Paul Ryan Reportedly Mulling Presidential Bid
Congressman said to be discussing race with his family.
Photos
updated 2 p.m. Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan is strongly considering running for president, according to a report Tuesday from The Weekly Standard.
After months of saying he wasn't interested in running, the report says Ryan is now on vacation in Colorado and discussing the possibility with his family.
Click here for the Weekly Standard story.
Responding to the report in an interview with WTMJ, a spokesperson for Ryan said the Congressman "has not changed his mind" about whether to enter the race.
Meanwhile, Roll Call also reports that Ryan is considering a presidential run but cites a source who feels Ryan is still unlikely to seek his party's nomination.
Ryan represents a large portion of southeastern Wisconsin, and has become one of the stars of the Republican party. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine in April, in a piece written by Gov. Scott Walker.
TIME also spoke to Ryan about the 2012 budget he proposed in April, as well as asked him to compare it to the Roadmap for America's Future he put out in 2010. TIME called The Path to Prosperity, Ryan's proposed budget "an ambitious package the includes drastic changes to Medicare and Medicaid, new tax reforms and deep spending cuts."
Ryan's not the only candidate whose presidential aspirations are being bandied about. On Monday, Fox News' Sean Hannity asked Karl Rove who might still jump in the race. Rove threw out the possibility that Ryan, Chris Christie and Sarah Palin cold still be in the running.
Rove said he's been hearing influential people have been telling Ryan and Christie they should consider a run.
"And I'm starting to pick up some sort of vibrations that these kinds of conversations are causing Christie and Ryan to tell the people who are calling hem, well, you know what, I owe it to you, I think I will take a look at it. Whether or not that happens or not, I don't know. But I'm just picking that up that people have some sense, some belief that these two guys are going to take a look at it," Rove told Hannity, according to the posted transcript of their conversation. Read the rest here.
If you've got a question for the Congressman, his mobile office—often manned by a staffer—will be touring the district over the next several weeks. Look to see if there's a stop in your community.
Jerry
12:19 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I'd like to see a Bachman-Ryan ticket. That would make Obama unbeatable. We are not going to elect "crazy critters"! Bachman is anti-government and works for the goverment, and her business gets cash from the government. Ryan is against "entitlements" yet grew up on them and went to school only because of them. Both exercise the "I got mine, but I don't want anyone else to get theirs" mindset. Give me a break.
CowDung
2:06 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Is Ryan really as 'anti-entitlement' as the left tries to paint him out to be? Personally, I see him more as trying to take action to keep providing those 'entitlement' benefits to those who need them. In the current form, both Medicare and Social Security are unsustainable. Unless something drastic changes, they aren't going to be able to pay any benefits before too long...
St. Swithin
3:07 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Social Security is quite sustainable. It takes in as much as it pays out. The problem is Congress raiding the SS funds to pay for other things.
Medicare is a problem caused by skyrocketing health costs combined with the baby-boomers all retiring. That needs some serious cost controls.
As for Ryan, look back through his record. He is no worse than most other Repubicans - they all have ignored the entitlement problems or made them worse. Pretty much all his activity can be described as pro-big business. Even his Medicare proposal was an attempt to have money go to private firms to administer Medicare.
http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Paul_Ryan.htm
CowDung
3:24 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
How exactly did SS become sustainable? Back in 2003, the Social Security Administration stated that it was not sustainable for the long term...
http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/trustee03-pr.htm
The same pressures put on Medicare by the retiring Boomers will also affect SS.
If programs like Medicare aren't sustainable in the long run, doesn't it make sense to make changes to the programs that can save money?
CowDung
3:38 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Here's a more recent (2008) link to a GAO report that spells out the financial troubles that Medicare and Social Security are both facing...
http://www.gao.gov/cghome/d08524cg.pdf
Brian Dey
4:17 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Jerry/Bill- Premier Obama and the Comrades Peid and Pelosi's share the wealth communist ideas are simply not flying with the American people anymore. The only hope and change we want now is hope that Nov. 2012 gets here soon and change with a new President. I think he should change his name to Barack Bolshevic.
St. Swithin
12:53 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
CowDung - Your links don't contradict what I said about SS. The worst case scenario has the Trust Fund running out in 2021 according to the slides you reference. If you Google "Social Security Trust Fund" you find all the ways Congress has raided this piggy bank. If you stop the raids, restore at least some of the raided funds and enact a few other small changes recommended by the GAO then SS is fine. Of course, there was a bill to lock up the SS trust fund back in 2001. Ryan voted against that.
