SPRINGFIELD, Va.--Former Alabama Democratic Rep. Artur Davis, who defected to the Republican Party earlier this year, appeared with Paul Ryan at a rally here Friday.
Davis, who now lives in Virginia and will be a featured speaker at the Republican Party convention later this month, spoke before Ryan and focused partially on how he predicted Democrats would oppose him throughout the campaign.
"One week ago our Democratic friends believed that they were going to win an election based on fear and they were going to scare our seniors about Medicare," Davis said. "One week later, after Paul Ryan has been doing some truth-telling, America knows that there's only one candidate for president who had a plan to cut Medicare by $700 billion, and that is Barack Obama, the president of the United States."
Davis was one of earliest Democrats to endorse then-Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for president during the presidential campaign in 2008, was a co-chair for Obama's campaign and spoke in his favor at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Four years later, however, his positive words and endorsements go to Republicans.
"This man," Davis said, turning to Ryan on the stage, "wrote a budget plan with tough, hard, necessary choices and put his name on it. I like that about him. Congressman Ryan, my old friend, my vice president-to-be, let me tell you something, sir: For every stone they throw at you, we will build another stone to lift you up."
After the event, Davis said he wasn't sure how large a role he would play in the Romney campaign, but predicted that he would keep his efforts within Virginia.
"I'm going to do what I can to help them, I don't have any illusion that's a whole lot, but I'm going to do what I can to help him," he said. "Virginia's my home now, so I'm happy to stay home."