Romney makes it official: His VP pick is Ryan
NORFOLK, Va. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made his vice presidential pick official Saturday morning, announcing via smartphone app that he had chosen Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.
In less than two hours, the two men will make a joint appearance at the battleship Wisconsin, a retired military vessel.
Labeling the pair “America’s Comeback Team,” Romney’s campaign sent out Ryan’s biography, noting that the seven-term congressman was 28 when he first entered congress and chairs the House Budget Committee. The Janesville, Wis., native lives in the town of his birth and is married with three children.
Speculation had swirled around Ryan, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty for many weeks, but aides kept the decision under wraps.
Ryan is a bold choice for the ever-cautious Romney campaign. The wonkish budget chief, 42, won the admiration of conservatives after championing major tax budget cuts while advocating deep changes to Medicare, the popular healthcare program for seniors — long viewed as a third rail of politics.
The choice promises a fierce debate over the size and role of government in America over the next few months, and Democrats are relishing the chance to take on that fight.
Twitter: @LATseema
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