Brian Dey - using words like "comrade" and "communist" in this discussion just proves you're an idiot.
Brian Dey
5:42 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Just pointing out how socialist Obama and the dems agenda is. Take from the rich and give to the poor. The only wealth that should be spread around is that EVERYBODY should pay taxes, not just a few. This is pure socialism. But government owning business; i.e. banks and auto makers - is pure communism.
CowDung
8:46 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Bill:
The GAO report indicates rather clearly that the problems with SS go way deeper than congress raiding the trust fund. The annual benefits paid will exceed the tax revenues a few years from now and the deficit will just grow as more and more boomers start collecting their benefits.
St. Swithin
9:35 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
CowDung,
(I feel like I am insulting you when I type your pseudonym - not my intention)
Are we reading different charts? While the GAO projection shows health costs continue to escalate, it shows SS costs flatline in the next decade. A properly funded trust fund would allow SS to ride out the boomer bump, along with the other changes recommended by the GAO. I'm not just blaming Republicans for raiding the trust fund - both sides have done it. It is just disingenuous to remove all the money from SS and then claim that running out of money proves it isn't working, so we have to get rid of it. We are talking about something that not only provides for millions of older Americans, but also eases the burden on their children so they can invest in other things. SS is one of the (many) reasons we have been such a successful country.
CowDung
10:39 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
I was looking at the slide entitled "Key Dates Highlight Long Term
Challenges of the Social Security System".
St. Swithin
12:27 pm on Tuesday, August 16, 2011
I notice Ryan has been pretty quiet lately. I think he got burned when he proposed replacing Medicare with government payouts. Having his Randian ideas exposed to national scrutiny did not go well. Now he just wants to re-build his reputation as an economic "expert".
Michael
2:48 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Gents
I think the more pressing issue here is who really has a chance against Obama in 2012. I don't see Bachman, Palin, Romney pulling it out. As far as likeability, Ryan is the most likeable potential candidate. The left leaning media in this country does none of us favors by skewing the truth about his 2011 budget or his Road map for America's future. After all the democrats submitted NO budget for several years. It's time to see the forest through the trees on both sides of the aisle. This great country is being dismantled by politicians who are putting party before country. It's time to put our fiscal house in order. Tax code reform, tort reform, massive spending cuts and most importantly some intellectual honesty on the part of these career politicians. President Obama, his administration and the Democratically controlled Senate need to begin to admit that the STIMULUS is a colossal failure. It's empirically proven that you CANNOT spend your way out of this deficit. Now the Republicans need to offer real solutions and not just counter what the Dems say and do. Paul Ryan put together a budget that shocked people. It shocked people because most of what he proposes needs to be done; maybe not in it's proposed form, but it needs to be done.
You people can banter all day but at the end of the day, you're not proposing viable solutions. Stop the rhetoric and help save this great nation.
St. Swithin
9:47 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Michael,
No, the stimulus was not a "colossal failure". It stopped the economic freefall of our country. Many states, such as Perry's Texas and right here in Wisconsin, used it to balance their budgets and avoid layoffs.
"Empirically proven"? I don't think that means what you think it means. The New Deal and World War II proved that you CAN spend your way out of a deficit. There are many other examples in history. But success depends on other variables. Circumstances now are not what they were after WWII.
Paul Ryan's budget proposal shocked people because it was so full of holes and wildly optimistic projections. He and the Heritage Foundation had to retract a lot of their numbers. He should have just put a section in the middle that said "and then a miracle happens". When you plead for intellectual honesty in career politicians make sure to include Ryan.
And please don't list "likeability" as a qualification for President. Bush was "likeable". Carter was "likeable". I would much prefer someone who can get the job done. I have a lot of issues with Obama, but he still beats everyone in the Republican field by a mile.
kevincarl
4:01 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
He also ended his association with Stuburt, now is <a href="http://www.eccoshoessale.org/"><strong>classical shoe</strong></a> wear comfortable Denmark brand and identify Ecco headwear. As part of this DuoNian contract, is currently the no. 5 McDowell in official world <a href="http://www.eccoshoessale.org/"><strong>Ecco golf shoes</strong></a> rankings, will appear in the global market marketing, advertising, and measures to support <a href="http://www.eccoshoessale.org/"><strong>UK ecco shoes</strong></a> collection, and appeared in the company. "I have a lot of success last year led to some great new opportunity, my equipment, McDowell said." When it came to footwear, through and <a href="http://www.eccoshoessale.org/"><strong>Mens Walking Shoes</strong></a> is my best choice. Leather quality is quite amazing I hope can in the stadium. " Ireland made history, this is the first in 2010 to become the European won 40 years of U.S. open champion, won the European ryder cup team to win points, account for the world challenge, Celtic manor chevron in wales open and Andalucia Valderrama master. Jesper said: "from Thuen style and graeme <a href="http://www.eccoshoessale.org/"><strong>Cheap Ecco shoes</strong></a> attitude is a perfect accord with our brand. This is a great opportunity to show his new classical line player in the comfort the world.
