Romney's pick of Ryan as his running mate energizes conservatives, opponents - CNNPolitics.com Romney's pick of Ryan as his running mate energizes conservatives, opponents From the CNN Political Unit Updated 10:42 PM ET, Sun August 12, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Rep. Paul Ryan, R.-Wisconsin, was elected the 54th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, October 29, after receiving the votes of 236 members. The vote was largely a formality after House Republicans nominated him for the position on Wednesday, October 28. Hide Caption 1 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan announced Monday, January 12, that he would not run for president in 2016, preferring instead to focus on policy work as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Ryan, the GOP's 2012 vice presidential nominee, has long been seen as a top contender for the presidency.

Hide Caption 2 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan, center, speaks with Rep. Devin Nunes, R-California, before a House Ways and Means Committee meeting on March 12, 2014. Hide Caption 3 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan and his wife, Janna, arrive at a state dinner at the White House in honor of French President Francois Hollande on February 11, 2014 . Hide Caption 4 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Willie Robertson of the reality TV series "Duck Dynasty" poses for a picture with Ryan and his wife, Janna, before President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on January 28, 2014. Hide Caption 5 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 15, 2013.

Hide Caption 6 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan greets supporters during a presidential campaign rally with Mitt Romney at The Square at Union Centre in West Chester, Ohio, on November 2, 2012. Hide Caption 7 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin speaks during a campagin stop at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on August 13, 2012. It was the newly minted GOP vice presidential candidate's first solo stop since becoming Romney's running mate. Hide Caption 8 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan speaks after Romney announced him as his running mate in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 11, 2012. Hide Caption 9 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Romney introduced Ryan as his running mate in front of the USS Wisconsin. The seven-term congressman provides a strong contrast to the Obama administration on fiscal policy. Hide Caption 10 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Romney jokes with Ryan in April 2012 during a pancake brunch at Bluemound Gardens in Milwaukee.

Hide Caption 11 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan looks on as Romney greets people June 18, 2012, during a campaign event in Janesville, Wisconsin. Hide Caption 12 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan speaks while campaigning for Romney at a textile factory in Janesville, Wisconsin, on June 18, 2012. Hide Caption 13 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan, left, and Romney greet each other on stage April 3, 2012, during the primary night gathering at The Grain Exchange in Milwaukee. Hide Caption Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan introduces Romney at a town hall meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 2, 2012. Hide Caption 15 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan is introduced before speaking about the federal budget at Georgetown University on April 26, 2012.

Hide Caption 16 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan holds a news conference in December 2011 in Washington to introduce a package of 10 legislative reforms designed to revamp the budget process. Hide Caption 17 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan listens as Ben Bernanke, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget annual conference in Washington on June 14, 2011. Hide Caption 18 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan looks over papers as he waits for other House Republicans to arrive for a news conference in the Capitol Visitors Center in 2010. Hide Caption Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan speaks to the media in 2009 about President Barack Obama's 2010 budget proposal. Hide Caption 20 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan, left, and Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire speak to reporters about the 2010 federal budget. Hide Caption 21 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Then-Budget Committee Chairman John M.

Spratt Jr., left, and ranking member Ryan listen to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testify during the House Budget hearing on the economy on January 17, 2008. Hide Caption 22 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan follows President George W. Bush off of Air Force One at General Mitchell International Airport - Air Reserve Station in Milwaukee on July 11, 2006. Hide Caption 23 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Ryan speaks at a Cato Institute briefing on Medicare reform in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on July 22, 2003. Hide Caption 24 of 25 Photos: Paul Ryan, rising GOP star Speaker of the House Denis Hastert, left, administers the oath of office to Ryan at the beginning of his first term as representative of Wisconsin on January 6, 1999. Hide Caption Ryan learned leadership at a young age, Romney says Ryan wrote a GOP budget plan, which seeks to revamp entitlement programs Biden welcomes Ryan to the race, which he says will provide "clear choice" Mitt Romney on Saturday announced U.S. Rep.

Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate for the White House -- a bold and risky move that energized both conservatives and their opponents. Ryan is a rising Republican star and the party's leader on fiscal and budget issues. He said he is overwhelmed by the reaction to the announcement that he is Romney's running mate. "I was amazed at the energy, the crowd, people who just want to see us take the country in a different direction," Ryan said. "It's very exciting. We're going to win this campaign. We've got the wind behind us. I'm really excited about this race." How Romney campaign kept Ryan tap under wraps Ryan is the architect of a Republican spending plan that would overhaul many entitlement programs, making him a favorite of conservatives, whose support for Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been shaky. "You saw the response of our crowds, very excited to meet Paul Ryan to get to know him," Romney said. "A lot of them know him pretty well by virtue of things he's been fighting for, but it just means one more person to drive a very strong message." But the Romney camp was also quick to put some distance between Ryan's initial budget blueprint and his own. "Gov.

Romney applauds Paul Ryan for going in the right direction with his budget," the campaign said, "and as president he will be putting together his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance." His running mate choice draws some clear lines with Romney's Democratic opponents over the size of the cuts in Ryan's plan and his prior votes on taxes, which they say favor the wealthiest Americans -- a point of contention in an election in which both sides consider themselves champions of the middle class. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Rep. Paul Ryan up close 08:14 "Congressman Paul Ryan is an outstanding choice as our country's next vice president, and today's announcement demonstrates Governor Romney's commitment to returning fiscal sanity back to Washington, DC.," said former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who mounted the strongest conservative challenge to Romney's campaign in the Republican primaries. "I have long supported Paul Ryan's fiscal and entitlement reforms to return our country back on a path of fiscal health." Ryan, 42, is considered a policy wonk and conservative Catholic likely to energize the GOP base and sharpen the campaign's focus on government spending and the economy.

That could boost Romney's appeal among middle-of-the-road Catholic voters in battleground states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, though Ryan offers little in the way of foreign policy experience. The House Budget Committee chairman was chosen ahead of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. A campaign aide told CNN that Romney decided on Ryan on August 1. GOP sources said Friday that the latter three had all been told that they wouldn't be getting the nod. Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden contacted Ryan, welcoming him to the race, saying that he "looked forward to engaging him on the clear choice voters face this November." And Democrats were quick to make Ryan's fiscal policies a target. Analysis: A bold but risky choice for running mate "Congressman Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney are a match made in millionaires' heaven, but they'll be a nightmare for seniors who've earned their Medicare benefits," said New York Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "For the last 18 months, we've said Republicans will have to defend the indefensible -- their vote to end Medicare.

Now with Congressman Ryan on the ticket, House Republicans face the one thing they hoped to avoid -- a national debate on their budget that puts millionaires first and Medicare and the middle class last." The announcement comes at the end of a week in which Democrats continued relentless attacks on Romney over his refusal to reveal more of his tax records and which saw three polls in 24 hours showing Obama with a growing lead over his Republican challenger. A CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday showed a big jump in those who had an unfavorable opinion of the GOP candidate. While some analysts saw Romney's choice as risky, others thought Romney had to go big. "With Mitt Romney losing ground to President Obama in the polls, I don't see the selection of Paul Ryan as 'risky,' I see the choice as bold and necessary," Republican consultant Ford O'Connell told CNN. Timeline: Paul Ryan through the years CNN senior political analyst David Gergen says the Ryan pick is "an opportunity for the Romney campaign to go on the offense." Ryan, appearing with Romney in Norfolk, Virginia, at the beginning of a four-day, four-state bus tour moved quickly to position himself and Romney as champions of voters dissatisfied with the economy and to draw his own contrasts with President Barack Obama.

"We won't duck the tough issues, we will lead!" Ryan told a cheering crowd on the battleship USS Wisconsin. "We won't blame others, we will take responsibility. We won't replace our founding principles, we will reapply them." "I hear some people say that this is just 'the new normal.' Higher 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." Romney called Ryan "a faithful Catholic" who "believes in the worth and dignity of every human life." He lauded the fifth-generation Wisconsin native serving his seventh term in Congress as "an intellectual leader of the Republican Party" and a person who will help lead the country "to widespread and shared prosperity." Romney introduced his running mate saying that his "integrity is unquestioned and his word is good." Paul Ryan, top GOP voice on fiscal matters But Romney, 65, initially flubbed his big line, announcing, "Join me in welcoming the next president of the United States, Paul Ryan!" He recovered moments later when Ryan took the stage, saying, "Every now and then, I'm known to make a mistake. I did not make a mistake with this guy, but I can tell you this: He's going to be the next vice president of the United States." At a later stop in Manassas, Virginia, Ryan picked up again on the economy.

