AP source: Romney picks Ryan for running mate
Romney selects Ryan
Click here to view a special section on Paul Ryan, selected to be Republican candidate Mitt Romney's running mate in the 2012 presidential campaign.
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Paul Ryan
NORFOLK, Va. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has picked Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate, according to a Republican with knowledge of the development. They will appear together today in Norfolk, Va., at the start of a four-state bus tour to introduce the newly minted GOP ticket to the nation.
The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because this person was not authorized to disclose the decision.
In a statement issued Friday night, Romney’s campaign would say only that the running mate would be revealed at 8 a.m. at the Nauticus Museum. Berthed at the museum is the USS Wisconsin—which offered a hint about Romney’s choice.
Before Romney’s team issued the statement, all signs seemed to point to Ryan, the seven-term Wisconsin congressman whose nomination could help assuage the conservative base of the party that has been reluctant to fully embrace Romney.
Romney’s preference for a team player cannot be overstated in a campaign led by an inner circle that has worked together for a decade in some cases.
Campaigning together during this spring’s GOP primary, Romney and Ryan were visibly comfortable with each other on a personal and professional level. Romney eagerly shared the microphone with Ryan during campaign events, they shared hamburgers at a fast food restaurant, and the congressman played a leading role in an April Fool’s joke on the Republican presidential contender.
In recent days, conservative pundits have been urging Romney to choose Ryan in large part because of his authorship of a House-backed budget plan that seeks to curb overall entitlement spending and changes Medicaid into a voucher-like system to save costs.
On Thursday, Romney fueled the buzz around Ryan, telling NBC that he wants a vice president with “a vision for the country, that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country.”
Several Republicans took that as an indication that Ryan had shot to the top of a shortlist said to include Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Neither of those Republicans had plans to be in Virginia on Saturday.
Romney’s completion of the GOP ticket comes as he tries to repair an image damaged by negative Democratic advertising and shift the trajectory of a campaign that’s seen him lose ground to President Barack Obama. The vice presidential selection will dominate headlines, and Romney’s team has been relentlessly teasing the announcement for weeks.
Ryan, 42, is viewed by some in the Republican Party as a bridge between the buttoned-up GOP establishment and a riled-up tea party movement that has never warmed to Romney.
As the chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan could help Romney make the argument that only the GOP ticket knows how to turn around a nation in the midst of a sluggish economic recovery. As talk about Ryan swirled this week, Democrats have been castigating Romney for embracing the Ryan-sponsored budget proposal that critics say is painful to the poor and elderly. It was a sign of the line of attack to come.
The move also now links Romney directly with House Republicans, including no-compromise tea partyers who have pressed for deep spending cuts. Obama has been casting House Republicans as an impediment to progress in the often-gridlocked Washington.
At the same time, Ryan on the ticket could help Romney become more competitive in Wisconsin, a state Obama won handily four years ago but that could be much tighter this November.
Adding fuel to the speculation, Romney’s son Tagg also joined Ryan at a funeral for victims of the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting with Ryan on Friday, though the younger Romney said he is planning to campaign in New Hampshire over the weekend and is not attending the bus tour. And a plane was tracked Friday on a flight from Boston to Janesville, Wis., where Ryan lives.
The Wall Street Journal, in an editorial on Thursday, praised Ryan as a strong choice for Romney: “The case for Mr. Ryan is that he best exemplifies the nature and stakes of this election. More than any other politician, the House budget chairman has defined those stakes well as a generational choice about the role of government and whether America will once again become a growth economy or sink into interest-group dominated decline.”
Party officials say Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has been convinced for days that Romney had settled on Ryan, according to multiple people who spoke with the chairman. Priebus, who, like Ryan, is from Wisconsin, was expected to attend Saturday morning’s announcement.
Outside Ryan’s home in Janesville, there were no cars in the vicinity with government plates. An Associated Press reporter knocked on the door to his home three times and go no answer just before midnight local time. There was a light on in a first-floor room of the two-story brick home atop a hill.
Earlier this week, a Ryan adviser said the family, including the congressman, was preparing for a weeklong vacation to Colorado that was to begin Saturday.
Pawlenty was maintaining his Saturday schedule campaigning for Romney in New Hampshire, an official close to Pawlenty’s political team said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak ahead of the formal announcement.
Most of Romney’s staff learned of the looming announcement during a 10 p.m. EDT conference call Friday about an hour before the campaign issued a statement. The identity of Romney’s pick was not disclosed during the call.
There were signs of a potential announcement as most of Romney’s senior staff joined him on the flight from Boston, and the campaign added a last-minute rally to their Virginia itinerary on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Romney’s campaign briefed reporters on the bus tour, making no mention of the impending vice presidential announcement.
