Mitt Romney's Remarks in Norfolk, VA

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today delivered the following remarks in Norfolk, Virginia after he selected Paul Ryan to be his Vice Presidential running mate:

Ladies and gentlemen:

It’s great to be back in Virginia and here in Norfolk. Your city's beauty is only matched by its proud heritage as a defender of freedom. Today we take another step forward in helping restore the promise of America. As we move forward in this campaign and on to help lead the nation to better days, it is an honor to announce my running mate and the next Vice President of the United States: Paul Ryan.

Paul Ryan is a leader.

His leadership begins with character and values. And Paul is a man of tremendous character, shaped in large part by his early life.

Paul’s father died when he was in high school. That forced him to grow up earlier than any young man should. But Paul did, with the help of his devoted mother, his brothers and sister, and a supportive community. And as he did, he internalized the virtues and hard-working ethic of the Midwest.

Paul Ryan works in Washington – but his beliefs remain firmly rooted in Janesville, Wisconsin. He is a person of great steadiness, whose integrity is unquestioned and whose word is good.

Paul’s upbringing is obvious in how he has conducted himself throughout his life, including his leadership in Washington.

In a city that is far too often characterized by pettiness and personal attacks, Paul Ryan is a shining exception. He does not demonize his opponents. He understands that honorable people can have honest differences. And he appeals to the better angels of our nature. There are a lot of people in the other party who might disagree with Paul Ryan; I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t respect his character and judgment.

Paul is in public life for all the right reasons – not to advance his personal ambitions but to advance the ideals of freedom and justice; and to increase opportunity and prosperity to people of every class and faith, every age and ethnic background. A faithful Catholic, Paul believes in the worth and dignity of every human life.

With energy and vision, Paul Ryan has become an intellectual leader of the Republican Party. He understands the fiscal challenges facing America: our exploding deficits and crushing debt – and the fiscal catastrophe that awaits us if we don’t change course.

Paul Ryan combines a profound sense of responsibility for what we owe the next generation with an unbounded optimism in America’s future and an understanding of all the wonderful things the American people can do.

Paul also combines firm principles with a practical concern for getting things done. He has never been content to simply curse the darkness; he would rather light candles. And throughout his legislative career he’s shown the ability to work with members of both parties to find common ground on some of the hardest issues confronting the American people.

Paul and I are beginning on a journey that will take us to every corner of America. We are offering a positive, governing agenda that will lead to economic growth, to widespread and shared prosperity, and that will improve the lives of our fellow citizens. Our Plan to Strengthen The Middle Class will get America back to work and get our country back on track.

We offer solutions that are bold, specific, and achievable. We offer our commitment to help create 12 million new jobs and to bring better take home pay to middle class families.

To strengthen the middle class, we will provide our workers and our children with the skills to succeed. We’ll cut the deficit, have trade that works for America, and champion small business. And finally, we will unleash our energy resources to achieve North American energy independence.

We will help care for those who cannot care for themselves, and we will return work to welfare. As poverty has risen to historic and tragic levels, with nearly one out of six Americans now having fallen into poverty, we will act to bring these families into the middle class. Unlike the current president who has cut Medicare funding by $700 billion, we will preserve and protect Medicare and Social Security. Under the current president, healthcare has only become more expensive. We will reform healthcare so that more Americans have access to affordable healthcare, and we will get that started by repealing and replacing Obamacare.

And at a time when the President's campaign is taking American politics to new lows, we are going to do things differently. We are going to talk about aspirations and American ideals; about bringing people together to solve the urgent problems facing our nation. And when that message wins in America, it will be a victory for every American.

Today is a good day for America. And there are better days ahead. Join me in welcoming the next Vice President of the United States - Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan's Remarks in Norfolk, VA

Boston, MA – Congressman Paul Ryan today delivered the following remarks in Norfolk, Virginia after Mitt Romney selected him to be his Vice Presidential running mate:

Thank you Governor Romney, Ann. I am deeply honored and excited to join you as your running mate.