To choruses of "no" from the crowd, Ryan asked, "Do you think the economy is heading in the right direction? Do you think we're getting our debt and deficit under control? Do you think the country is on the right track?" "Do you know why? he asked. "Because President Obama is our president and he has put all of his policies in place and they're just not working." Romney then took the microphone, touting energy independence, improved worker skills and enhanced trade opportunities. First, he drew cheers for his choice of Ryan. "If you said one word about Paul Ryan it would probably be leader," Romney said. "This is a man who learned leadership young because leadership is a function of character and courage." Accolades on the veep choice poured in from Republicans. In a statement, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called Ryan, the House budget chairman, "a confirmation that Gov.

Romney is serious about strengthening America's economic future, tackling the deficits and debt that have skyrocketed under President Obama, and returning to a path to solvency and security." Pawlenty, in New Hampshire, called Ryan "a respected leader and a bold thinker regarding the changes needed to restore America." But the Obama campaign reacted to the announcement making familiar charges against the architect of GOP budget plans and tried to tie him to the incumbent's predecessor, which is consistently blamed for the country's economic doldrums. "In naming Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy," it said in a statement. "The architect of the radical Republican House budget, Ryan, like Romney, proposed an additional $250,000 tax cut for millionaires, and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid. His plan also would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher system, shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors.

As a member of Congress, Ryan rubber-stamped the reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy. Now the Romney-Ryan ticket would take us back by repeating the same, catastrophic mistakes." Democratic attacks on Ryan focus on changes to Medicare and Medicaid The bus tour will take Romney through major media markets in four battleground states -- Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, once a potential running mate, introduced Romney. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Richmond native, joined Romney at stops in the commonwealth on Saturday. Prior to Saturday's announcement, many Republicans who spoke to CNN -- all of them granted anonymity to speak freely without angering Romney officials in Boston -- wondered why Romney would announce the pick on a weekend when millions of potential voters are likely to be distracted by the Olympics, PGA golf, late-season baseball and the box office release of the latest Bourne thriller.

Romney names Paul Ryan as presidential running mate - France 24 Romney names Paul Ryan as presidential running mate Text by News Wires Latest update : 2012-08-30 Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney (left) named Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (right) as his would-be vice president on Saturday as he launches a bus tour as part of his bid to unseat President Barack Obama in November. AFP - White House challenger Mitt Romney unveiled deficit hawk congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate Saturday, in a bid to revive his flagging campaign to oust President Barack Obama. Buoyed by a boisterous crowd, the pair pledged to restore the country to greatness by reversing the Obama administration's failures, with Ryan saying their goal was nothing less than to "save the American dream." Romney's slip of the tongue "We can turn this thing around," the seven-term congressman from Wisconsin told cheering supporters in Norfolk, Virginia in the shadow of a hulking grey battleship appropriately named the USS Wisconsin. "High unemployment, declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal. It's the result of misguided policies," 42-year-old Ryan insisted, in his first public comments since becoming Romney's running mate.

"That is why we need new leadership to become part of the solution, new leadership to restore prosperity, economic growth and jobs," he added. "It is our duty to save the American dream for our children and theirs." In recent weeks Romney has slumped behind Obama in opinion polls, with the incumbent taking a clear lead nationally and in most of the dozen swing states that will decide the November 6 election. A Fox News national poll on Thursday put Obama at 49 percent to Romney's 40 while a CNN poll had Obama at 52 percent, seven points up on the Republican, a multimillionaire investor and former Massachusetts governor. FRANCE 24 PROFILE Rage against the machine: Trump and Sanders win big in New Hampshire primary (part 2) But by picking Ryan, a darling of small government conservatives, and embarking on a four-day bus tour across four battleground states, Romney hopes to regain the initiative in the run-up to November's vote. The Ryan rollout was impressively choreographed but did not go off without a hitch. Romney made a cringe-worth gaffe when he introduced the wonkish budget hawk as "the next president of the United States." Laughter and awkwardness ensued as Ryan strode down the USS Wisconsin.