“The governor keeps very close counsel on that, and I have no guidance,” adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said of any potential event.
Romney’s bus tour was expected to include appearances with Portman, as well as two others who had been talked about as possible contenders for running mate: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
The tour will take Romney through four must-win states in as many days: North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Ohio. All are battlegrounds where Obama won in 2008. While Obama could afford to lose in one or more of them and still reach the 270 electoral votes needed for another term, Romney almost certainly needs all four to beat him.
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Peoples reported from Washington. Todd Richmond in Janesville, Wis., contributed to this report.
Aug 11, 2012 at 2:27 p.m.
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It's been a pleasure watching the cable left side of the news today. They are livid. They thought they had Ryan silenced and Romney's in your face Democrats bold pick of Ryan has got them spitting blood. It is truly a sight to behold. We already know Romney can speak without a teleprompter and to watch Ryan go after Obama's failures again and again without a teleprompter, must have Obama taking an ax to the oval office desk.
Aug 11, 2012 at 10:37 a.m.
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and.........the Democrat/Republican Destruction Machine rolls further on.
Aug 11, 2012 at 9:24 a.m.
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mooshoo, I think you have it right. The recall Walker election had a record voter turnout and he handily won. The same turnout in the presidential election will put Wisconsin in the win for Romney. Wisconsin finnaly gets it.
Aug 11, 2012 at 9:07 a.m.
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Hey Gazette - any chance I can get an ignore button for yada and wislady?
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:58 a.m.
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The "left" vs the "right".....y'all are looking in the wrong direction. The misguided American mindset.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:36 a.m.
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Biden won't stand a chance in the VP debate
Ryan is clear and articulate, has facts to back up his statements not just the partyline talking points.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:28 a.m.
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Oblamer... honestly I think your confusing Joe with your talking head!
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:26 a.m.
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After reading the comments on this article I've noticed that we have some folks that are very afraid of Paul Ryan. Why? Because they just want government programs to solve their problems. I truly believe there is a large segment of our population that couldn't care less if the country went belly up broke! When feeling threatened, they call people names & get mean.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:25 a.m.
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Missmarysunshine,
"where do I get my romney/ryan bumper sticker?"
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CHINA, Americas demand to much; salary, workplace safety, environmental regulations, taxes for roads, bridges, fire and police.
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This is a peak into the Romney /Ryan USA... Made in 3rd world.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:15 a.m.
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Hey blue fisted drum beaters...... THIS is the real 'HOPE AND CHANGE'. Wisconsin will go Republican, no matter what the so called poles say!! Great choice!! This is a winner!!!
bye bye 'chicken little'............
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:09 a.m.
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I am sure Biden has had to change his Depends several times this morning.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:07 a.m.
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No president has won re-election with and economy like this.
Romney and Ryan, Americas comeback team.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:06 a.m.
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I am a happy girl this morning. I am seeing Dems shaking in their boots this morning on the news shows.
Aug 11, 2012 at 8:02 a.m.
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carlitosway
Educate yourself on the facts, and quit being a "Julia".
Aug 11, 2012 at 8 a.m.
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carlito-The best man in office? Is that what you believe? You talk about morals and values and say Obama is the best man in office-he has such low morals and values that he's a national joke. He is a typical Chicago politician-if you don't know what that means move down there. You know some of us you are smart enough to know that if something isn't done some Social Security and Medicare will go bankrupt.
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:55 a.m.
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Paul Ryan voted for both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He continues to vote for the Patriot Act. He's against same sex marriage, contraceptives, and woman's rights. What about his rejection of Ayn Rand after he found out she was an atheist?
Former Ryan:
"The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand."
Current Ryan after he found out she was atheist:
"I reject her philosophy... It’s an atheist philosophy. It reduces human interactions down to mere contracts and it is antithetical to my worldview."
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:49 a.m.
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4041 comments and counting....lol At least she has a funny perspective of political life.
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:47 a.m.
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PACKOLIES...EXCELLENT POINT! Paul Ryan is a big J O K E ! This is a plus for the President.
"IS PAUL RYAN DELUSIONAL"
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/20...
"PAUL RYAN GETS BOOED FOR SUPPORTING WEALTHY TAX BREAKS"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5kgnE1Xv...
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:44 a.m.
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wislady NOt a reliable source as always Don't you get that most of youtube videos can be edited and cropped so people like you think they are REAL. You should change your blog name as Women and LADIES do not support those that take their rights away, as in No equal pay, No choice over own their own body, NO decisions as to birth control and family planning. You amaze me as to supporting the very ones that treat women as objects and trying to take away their voice, You most likely thought the movie *Stepford Wives* was an acceptable way of treating women. I do not understand anyone that supports people who have no RESPECT FOR WOMEN!!!!!!, CHILDREN and ELDERLY... Especially a woman.