Mitt Romney is a leader with the skills, the background and the character that our country needs at a crucial time in its history. Following four years of failed leadership, the hopes of our country, which have inspired the world, are growing dim; and they need someone to revive them. Governor Romney is the man for this moment; and he and I share one commitment: we will restore the dreams and greatness of this country.

I want you to meet my family. My wife Janna, our daughter Liza, and our sons, Charlie and Sam.

I am surrounded by the people I love, and I have been asked by Governor Romney to serve the country I love.

Janesville, Wisconsin is where I was born and raised, and I never really left it. It’s our home now.

For the last 14 years, I have proudly represented Wisconsin in Congress. There, I have focused on solving the problems that confront our country, and turning ideas into action; and action into solutions.

I am committed, in heart and mind, to putting that experience to work in a Romney Administration. This is a crucial moment in the life of our nation; and it is absolutely vital that we select the right man to lead America back to prosperity and greatness.

That man is standing next to me. His name is Mitt Romney. And he will be the next president of the United States

My dad died when I was young. He was a good and decent man. I still remember a couple of things he would say that have really stuck with me. "Son you are either part of the problem or part of the solution."

Regrettably, President Obama has become part of the problem,...and Mitt Romney is the solution.

The other thing my dad would say is that every generation of Americans leaves their children better off. That's the American legacy.

Sadly, for the first time in our history, we are on a path which will undo that legacy. That is why we need new leadership to become part of the solution – new leadership to restore prosperity, economic growth, and jobs.

It is our duty to save the American Dream for our children, and theirs.

And I believe there is no person in America who is better prepared – because of his experience; because of the principles he holds; and because of his achievements and excellence in so many different arenas – to lead America at this point in its history.

Let me say a word about the man Mitt Romney will replace. No one disputes President Obama inherited a difficult situation. And, in his first 2 years, with his party in complete control of Washington, he passed nearly every item on his agenda. But that didn’t make things better.

In fact, we find ourselves in a nation facing debt, doubt and despair.

This is the worst economic recovery in 70 years. Unemployment has been above 8 percent for more than three years, the longest run since the Great Depression. Families are hurting.

We have the largest deficits and the biggest federal government since WWII.

Nearly 1 out of 6 Americans are in poverty--the worst rate in a generation. Moms and dads are struggling to make ends meet.

Household incomes have dropped by more than $4,000 over the past four years.

Whatever the explanations, whatever the excuses, this is a record of failure.

President Obama, and too many like him in Washington, have refused to make difficult decisions because they are more worried about their next election than they are about the next generation. We might have been able to get away with that before, but not now. We’re in a different, and dangerous, moment. We're running out of time -- and we can't afford 4 more years of this.

Politicians from both parties have made empty promises which will soon become broken promises--with painful consequences--if we fail to act now.

I represent a part of America that includes inner cities, rural areas, suburbs and factory towns. Over the years I have seen and heard from a lot from families, from those running small businesses, and from people who are in need. But what I have heard lately troubles me the most. There is something different in their voice and in their words. What I hear from them are diminished dreams, lowered expectations, uncertain futures.

I hear some people say that this is just "the new normal." High unemployment, declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal. It's the result of misguided policies. And next January, our economy will begin a comeback with the Romney Plan for a Stronger Middle Class that will lead to more jobs and more take home pay for working Americans.

America is on the wrong track; but Mitt Romney and I will take the right steps, in the right time, to get us back on the right track!

I believe my record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Governor Romney’s executive and private sector success outside Washington. I have worked closely with Republicans as well as Democrats to advance an agenda of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and job creation.

I’m proud to stand with a man who understands what it takes to foster job creation in our economy, someone who knows from experience, that if you have a small business—you did build that.

At Bain Capital, he launched new businesses and he turned around failing ones – companies like Staples, Bright Horizons and Sports Authority, just to name a few. Mitt Romney created jobs and showed he knows how a free economy works.

At the Olympics, he took a failing enterprise and made it the pride of our entire nation.

As governor of Massachusetts, he worked with Democrats and Republicans to balance budgets with no tax increases, lower unemployment, increase income and improve people’s lives.