Romney retook the podium, put his arm around Ryan, and said: "Every now and then I make a mistake... but I did not make a mistake with this guy." Ryan is chairman of the House Budget Committee, and earlier this year unveiled a budget plan -- widely backed by Republicans -- that slashes federal spending and lowers taxes for all Americans and corporations. Most controversial, it overhauls entitlement programs Medicare and Medicaid, and Democrats immediately went on the attack, alleging that the cuts would hurt the elderly who rely on such aid to pay for healthcare. Obama's campaign offered a swift retort to the new Republican ticket, warning that Ryan stands for "flawed" economic policies that would repeat "catastrophic" mistakes of previous Republican administrations. "Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said. Ryan's status as a Washington insider may turn off some voters, with Congress saddled by its lowest approval ratings on record, but Ryan said it complements Romney's executive and private sector success.

"I have worked closely with Republicans as well as Democrats to advance an agenda of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and job creation," Ryan said. "Real solutions can be delivered. But it will take leadership, and the courage to tell you the truth." Citing the anemic economic recovery, unemployment above eight percent, soaring deficits and federal spending, and plunging wages and home prices, Ryan said it was time to elect Republicans to end the "record of failure." "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," he said. Conservative pundits, many of who had been pressing for Ryan to be chosen, were broadly happy with the re-launch. Many expected Romney to go with a safer pick, such moderate conservative Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, or former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, whose blue-collar roots would have helped the ticket connect with everyday voters. Romney's one-time rival for the Republican nomination, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, expressed support for the pick on Saturday. "Mitt Romney made a very courageous decision for a big solutions, big choice election with Paul Ryan," Gingrich posted on Twitter.

And Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who experts considered to be in the running to be on the ticket, offered praise for his "good friend" Ryan. "He has the courage of his convictions, which is what our nation needs," Jindal said, in a statement distributed by Romney's campaign. Eight Things You Should Know About Romney Running Mate Paul Ryan | TIME.com Eight Things You Should Know About Romney Running Mate Paul Ryan Send to Kindle Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Govermor Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan speak to an overflow crowd during a campaign rally at Randolph Macon College in Ashland, Va., on August 11, 2012. Follow @TIMEPolitics GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney rolled out his running mate Saturday, Aug. 11, in Virginia. Here are eight things you should know about Paul Ryan, the young, outspoken Congressman from Wisconsin. (PHOTOS: Paul Ryan’s Life and Career ) He’s not your typical Congressman. “I’m kind of a homebody,” he told TIME in 2010. “Half the reason I’m not in leadership is because I don’t want to spend my weekends flying around the country campaigning and raising money.

I want to spend my weekends at home with my little ones. The other half of the reason — I like policy over politics.” He’s health-conscious. At the age of 16, Ryan found his father dead of a heart attack at home. Both his grandfather and his great-grandfather died of heart disease in their 50s. Ryan, 42, is a health freak who runs daily grueling P90X classes for members and staff at the congressional gym. He was voted “biggest gym rat” by an anonymous poll of congressional staffers by Washingtonian magazine in 2010. Ryan himself has said his mortality is partly what has limited his ambitions. He came of age in the fiscal right wing of the GOP. As a young man, Ryan held numerous amusing summer jobs, including a stint as an Oscar Mayer salesman in which he drove a Wienermobile. He envisioned eventually going to the University of Chicago for an advanced degree in economics and becoming an economist/academic, but he says he “kept getting lured into politics.” He married his two interests by working for Jack Kemp and William Bennett at Empower America, where he learned about supply-side economics — and the politics that go with it.

He later worked as a legislative aid to Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, during which time he waited tables and worked as a fitness trainer to make ends meet, before returning to Wisconsin to run for office. (MORE: The Romney-Ryan Ticket Unveiled in Virginia ) He married into politics but across the aisle. Ryan’s married to Janna Little Ryan, the niece of former Senator David Boren, an Oklahoma Democrat. Janna has huge family ties to Southern politics. They met while he was a staffer on the Hill. Together they have three children: two boys, ages 7 and 8, and a girl, age 9. Ryan recently began teaching his eldest, Liza, the art of bow-hunting deer. Ryan is also an avid fisherman of walleye and muskie. He rose through the political ranks quickly. Elected to his first term in 1998, Ryan vaulted over a dozen more-senior Republicans to become ranking member on the Budget Committee in 2007.

