America's Comeback Team

Paul Ryan: A reformer. A visionary. Ready to lead.
It's time for a president and vice president who believe in America.
It's time for America's Comeback Team.

◼ With Ryan pick, Romney gives conservatives something to fight for - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner

For decades, Republicans were content to talk a big game about shrinking government and reining in the welfare state only to cower once elected. But as a Congressman, Ryan has worked tirelessly to design and advocate solutions to the nation’s most vexing domestic problems. To be sure, Ryan himself has deviated from conservatives on important occasions. He voted for the Wall Street bailout and for President Bush’s Medicare prescription drug plan, for instance, as he quietly walked a fine line between being a bold reformer and a loyal soldier. As the debt issue rose in the public consciousness over the past several years, Ryan was the only politician in town that had an actual plan to do something about it. In 2010, when I wrote a long feature about Ryan and his “Roadmap” to reform entitlements, health care and the tax code, few Republicans would go on record endorsing it. Now, just over two years later, he’s being embraced by Mitt Romney, notorious for being one of the most cautious politicians in America. That is the power of ideas.

...This week, many people, including myself, were questioning whether Romney’s campaign actually stood for anything. By nominating Ryan, the former Massachusetts governor is taking a stand. There will be plenty of days going forward on which Romney will frustrate, even infuriate, conservatives. But this is a day on which Romney deserves to be praised. The Ryan pick may not have eliminated conservatives’ doubts about Romney, but it has eased them. He has given conservatives something to fight for.

◼ PAUL RYAN’S SELECTION ELECTRIFIES GOP GRASSROOTS - John Gizzi/Human Events @JohnGizzi

“In choosing Paul Ryan, Gov. Romney is signaling he wants to change the course of government, not manage it. This is the start of an aggressive, ideas campaign!”

So said California’s Republican State Chairman Tom Del Beccaro Friday night, shortly after television news reports strongly suggesting that Romney was planning to name House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his vice presidential running mate Saturday morning. Del Beccaro was hosting a private party of fellow California GOP leaders in his suite at the Burbank Marriott here during the state Republican convention. To a person, the other party activists were genuinely excited about the 42-year-old Ryan’s selection, and all echoed their chairman’s confidence that this was a first step in what would be a campaign grounded in conservative ideas and change.

“I’m as grassroots as you can get and I’m thrilled about Ryan!” Alameda County GOP Vice Chairman Hugh Busell told Human Events, “He had the courage to say why we needed to eventually change the nature of entitlements such as Medicare, and he could explain it.”

As news outlets confirmed that the Badger State lawmaker would indeed be tapped by Romney on Saturday, Republicans activists throughout the country last night seemed to be trying to outdo the excitement evinced at the Burbank convention last night. Minnesota State GOP Chairman Pat Shortridge told reporters: “Ryan’s a great pick. This proves Gov. Romney knows that getting to 270 electoral votes is a means to an end. Only bold solutions will suffice.”

Arizona Rep. and GOP Senate hopeful Jeff Flake was even more ecstatic, as he tweeted supporters: “Wow! What a powerhouse economic team! It drips of gravitas. Can’t wait for the fall elections.”