In all of these things, Mitt Romney has shown himself to be a man of achievement, excellence and integrity.

Janna and I tell Liza, Charlie and Sam that America is a place where, if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead.

We Americans look at one another's success with pride, not resentment, because we know, as more Americans work hard, take risks, and succeed, more people will prosper, our communities will benefit, and individual lives will be improved and uplifted.

But America is more than just a place...it's an idea. It's the only country founded on an idea. Our rights come from nature and God, not government. We promise equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.

This idea is founded on the principles of liberty, freedom, free enterprise, self-determination and government by consent of the governed.

This idea is under assault. So, we have a critical decision to make as a nation.

We are on an unsustainable path that is robbing America of our freedom and security. It doesn't have to be this way.

The commitment Mitt Romney and I make to you is this:

We won't duck the tough issues...we will lead!

We won't blame others...we will take responsibility!

We won't replace our founding principles...we will reapply them!

We will honor you, our fellow citizens, by giving you the right and opportunity to make the choice:

What kind of country do we want to have?

What kind of people do we want to be?

We can turn this thing around. Real solutions can be delivered. But, it will take leadership. And the courage to tell you the truth.

Mitt Romney is this kind of leader. I'm excited for what lies ahead and I'm thrilled to be a part of America's Comeback Team. And together, we will unite America and get this done.

Thank you.

Ryan for Veep Reactions

Tom Zawistowski, President of Ohio Liberty Coalition:

Columbus, Ohio - The Ohio Liberty Coalition released a statement today supporting the announcement of Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan as the Vice-Presidential pick of Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. OLC President Tom Zawistowski said "Our members will see this as a solid conservative pick and will be excited about supporting a Romney-Ryan ticket. It tells us that Mitt Romney intends to take our current and future financial challenges seriously. That he is willing to do the difficult things that must be done to get government spending and regulations under control and allow the private sector to start growing again. Paul Ryan is an excellent choice and he will be a valuable asset on the campaign trail and in working with Congress as the Vice-President."

He concluded by saying, "This pick will force the Obama camp out of their campaign of distraction and into a position of having to defend their failed economic policies and flawed tax-and-spend socialist economic philosophies. Paul Ryan understands our fiscal issues better than anyone and is articulate enough to make the case for fiscal reform in an easy to understand manner that will connect with the American people."

Rob Gleason, Chairman of Republican Party of Pennsylvania:

Today it is official; Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan to join him on the Republican ticket as his Vice Presidential running mate.

A Romney-Ryan team will close the door on four years of President Obama's high unemployment, out-of-control spending, and usher a new era of American prosperity.

Chairman Reince Priebus and RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day of RNC:

"My friend and fellow Wisconsinite Paul Ryan will serve America admirably as the next Vice President of the United States. Today, Americans are starving for leaders who can fix our economy and get our spending under control. Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan have the knowledge, expertise and vision we need to get America working again and get our fiscal house in order. Across the country, Americans are hurting, but America's Comeback Team will offer us a new direction and a brighter future. I congratulate Governor Romney on his excellent decision. This is a great day for Wisconsin and for America," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

"I share the Chairman's enthusiasm for Congressman Paul Ryan. The Romney-Ryan ticket will help get America working again," said RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day.

Congressman Allen West:

"I am pleased to congratulate my colleague, Congressman Paul Ryan, on being selected to join Mitt Romney on the road to the White House as his Vice Presidential running-mate. As I have always said, I will wholeheartedly support the Republican candidates, and with true fiscal conservative Paul Ryan, on the ticket, I am particularly pleased to do so.

Congressman Ryan has a deep understanding of the fiscal challenges facing our nation in both the short and long term. He has consistently provided realistic, actionable solutions that will keep our promises to our seniors while putting our economy back on the "Road to Prosperity." Unlike President Obama, he put forward a serious budget.

