Jonah Goldberg, who spoke in Racine this summer, places Rep. Paul Ryan on a list of 24 Republicans with a plausible claim to running for president in 2012. However, Goldberg concludes Ryan, incoming chair of the House Budget Committee, is more likely on the short list for vice president.

Julian Zelizer, at Salon.com, suggests Ryan "jumping over" other Republicans to campaign for the presidency.

Voice of Reason

The London-based Financial Times describes Ryan as a rare voice of reason in American politics. Author Simon Schama writes:

"(Ryan) actually has the temerity to say that if conservatives are serious about the deficit they must consider military reductions or the electoral poison of Medicare cuts and Social Security postponements. Good luck on that one, chum."

Key Player

Robert Bixby, at CNBC.com, says Ryan, President Barack Obama and Sen. Kent Conrad are the three key players when it comes to addressing concerns over the U.S. deficit.  

Lock Box

Ryan wants to create a budget cut "lock box" to prevent cuts in spending from being spent elsewhere. Supporters hope the proposal will allow them to show long-term savings with budget cuts, but the proposal is opposed by some Republicans who are concerned about reducing the amount of money available to spend in the House budget. Discussion is ongoing on the proposed rule.

Food Safety

An editorial by The Capital Times, in Madison, attacks Ryan for voting against the Food Safety Modernization Act, which gives the federal government more powers to monitor food production in the U.S.  The measure passed the House 215-144, with 10 Republicans voting for the proposal.