NBC: Romney Picks Ryan as Veep

National Journal

The House Budget Committee chairman is famous for his unsparing budget.

  • NBC News reported that seven-term Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, will be presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s running mate this fall.

  • Ryan, 42, is an intellectual leader of the conservative movement, noted for authoring a GOP budget that sharply cuts taxes, spending and entitlements. Like Republicans in the House and Senate, Romney has embraced the controversial plan.

  • Ryan’s presence on the ticket gives Democrats an opening to attack his budget priorities, which include cuts in Medicare.

  • President Obama leads in polls of Wisconsin, but Romney is making a play for the state.

  • Romney hinted at his choice in an interview this week with NBC when he said he would pick someone who has “a vision for the country that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country.”