The damaging economic policies of President Obama's administration have left Americans with unemployment at or above 8% for 42 months and they are now facing the largest tax increase in history. His foreign policies have emboldened our enemies and left our allies vulnerable. Our nation cannot afford to continue down this destructive path which seeks to wed more Americans to government handouts, saddles our children and grandchildren with insurmountable debt, weakens our defenses at home and abroad, and turns Americans against each other. President Romney and Vice President Ryan will put our nation back on a course of economic freedom and equality of opportunity for all Americans.

The combination of Mitt Romney's successful record in business and government, and Paul Ryan's legislative experience and willingness to lead on pressing fiscal problems is just the recipe to get America back on the right path. President Mitt Romney and Vice President Paul Ryan are what we need to begin restoring the greatness of our Constitutional Republic."

Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida:

“I applaud Mitt Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate. Congressman Ryan’s command of economic policy and the federal budget will prove invaluable as Governor Romney fights to reform government, accelerate job growth and rein in the out-of-control spending that has been a hallmark of President Obama’s years in office. This courageous choice is the type of leadership American voters deserve. And, I believe it will ensure a victory for the Romney-Ryan ticket this November.”

Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana:

"Paul is a good friend and one of the smartest guys I served with in Congress. He has the courage of his convictions, which is what our nation needs."

Gingrich Statement on House GOP Budget

Release:

Atlanta, GA – Newt Gingrich issued the following statement reacting to the release of the House GOP budget.

“The House GOP budget is a courageous plan that correctly understands the key to returning to a balanced budget is robust economic growth, spending control and bold entitlement reform, including the Ryan-Wyden optional premium support plan in Medicare. Chairman Ryan and the House Republican’s leadership stands in stark contrast with that of the Democratic Senate, which has once again, failed to produce a budget.”

“My plan to grow the economy and balance the budget differs in details but shares the same core principles as Ryan’s impressive effort. As president I would work very closely with Chairman Ryan to reform government and balance the budget.”

Blip. Blip. blip. Is Your Republican Candidate "On the Radar?"

The NRCC has announced candidates who are almost Young Guns. From the release:

The National Republican Congressional Committee today announced the third round of candidates to reach the ‘On the Radar’ level of the ‘Young Guns’ program. The ‘Young Guns’ program was started in the 2007-2008 cycle by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Paul Ryan (R-WI) as a Member-driven program, and in 2009 Chairman Sessions adapted the program as the NRCC’s official blueprint for recruiting candidates for open seats and unseating Democrat incumbents across the country. Reps. Cantor, McCarthy and Ryan remain active in the program, helping candidates fight the failed Democrat status quo in Washington. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) is leading candidate recruitment this cycle as the NRCC’s Vice Chair for Recruitment.

“These six candidates have proven themselves by meeting critical benchmarks toward building winning campaigns to defeat Washington Democrats’ failed agenda,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX). “These candidates are ready to fight for pro-growth solutions on behalf of middle-class families and small businesses that are struggling under Democrats’ tax, borrow and spend policies. With strong candidates like our On the Radar candidates, Democrats face an even more difficult road on their drive to make Nancy Pelosi Speaker again.”

In reaching the second of four steps in the ‘Young Guns’ program, these six Republican candidates are demonstrating their ability to reach important organizational and fundraising benchmarks that will bring their campaigns closer to victory over the Democrats who continue to control Washington.

“Our next candidates to reach On the Radar are business owners, job creators and dedicated public servants who represent Americans’ frustration with Washington’s job-destroying economic policies,” said NRCC Deputy Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). “These candidates have all displayed the ability to establish strong campaigns very early in a cycle where, despite the historic gains in the last election, opportunities for pick-ups remain in play for Republicans. I congratulate these candidates for their leadership in achieving clear goals and securing resources towards election victory.”

“The Young Guns program was critical to retaking the House last cycle, but there is more we must do to move this country in the right direction,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA). “That means continuing to identify, recruit and resource the best and brightest candidates using the Young Guns platform. I look forward to working with the NRCC to increase our majority next year and congratulate these candidates on their hard work.”

“The Young Guns program was designed to bring change to Washington and we are excited that around the country, strong candidates are doing what's needed to win in 2012,” said House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). “We need the strongest Republicans running in districts like these to ensure we are able to put in place policies to get people back to work and put our country on a path to fiscal sanity.”

