryan, John Nichols writes today:

Ryan's an ardent social conservative, arguably to the right of Romney on issues such as gay rights and a woman's right to choose -- making him more acceptable than prospects like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He's never met a war or a military budget that he didn't like, and he's more than willing to mouth extreme talking points about "foreign" threats -- which distinguishes him from the likes of former Ambassador Jon Huntsman and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. And, of course, Ryan is ever at the ready to promote the fiscal fantasies favored by the hedge fund managers, big bankers and insurance industry interests that fund the vast right-wing infrastructure.

Ryan, a Tea Party favorite and Washington insider has been a member of the House for 13 years and a Capitol Hill staffer before that.

Romney officially announced Ryan as his running mate at the retired battleship USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, around 9:30 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) Saturday.

While announcing Ryan at the event, Romney mistakenly introduced him as the next "President of the United States".