(He became chairman when the Republicans won the House at the end of 2010.) Ryan had planned for a long time to produce his own sweeping budget plan, but he lacked the “computer power” to crunch the numbers until he became ranking member. He spent much of 2007 working on what came to be known as his Road Map. Meanwhile, his first alternative budgets, in 2009 and 2010, were test runs for what eventually became a centerpiece of the Republican platform. His vision for the U.S. is very controversial. While much of the Tea Party ran in 2010 on a promise to enact Ryan’s plan, the Ryan budget remains contentious. Democrats have attacked it for voucherizing Medicare, and in spring 2011, then presidential candidate Newt Gingrich got himself into trouble with conservatives when he dubbed the plan “radical.” The GOP elite’s championing of the plan showed how the party had moved from the Bush era to the Tea Party era. “I fought for budget-process reforms and was thwarted by leaders in my own party,” Ryan told TIME in a 2009 interview. “I fought for earmark reform and was fought by leaders of my own party.

Our party dropped the ball on fiscal issues. That doesn’t mean we should just stop trying for fiscal discipline. We need to reform our own party so that we don’t repeat that mistake.” (MORE: A History of Vice-Presidential Picks, from the Pages of TIME ) He’s less conservative on social issues. Ryan generally avoids social issues like gay rights, a fact that has sometimes gotten him into trouble with conservative activists. In 2007 he voted for a bill that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. He explained that his vote was because he had friends “who didn’t choose to be gay … they were just created that way.” He later lamented that he “took a lot of crap” for that stance. He’s also backed versions of the Dream Act, and he voted for the auto bailout — a smart move given his representation of a district that lost nearly 17,000 jobs after GM and Chrysler shuttered facilities there. He’s from a swing district. Ryan’s congressional district in southern Wisconsin voted for Dukakis, Clinton and Obama — the latter, 51% to McCain’s 47% in 2008.

But Ryan usually wins by large margins; he took 68% of the vote in 2008. The district’s economy is recovering from the Great Recession, as wealthy citizens from Chicago and Milwaukee have flocked to the region’s picturesque lake shores and gentrified urban areas, where lofts and art studios have replaced factories. It remains the home of S.C. Johnson and a few other big manufacturers. Its median annual income is $56,833, and it is 82% white. Romney picks Paul Ryan as vice presidential running mate - First Read First Read Romney picks Paul Ryan as vice presidential running mate By First Read Email J. Scott Applewhite / AP House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 10, 2012. By NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Mark Murray Mitt Romney's campaign has announced that the presumptive GOP nominee has chosen House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential running mate. The two candidates will appear together at a campaign event in Norfolk, Va., Saturday morning. The official announcement will be in front of the U.S.S.

Wisconsin -- which just happens to be Ryan's home state. After three sources close to the Romney campaign indicated to NBC News late Friday night that Ryan would be the pick, the Romney camp issued a press release just after 7:00 am ET, stating: “Mitt Romney & Paul Ryan: America’s Comeback Team.” Around the same time, the campaign’s “VP app” also announced that Ryan would be the choice. The Romney campaign billed the ticket "America's comeback team" in the release announcing the decision, saying that Ryan "has worked tirelessly leading the effort to reign in federal spending and increase accountability to taxpayers." With recent national polls showing Romney trailing President Barack Obama, Ryan is a bold pick. He will excite economic conservatives, and is considered one of his party's rising stars. Related: Paul Ryan's strengths and weaknesses But his budget plan -- which would substantially transform Medicare and Medicaid -- is a lightning rod. In fact, Democrats argue that Ryan's selection marks an opportunity to highlight Ryan's desired changes to Medicare, which include giving future seniors a voucher or premium support to help pay for their health insurance.