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:33 a.m.
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obama's lead just got bigger.
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:33 a.m.
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Even when I was voting mostly Democrat, I still cast my vote for Paul Ryan. This will lock up the Republican Presidency for the next 16 years.
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:33 a.m.
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People from his area and hometown will most likely vote for Romney not because he is a good choice but because his sidekick is a local boy who is trying to destroy the people that matter right along with Mittens. To vote for someone because he is local, What a Joke. To those that do not value family and the rights of the American people this is your DUO . to those of us that do have morals and values, that care about seniors, children, middle class and equal rights for women, this is the icing on the cake that keeps the Best Man in Office!! OBAMA 2012
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:29 a.m.
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This puts Janesville on the map. Great news. Maybe congressman Paul Ryan can 'fix' the whole country the way that Governor Scott Walker 'fixed' Wisconsin. Cross your fingers!
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:19 a.m.
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Great news ! Where do I get my Romney/Ryan bumper sticker ?
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:12 a.m.
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bahahahah! Just locked p 4 more years for the President!! Thanks Mittwitt!
Aug 11, 2012 at 7:10 a.m.
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Paul Ryan: Hiding Spending Doesn't Reduce Spending
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPxMZ1WdI...
Aug 11, 2012 at 6:56 a.m.
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awesome! Teapartiers line up to vote for your career politician... that's what we need or don't need in washington.... I forget, it flip flops all over the place...
Aug 11, 2012 at 6:53 a.m.
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I hate to lose my Congressman, but he is an excellent choice for the next VP. He can articulate Obama under the bus, nevermind Biden the walking gaffe.
Aug 11, 2012 at 6:49 a.m.
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Local Boy does good. Good pick. Go get em boys !
Aug 11, 2012 at 6:43 a.m.
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Mitt just lost my vote
Aug 11, 2012 at 6:23 a.m.
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Everyonesacri......"Eddie Munster"?? It's a crack up when people like you can be critical of a person's appearance when sitting behind a keyboard. It's a good bet that you're trying to compensate for your own inadequacies. Please post a link to a pic of yourself, we could all use a good laugh this morning!:)
Aug 11, 2012 at 6:14 a.m.
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I'm just glad Romney didn't go after Governor Walker.....Walker has been and will continue to be instrumental in setting our state on the right course. He is one of the few politicians who failed to fold under pressure. Good luck to the Romney/Ryan ticket......They definitely have my vote!
Aug 11, 2012 at 5:45 a.m.
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Didn't Eddie Munster say he wouldn't accept if he was asked to be the running mate?
Aug 11, 2012 at 5:19 a.m.
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I'm with zoso. Recent trend had me voting for myself for president. I was looking forward to voting against obama this year, but Romney makes my stomach turn. Looks like I'll be scribbling the ole john hancock once again.
Aug 11, 2012 at 4:56 a.m.
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Steve I believe he can stay on the ballot for the 1st district.
Aug 11, 2012 at 4:43 a.m.
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I'm assuming this means he'll back down from his reelection bid for the House? Or not? What does this mean for our local race?
Aug 11, 2012 at 4:16 a.m.
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I think Ryan stains himself by assocoacion with Romney. Frankly I'm surprised Ryan accepted the VP offer.
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Ryan is very unlike Romney.
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Look for Ryan to distinguish himself to be as far away from Romney as his is from President Obama.
Aug 11, 2012 at 4:14 a.m.
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Cue the hate circus of posters on this story....
Aug 11, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.
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You can pair Romney with Jesus and I'd still vote for NONE OF THE ABOVE.
Aug 11, 2012 at 3:24 a.m.
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I thought Paul Ryan was a Republican.
Aug 11, 2012 at 2:44 a.m.
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I hope the rumor turns out to be true. Granted many on the left do not like Ryans budget plan but work with him on what you don't like. There are parts I dont like also but it is time for us to come together as a nation and start somewhere. It is not impossible. At least it is a start of a budget unlike where it has been for the last 3 years.
Aug 11, 2012 at 2:29 a.m.
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Finally Gov. Romney has chosen a running mate. Can't wait for the debates. I was hoping Obama would succeed in his "hope and change" but that hasn't been the case. The latest TV ads have left me very disappointed in him because he hasn't denounced them. If Obama doesn't believe in or approved of those ads, he should come forward and say so. If he doesn't, that tells me he gives his blessing. Very sad.
Aug 11, 2012 at 1:45 a.m.
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Very interesting.
Aug 11, 2012 at 1:35 a.m.
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I see a winning ticket. A very smart choice in my opinion.
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