The NRCC's latest 'On the Radar' candidates are:

Kirk Adams (AZ-06)
Matt Salmon (AZ-06)
Tom Cotton (AR-04)
Ricky Gill (CA-09)
Karen Diebel (FL)
Keith Rothfus (PA)

You can find out more about the Young Guns and those who are On the Radar here.

Paul Ryan Mixes Truths with B.S. in Asking Obama Where's His Budget

Rep. Paul Ryan is a young man that I admire. However, in trying to defend this debt ceiling "deal", he loses some of his luster. That being said, he does ask some salient and pertinent questions in his latest WSJ editorial. Here are some of the important exerpts:

During the negotiations over raising the debt ceiling, President Obama reportedly warned Republican leaders not to call his bluff by sending him a bill without tax increases. Republicans in Congress ignored this threat and passed a bill that cuts more than a dollar in spending for every dollar it increases the debt limit, without raising taxes.

Yesterday, Mr. Obama signed this bill into law. He was, as he said, bluffing.

That's a creative way of selling the crap sandwich, sir. Obama called YOUR bluff by getting the Senate to veto CutCapBalance and all of Boehner's halfway decent plans. He got you and the House boys to kowtow to accounting gimmicks and a commission that puts taxes on the table. Don't try to sell us this bill of goods.

However, Ryan does hit his stride here:

the president still hasn't shown us his cards. He still hasn't put forward a credible plan to tackle the threat of ever-rising spending and debt, and his evasiveness is emblematic of the party he leads.

Ever since they abused the budget process to jam their health-care takeover through Congress last year, the Democrats have simply done away with serious budgeting altogether. The simplest explanation—and the president's real bluff—is that they don't want to commit publicly to the kind of tax increases and health-care rationing that would be required to sustain their archaic vision of government.

The president's February budget deliberately dodged the tough choices necessary to confront the threat of runaway federal spending. It was rejected unanimously in a Senate controlled by his own party. Since then he has offered a lot of rhetoric but no real plan to avoid a spending-driven debt crisis. His speeches and press conferences are no substitutes for actual budgets with specific numbers and independently verified projections of future deficits and debt. Meanwhile, it has been over two years since the Democrat-controlled Senate passed any budget at all. This is a historic failure to fulfill one of the most basic responsibilities of governing.

This leadership deficit has thrown the federal budget process into chaos at the worst possible time. Even though Congress has cut spending by a significant amount, it still hasn't dealt with the drivers of our debt—primarily federal spending on health care.

Mr. Ryan, the House hasn't led. Boehner got led, played, fooled, bamboozled and so did you. This deal doesn't do a damn thing to address our serious problems. You let Obama off the hook by letting the deal run past the election. You and B**ch McConnell and the sheep in the Senate took debt off the table. Nice work, thanks for making Obama's reelection campaign easier. But, you are right. THERE IS NO LEADERSHIP IN WASHINGTON, save Jim DeMint. But your buddies in the Senate won't listen to him, and you guys in the House have showed you don't have much of a spine, either.
And the situation is dire:

The math is scary, yet simple: In the years ahead, spending on programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Democrats' new health-care entitlements is projected to skyrocket relative to the size of the economy, even as federal spending on everything else is projected to decline....
Even the president seems to understand that the status quo of these programs is unsustainable. As he put it during a press conference on July 11, "If you look at the numbers, then Medicare in particular will run out of money, and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go up."

On this point, Mr. Obama and I couldn't agree more. Where we disagree is over how best to confront this problem.

No, Paul, you allowed your speaker to do this with Barry O and B**ch McConnell:


Rep. Ryan goes on to talk about the seriousness of Medicare and how we are failing. Then he ends his editorial with a big lie that Boehner and Co. tried to get us to believe:

The president tried to use the debt-ceiling negotiations to secure the first of many tax increases that his party needs to pay for its legacy of unfunded promises. He failed. Instead, Republicans won the policy debate by securing the first of many spending restraints we need to avoid a debt-driven economic calamity.