Under Ryan's plan, future seniors would have the choice of using the voucher/premium support to purchase private insurance or through Medicare's traditional fee-for-service model. Recommended: Pawlenty: 'I'm not disappointed' "We've spent 18 months trying to make House races about their plan for Medicare and Mitt Romney just did it for us overnight," said one Democratic operative. Ryan had been the focus of intense VP speculation for the last few days. Washington economic conservatives -- including the Wall Street Journal editorial page and the Weekly Standard -- have pushed for his selection. Related: What is the Ryan budget? In addition, Romney told NBC's Chuck Todd on Thursday he was looking for someone with "a vision for the country," who "adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country” -- a sign that he might make a bold pick in Ryan. At 11:11 pm ET, the Romney campaign announced that it would be making its VP selection on Saturday. And as First Read reported earlier this week, the VP finalists were Ryan, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman. NBCNews.com's Mike O'Brien contributed to this report. Statement on Mitt Romney’s Selection of Rep.

Paul Ryan for His Vice-Presidential Running Mate :: NARAL Pro-Choice America August 11, 2012 Statement on Mitt Romney’s Selection of Rep. Paul Ryan for His Vice-Presidential Running Mate Washington, D.C. – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, issued the following statement regarding former Gov. Mitt Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as his vice-presidential running mate. “Rep. Paul Ryan’s extreme anti-choice record shows just how serious a threat Mitt Romney’s presidency would be for women,” Keenan said. “He has cast 59 votes on reproductive rights while in Congress and not one has been pro-choice. Rep. Ryan has also repeatedly voted to defund family-planning programs and supported the “Let Women Die Bill,” which would allow hospitals to refuse to provide a woman emergency, lifesaving abortion care, even if she could die without it. It comes as no surprise that Romney would choose a like-minded running mate who is just as out of touch with our nation’s values and priorities as he is. The Romney-Ryan ticket is dangerous to women’s health.” Rep.

Ryan’s anti-choice record includes: Repeatedly voting to deny women in the military – who defend our freedom overseas – the right to use their own, private funds for abortion care at military hospitals. Repeatedly voting to defund Planned Parenthood, which would deny millions of women access to comprehensive reproductive-health care and preventive services. Cosponsoring and repeatedly voting for the Federal Abortion Ban, a law that criminalizes some abortion services, endangers women’s health, and carries a two-year prison sentence for doctors. Voting for an appropriations bill that defunded Planned Parenthood, eliminated the Title X family-planning program, and reinstated the D.C. abortion ban. The occupant of the White House wields more power over reproductive rights than any other person. The U.S. Constitution and American tradition give the president a wide variety of means to influence the laws and policies that govern freedom of choice. Depending on who occupies the office, that unique authority can be used either to protect or to take away reproductive rights. “Mitt Romney’s choice of Rep. Ryan as his running mate reminds us of why elections matter when it comes to our ability to make personal and private medical decisions,” Keenan continued.

“The outcome of the 2012 presidential election very well could determine whether abortion remains legal and accessible for the next generation of American women. Romney has pledged that taking away women’s rights will be a priority for him and his choice of Ryan amplifies that promise to the extreme anti-choice backers of this ticket. My organization’s priority is to make sure President Obama remains in the White House.” In addition, NARAL Pro-Choice America recently released findings from a survey in key battleground states that shows that a key bloc of women voters is resistant to a candidate with extreme anti-choice views: Contact: Mitt Romney Selects Paul Ryan as Running Mate - YouTube Mitt Romney Selects Paul Ryan as Running Mate Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Aug 11, 2012 Republican presidential candidate picks representative from Wisconsin as vice presidential nominee. Category When autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next.

Up next Paul Ryan 'Deeply Honored' to Join Mitt Romney as Running Mate - Duration: 16:07. ABC News 22,629 views 16:07 Paul Ryan On First 100 Days Of Donald Trump Presidency (Full Interview) | Squawk Box | CNBC - Duration: 20:33. CNBC 20,359 views 20:33 Mitt Romney - Election 2012 - NYTimes.com For Latino Groups, Grass-Roots Efforts Paid Off in Higher Number of Voters By LIZETTE ALVAREZ MIAMI — On Election Day, President Obama got 71 percent of the Latino vote nationally because, in the end, Latinos preferred his message over Mitt Romney ’s. Nov. 22, 2012 In Manhattan, Largely Blue, One Bright Spot and a Tie for Romney By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM Its black glass exterior soars high above Fifth Avenue, and its gold-tipped revolving doors have spun the likes of Bruce Willis and Anne Hathaway into its waterfall-splashed atrium.

