Romney/Ryan

So Mitt Romney has selected Paul Ryan as his running mate.  I both love this move and am slightly terrified of it at the same time.

Paul Ryan's one of the few people in Washington who has actually been treating the debt as a serious issue.  He put together a serious plan to reduce the deficit and the debt, and it didn't pull punches- his ideas include reforming both Medicare and Social Security.  

How serious is his plan?  President Obama delivered a cheap shot to him on it.  He invited Paul Ryan for a front seat for a "major fiscal policy speech"- then spent the speech attacking Ryan's plan, with Ryan in the audience and unable to respond.

Now, the President hasn't offered any real alternatives himself.  The Senate hasn't passed a budget in over three years, even though the Constitution requires one.  But it's easier to attack another person's solution to a problem than come with with a solution yourself.

But that's both the risk and the reward by selection Rep. Ryan as the Vice President.  He's committed to fixing the economic problems.  But his solutions shake up the status quo- and are therefore going to be pegged as attacks on Medicare, Social Security, the poor, etc.

He's going to be demonized over the next three months like few others ever have been.  My only request, when you read what a monster that he's been, is to listen to him and read his plan yourself.  It may not be your ideal solution.  But it's a serious approach to a serious problem- one of the only ones I've seen.

Personally, while I like Ryan, he wasn't my top choice- partly because I wanted him in Congress leading the charge, partly because I know he's going to be such a target.  Then again, I suppose anyone running for President or Vice President is going to be a target.  But I am confident that he's capable of stepping in as President should the need arise, and that is the most important job as the Vice President.