Jerry
7:36 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
After some careful consideration, I defer to Kevincarl. However, if I were a Ford auto worker, Brian Dey would not be my comrade.
Ben Hogan
9:40 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Why all of you argue back and forth is beyond me. Clearly there is no problems with any of our programs as Bill points out, lets just bury our heads in the sand and hope things get better while continuing to do the same things over and over. People like Bill have little hope of reform and I'm finding it a complete waste of time to point out the obvious.
St. Swithin
9:53 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Didn't really read what I said, did you Ben? I argue so that I can better understand the issues and hopefully arrive at a sensible solution. In this case I want the spending focus to be on the main spending problems - medical entitlements and Defense. I am arguing that SS does not need any radical changes to stay solvent. Please put your head back in the sand. I will tell you when it's over (maybe).
Ben Hogan
10:08 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Bill please follow the link bellow and watch video . Then get back to me when you have a credible response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu6ok5ykyuQ&feature=youtu.be
St. Swithin
12:26 pm on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Ben, do you check your own links? A quick read of the comments found a Snopes link.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/salishan.asp
Money quote: "Virtually all the claims made within it...are false."
Please put your head back in the sand Ben.
Jerry
11:05 am on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Bill, you make sense to me. Ben, you're combative, at least your tone is. You're gonna love Scary Perry. No need to respond, I'm moving on.
Bren
5:36 pm on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
My cat is also considering a presidential bid. I laughed until I really thought about it. Like Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Michelle Bachmann et al, my cat makes the same noises over and over. Instead of discussing differences of opinion, she scratches and bites to get her way. Like Scott Walker, she doesn't have a college degree. Like Sarah Palin, she gives up after the slightest effort. Like Paul Ryan and many other Republicans, she's never held a real job. She has a very short memory, especially when she's broken something. And like Paul Ryan, she doesn't have to worry about paying for health care in her old age so could care less what happens to those who do.
Hm. If she actually won the nomination, she'd probably pick the dog across the way as her running mate. He's big, noisy, and gets in people's way a lot. Could be a good team!
CowDung
8:58 am on Thursday, August 18, 2011
What makes you think that people like Palin and Ryan don't worry about paying for healthcare in their old age?
Bren
3:33 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Hello Cow, In response to your 8.58am post: Why should Palin/Ryan care about paying for healthcare? Palin was a millionaire when she became Gov. of Alaska. She's made more money since. She's not going to go broke paying for healthcare, Medicare or not. Why would Ryan care? He'll have a guaranteed pension and healthcare for life as a longtime Congressman. That's why he feels free to experiment with our healthcare. No skin off his nose. Have you heard him say he would forgo his government healthcare benefits for his own Medicare plan as written?
CowDung
3:45 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
How big do you think the pension is for retired congresspeople?
Ryan currently pays for his healthcare plan. Does it become free when he retires or something?
patchreader 123
6:02 pm on Wednesday, August 17, 2011
"Like ... many other Republicans, she's never held a real job."
Same can be said of many democrats, to include our president.
Bren
3:37 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Patchreader, I wasn't writing about Democrats. But do see my comments below concerning Barack Obama's employment history, which refutes your inaccurate statement.
Ben Hogan
9:53 am on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: Why is it so important to you that Scott Walker does not have a college degree? Some of the most intelligent people I have ever known do not have a college degree. Is it your assumption that every democratic representative has a college degree? Has every democrat that you are aware of held a "real job"? What was Obama's real job?
Lyle Ruble
11:46 am on Sunday, August 21, 2011
@Ben Hogan...I have also known a number of intelligent people who do not have degrees and I have know some real idiots who have degrees; admittedly they were almost all business, marketing and communications degrees. My prejudices aside, a college degree is an indication that someone has been able to meet some minimum academic qualifications. It's just as important where the degree comes from. The Fitzgerald brothers are both UW-Oshkosh alumni. Compare their degrees to someone with a UW-Madison or UW-Milwaukee degree which have a much more demanding and rigorous academic standard. It also matters which discipline the degree is in. If a lesser known institution is known for a specific discipline, then the actual degree in that discipline overcomes the limitations of the institution. The one indication that impacts Walker is he is one who tends not to finish things that he starts. He began running for governor the minute he became County Executive.