But on Election Day, Trump Tower earned a different sort of distinction: a tiny island of Romneyville amid Manhattan’s deep, blue-state sea. Nov. 21, 2012 In Texas, 2014 Campaigns Have Already Begun By ROSS RAMSEY Just when your mailbox is clear of attacks and your television is free of fuzzy and unflattering black-and-white images of career politicians, the political pros have already started manufacturing grist for the elections two years from now. Nov. 20, 2012 2 Bruising Sports Tantalize Jets’ Woody Johnson: Football and Politics By BEN SHPIGEL The duality of Woody Johnson’s life over the last two years was on full display two weeks ago, on a crisp Tuesday night in Boston. As election results started pouring in at Mitt Romney ’s party at the city’s convention center, Johnson sat sending e-mail after e-mail to Jets executives in New Jersey. Nov. 18, 2012 Christie’s Post-Hurricane Embrace of Obama Outrages Many in G.O.P. By MICHAEL BARBARO A few days after Hurricane Sandy shattered the shores of New Jersey, Gov.

Chris Christie picked up the phone to take on a different kind of recovery work: taming the Republican Party fury over his effusive embrace of President Obama. On Nov. 3, Mr. Nov. 16, 2012 How Pollsters and Analysts Won Big on Election Day By RICHARD H. THALER THE biggest winners on Election Day weren’t politicians; they were numbers folks. Computer scientists, behavioral scientists, statisticians and everyone who works with data should be proud. They told us who was going to win, but they also helped to make many of those victories happen. Nov. 14, 2012 As G.O.P. Governors Gather, Prescriptions for 2016 By JEFF ZELENY LAS VEGAS — The polite praise initially showered upon Mitt Romney for having waged a good fight against President Obama has given way to a plea from some Republicans: Please stop talking. A week after the election, as Republicans examine how to recalibrate and regain their footing, Mr. Nov.

14, 2012 Gay Support Buoyed Obama By MICAH COHEN While President Obama ’s lopsided support among Latino and other minority voters has been a focus of postelection analysis, the overwhelming support he received from another growing demographic group — Americans who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual — has received much less attention. But the backing Mr. Nov. 13, 2012 Health Law Has States Feeling Tense Over Deadline By ABBY GOODNOUGH and MICHAEL COOPER DES MOINES — The days since President Obama won re-election have been marked by tension and angst in Republican-led states like Iowa, where Gov. Terry Branstad has waited until the last minute to decide whether to create a crucial tool for people to get medical coverage under Mr. Obama’s health care law. Nov. 12, 2012 Ryan Sees Urban Vote as Reason G.O.P. Lost By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and JENNIFER STEINHAUER WASHINGTON — As Representative Paul D.

Ryan casts about to find an explanation for the defeat of the Republican presidential ticket, on which he was Mitt Romney ’s running mate, he is looking to the nation’s big cities for answers. Nov. 11, 2012 Democrats Like a Romney Idea to Cap Tax Deductions By JONATHAN WEISMAN WASHINGTON — With both parties positioning for difficult negotiations to avert a fiscal crisis as Congress returns for its lame-duck session, Democrats are latching on to an idea floated by Mitt Romney to raise taxes on the rich through a hard cap on income tax deductions. The proposal by Mr. Nov. 9, 2012 Florida to Address Delays as It Confirms Obama Victory By LIZETTE ALVAREZ MIAMI — President Obama was re-elected Tuesday. Mitt Romney ’s campaign conceded defeat in Florida on Thursday. And a few indefatigable politicians are already planning on making pit stops in Iowa. But in Florida, time stood still — until Saturday. Nov. 7, 2012 For Romney, All His Career Options Are Still Open. Except One.