Much hard work remains. But this work will be harder still if leading Democrats remain unwilling to lay their cards on the table and give the American people the debate they deserve.

Taxes are still on the table with this deal, Paul. If you and leadership didn't see that, then you are blind and stupid. If you did see it, then you are being duplicitous. Either way, it is not a bright spot for Speaker Boehner's and Ldr Cantor's leadership.

Paul Ryan Nails it .....Again

See the video at RCP:

"Here's the problem we have right now, Mr. Speaker. We have a leadership deficit. I keep hearing about the President's got a plan. The President's offering balance. The President hasn't offered a thing yet. Nothing on paper. Nothing in public. Leading on reporters at press conferences is not leadership. Giving speeches according to the CBO is not budgeting.

"The President did inherit a tough problem. No two ways about it. What did he do with this problem? He drove us deeper into debt. $1 trillion of borrowed money for a stimulus that was promised to keep unemployment below 8% and went up to 10% and now it's at 9.2%. A stalled economy. A budget the President gave us that doubles the debt in five years and triples it in 10 years. That's not leadership," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said on the House floor.

Obama "Budget" vs. Ryan Budget--The Choice is Clear

A bipartisan group has examined the supposed Obama budget plan and has found it to be an epic fail:

Using CBO rather than OMB numbers, we estimate that the plan is unlikely to result in a declining debt-to-GDP ratio, and would thus rely on the proposed “Debt Failsafe” to achieve further savings...
...The President’s Framework falls short of both he Fiscal Commission recommendations and those from the House Budget Committee, both of which would reduce the deficit by over $4 trillion and reduce the debt to below 69 percent of GDP by the end of the 10-year period. … Measured against CBO assumptions, it does not appear that the $2.5 trillion of deficit reduction in the President’s Framework would be sufficient to reduce the deficit to 2.5 percent of GDP in 2015 or 2 percent in 2020, as claimed. Using reasonable phase-in assumptions, we estimate that unless the debt failsafe is employed (as it would be in this circumstance), deficits would remain at or above 3 percent of GDP throughout the decade. As a result, debt would continue to slowly increase as a share of the economy, reaching 77 percent of GDP by 2021.

As it is, the Obama "plan" will save 40% less than the Ryan budget, even using OMB's rather rosy numbers.

The bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the Ryan Plan cuts more debt than the Obama Plan. Also note that while the White House said its plan relied just 25 percent on higher taxes (33 percent if you exclude interest), the CFRB found that it actually relies 30 percent on higher tax revenue (40 percent if you exclude interest.) And since the debt trigger would be pulled, even higher taxes would be possible, as well additional spending cuts.

Speaker Boehner Applauds Chairman Paul Ryan’s Budget, “The Path to Prosperity”

Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement regarding  Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) fiscal year 2012 House budget resolution:

            “The American people understand we can’t continue spending money we don’t have, especially when doing so is making it harder to create jobs and get our economy back on track.  The Administration has put forward a budget for next year that raises taxes by $1.5 trillion and is silent on our debt crisis, a surefire recipe for destroying jobs.  Our budget will help spur job creation today, stop spending money we don’t have, and lift the crushing burden of debt that threatens our children’s future.  Our budget also recognizes Americans are concerned not just about how much government spends, but how government spends it, and keeps our pledge to set strict budget caps that limit federal spending on annual basis.  Most importantly, this budget shows families and small businesses that we’re serious about dealing with America’s spending illness so we can put our country on a path to prosperity. 

            “Chairman Ryan and the members of the Budget Committee have done an excellent job putting together a budget worthy of the American people.  I hope every American concerned about our country’s future will take a look at it.”

            NOTE: The House Budget Committee’s FY2012 budget resolution cuts $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next decade compared to the president’s budget, and $5.8 trillion relative to the current baseline.  For more information on the fiscal year 2012 House budget resolution, visit http://budget.house.gov/fy2012budget/.

Some people claim that this budget doesn't have Boehner's support.  That it isn't sponsored by the GOP.  Some people are either liars or misinformed.  Glad I could clear that up for some people.