Ben Hogan
9:55 am on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: I'm going to assume that you supported Feingold over Johnson, correct? What was Feingold's "real job" . We know that johnson is a very succesful business man for decades. Providing many, many jobs in the private sector. What did Feingold do?
Lyle Ruble
11:52 am on Sunday, August 21, 2011
@Ben Hogan...Your definition of success and mine seem to be miles apart. If Johnson would have struggled with the founding and building of the company from the ground up, then I would agree with you. He married the business and his No. 1 customer is his father-in-law and brother-in-laws business with a focus in China. He has certainly "puffed his qualifications".
Ben Hogan
10:06 am on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: Maybe you should run for President!! Like our current President you seem to know everything and how to fix them for us!!! you also seem to be completely oblivious as to how a free market system works just like Obama. It seems to me that with your help we could all sleep better at night. I'm just suprised that with the Democrats controlling the House, Senate, and the Presidency for two years that all our problems were not fixed!!! Well got go and watch my 401k take yet another dump today. Thanks Obama I really love the uncertainty you are creating in the marketplace. Could you please stop trying to help and go throw yourself another multi million dollar birthday party!!! Or maybe another long, long vacation!!
Bren
12:32 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
I was going to write "this is a joke" but thought that was painfully obvious. Still it provides an opportunity for Combative Ben to exercise his exclamation points. Ben, I'll start with your 9.53am post. 1. Education: Fact: America is the greatest country in the world. Opinion: The greatest country should be represented by its best and brightest. Fact: College provides post-secondary knowledge and experience. Opinion: In today's world knowledge is essential to making good decisions. Fact: Scott Walker has made several abysmal "business" decisions, as CE and now as Gov. Between back pay for illegally fired workers while also paying a private contractor and the light rail debacle, Scott has cost this state approx. $60.7 million in avoidable expense (check my previous posts for more detail). Opinion: Post-secondary business and/or law training would have avoided these costly mistakes. The world experience college provides might also have given Scott a bit more savvy in picking his advisory teams.
2. I never make assumptions. 3. I wasn't writing about Democrats. 4. Obama real job(s) (not sure what the connection is between Obama's resume and Walker's education in this context but okay): Business sector 2 years before entering Harvard Law School. Practicing attorney, Chicago law firm, taught law at Univ. of Chicago. Author. So he has an actual resume and varied work experience.
Ben Hogan
12:45 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: With all Obama's experience could you tell me what his plan is to turn around this economy? Does anyone know? Does he even have a plan? Tax the rich some more? That is his plan? I really honestly have no idea or have not even heard of anything from him. You did'nt even bother to answer my other questions as to why with complete control for almost two years why aren't things all hunky dory?
Bren
1:01 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ben-9.55am post: I didn't vote for Johnson because he supports opening up the Great Lakes for oil drilling (a significant portion of his stock portfolio is oil, so he stands to make big profits if he can make this happen). Given the ecological and economic damage to areas where oil spills have occurred (Alaska, Gulf, Yellowstone River), I believe that risking one of this country's greatest freshwater resources to stuff a few more bucks in his pocket (or even talking about it) is greedy and unpatriotic (my opinion). Ron Johnson "successful business man" and job history: Ron's greatest personal "business" achievement was to marry Jane Curley, the Bemis heiress. Jane's dad created a spinoff supply company, "Pacur" in '77. When Ron and Jane moved back to Wisconsin in 1979, Jane's dad basically handed over Pacur to Ron (he started as an account I believe). Ron sold Pacur to a British firm called Rexam Extrusion, which he bought back after a number of years. Why do I mention Rexam? Because although he has claimed to be founder and president of Pacur, he listed that he was CEO of Rexam on a $10,000 donation to the Wisconsin Republican Party (after he bought it back). That in addition to his other (and his wife's) donations to Scott Walker and the Republican Party. Rexam isn't registered with the Wis. Dept. of Financial Institutions. (It's in Britain). To some this suggests he was skirting campaign finance laws to make extra donations-you decide. Feingold: Do about what?
Ben Hogan
1:11 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Feingold never worked outside of politics including his very brief law career
Bren
3:06 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ben, still not sure why you brought Feingold into the conversation. Tangent!