By MICHAEL BARBARO BOSTON — They predict he will write a book, convinced that the daily diary he kept on the campaign trail would make for a compelling read. They speculate that he will return to the corridors of finance, where his reputation as a savvy chief executive and investor remains unblemished. Nov. 6, 2012 Obama Victory Fails to Thrill European Business By JACK EWING and STEVEN ERLANGER FRANKFURT — European citizens and political leaders welcomed President Barack Obama ’s re-election Wednesday. European money was less enthusiastic. Many business executives and investors in Europe, like their counterparts in the United States, would have welcomed a president who was one of their own. Nov. 6, 2012 Hurricane Response Burnishes Gov. Christie’s Reputation By DAVID M. HALBFINGER Bill O’Reilly complained about him. Rush Limbaugh called him “fat” and a “fool.” Dick Morris argued that he had cost Mitt Romney the presidency. On right-wing radio, Fox News and Twitter feeds, Gov. Nov.

6, 2012 For Mormons, a Cautious Step Toward Mainstream Acceptance By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG PROVO, Utah — As a Mormon boy, Daniel C. Peterson grew up hearing stories about the persecution of his ancestors, beginning with his great-great-great-great-grandfather, who was chased out of Missouri, then Illinois, before he died trekking across the Great Plains to reach this rugged land. Nov. 6, 2012 Data Devotees Emerge Victorious in Election By MICHAEL COOPER It was not on any ballot, but one of the biggest election contests this week pitted pundits against pollsters. It was a pitched battle between two self-assured rivals: those who relied on an unscientific mixture of experience, anecdotal details and “Spidey sense,” and those who stuck to cold, hard numbers. Nov.

6, 2012 Little to Show for Cash Flood by Big Donors By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and JESS BIDGOOD At the private air terminal at Logan Airport in Boston early Wednesday, men in unwrinkled suits sank into plush leather chairs as they waited to board Gulfstream jets, trading consolations over Mitt Romney ’s loss the day before. Nov. 6, 2012 Obama Campaign Clawed Back After a Dismal Debate By ADAM NAGOURNEY, ASHLEY PARKER, JIM RUTENBERG and JEFF ZELENY Seven minutes into the first presidential debate , the mood turned from tense to grim inside the room at the University of Denver where Obama staff members were following the encounter. Nov. 6, 2012 Ryan named Romney's running mate Ryan named Romney's running mate By Jackie Kucinich , USA TODAY Updated Updated: 8:01 A.M. The Romney campaign announced Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan would be Mitt Romney's running mate. The announcement was made through the Romney campaign's "Mitt's VP" smartphone app. Follow USA TODAY's continuing coverage of Ryan's selection here .

Our original post begins here: NORFOLK, Va. -- Rep. Paul Ryan will be named Mitt Romney's running mate on Saturday, ending weeks of speculation about the No. 2 slot on the GOP ticket. The Associated Press and several TV networks confirmed the news about the Wisconsin lawmaker. By about 2:35 a.m. ET, RomneyRyan.com went live as a website. Ryan, 42, is best known as the chairman of the House Budget Committee and author of a dramatic plan to overhaul Medicare, the government-run health insurance program for senior citizens. Romney is set to reveal his running mate at the U.S.S. Wisconsin, before setting out on a tour of key swing states to highlight his economic plans for the middle class. In an interview with NBC on Thursday, Romney said he was looking for someone with "a strength of character" and "a vision for the country that adds something to the political discourse about the direction of the country." With Ryan as his running mate, Romney appears ready to have a national conversation about federal spending and the growth of entitlements with one of the GOP's leading budget authorities at his side.

Ryan, a House member since 1999, has proposed to overhaul both Medicare and Medicaid, the programs that have been a hallmark of the nation's compact to provide health care to senior citizens and the poor. Under his plan, Medicare would be run by private insurers while Medicaid would be turned over to the states. His goal, he said, was to leave "a debt-free nation" to the next generation. "At stake is America," he said last year. Ryan's budget plan has been widely criticized by President Obama and his fellow Democrats, who contend it would "end Medicare as we know it." Obama has called Ryan's plan "thinly veiled social Darwinism." With much speculation focused on Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and ex-Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, the 42-year-old Ryan got a big boost from conservatives this week. The Wall Street Journal, whose editorial page holds sway among conservatives, said choosing Ryan would underscore "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," the Journal editorial said.

Virginia is the first stop in a four-day bus tour of swing states that will also include North Carolina, Florida and Ohio. Obama won all four states in the 2008 election. (Contributing: Catalina Camia)

Question: Which P.R. was Mitt Romney’s running mate in the 2012 Presidential election?
Answer: PAUL RYAN