CowDung
3:13 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
I think his mention of Feingold was in response to your comments (5:36pm on Wednesday, August 17, 2011) about Republicans not having worked 'real' jobs...
Ben Hogan
3:32 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren I brought up Feingold because your initial reply brought up Palin, Bachman, Walker, and Ryan. Was that not a tangent?
Ben Hogan
1:16 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: here is a link to a JS article during the Feingold, Johnson race that said both canidates oppose drilling in the Great Lakes, but you would not know it with all the lies being slung.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/99058069.html
Bren
2:52 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ben, your link is to an opinion piece (note word "opinion" in link). Here's a link to an actual article about the issue (and Johnson's extensive oil stock holdings) from the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/ron-johnson-gop-senate-ca_n_643138.html.
I agree that lies are being slung. The voter's job is harder than ever with the barrage of factoids being slung by outside interest groups and uninformed extremists. The easy road is to just accept the words we want to hear and vote accordingly, but as I have learned, the "easy" road never is. You just can't see the ravine from the crossroad.
CowDung
3:08 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Funny how you discount the Journal article as an 'opinion', and counter it with a piece from the Huffington Post...
CowDung
3:21 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Your 'hard job' of being accurately informed will be a lot easier if you avoid 'news' sources like HuffPost...
Ben Hogan
1:40 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: I did not notice where you responded with the President's plan to fix our economy. you seem to know almost everything I'm sure you know what his plan entails. Could you please enlighten everyone with specifics as to this highly educated (college grad) plans.
Bren
3:09 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ben, this conversation isn't about the "President's plan to fix our economy." Tangent!
Don't know how I "seem" to know about his plans when it wasn't part of this thread. Tangent!
Ben Hogan
3:33 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Avoid Avoid Avoid, Good job Bren no real answers just like Obama
Ben Hogan
2:02 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wow I was completely unaware of the President's vast work experience! Sounds like a real commoner like the rest of us. Sounds like a real job creator kind of guy while he spent two years in the private sector.. It is easy to see how he can relate to the average blue collar worker. He must of taken a class at Harvard on how to relate to the average person's struggles. Struggling 101.
Bren
3:16 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ben, if you look at Barack Obama's background, he wasn't exactly born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Concerning Harvard, it's a uni with a mighty reputation. But it still offers scholarships and aid like every college. Like UW-Madison, there's a lot of applicants and they pick the best and brightest because they have a huge endowment (although it took a hit during the recession). Not everyone who attends is a millionaire.
Ben Hogan
2:05 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
We know that our fearless leader at least created a few jobs building his new multi million dollar bus.
Bren
3:17 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
A job is a job.
CowDung
3:24 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
...for people in Canada.
http://www.driving.ca/news/Gallery+Obama+Canada+made/5268268/story.html
Ben Hogan
2:16 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Bren: you seem like a numbers lady, do you have the final total cost for the illegal raid of the medical malpractice fund by Jim Doyle and the Democrats? You seem to have all the data. Jim went to college, right?
Bren
3:17 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tangent!
Bren
2:43 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ben: 10:06 am. Why does this post remind me of a TV scene where the "perp" runs down an alley pulling down trashcans, pallets, whatever, to hurt/obstruct officers as he desperately attempts to flee? I'm supposed to address Ben's 9 tangents while he "runs away" from my "kitty" joke. Sorry, I guess I'll play the cop in the squad car who drives around the block, cuts off the perp and offers a witty quip to the officer covered in trash.
Ben Hogan
4:04 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
there has been nothing offered by you that is either witty nor funny. every response by me has been in direct reply to your initial posting. You brougt up Palin, Walker and Bachman in response to an article about Ryan and a presedential bid. When I ask you about our current president you call it a tangent.
Ben Hogan
3:27 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Yep I guess talking about our fearless leader Obama is going on a tangent. This whole thing came up because of your response to this article included Walker, Ryan, Bachman and Palin. If you cant answer simple questions just say so but to call it a tangent is ridiculous. Can't answer the raid on medical malpractice can you? Just call it tangent I call it facts. You must be a lawyer or something because you never actually answer anything!!
CowDung
3:32 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Let me guess--tangent?
Ben Hogan
4:34 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
I may never agree with people like Bren or Lyle but at least when you discuss things with Lyle he offers actual answers (wrong as they may be).
robert heule
7:33 am on Sunday, August 21, 2011
Hey, Brian Dey Some of Joe Mc Carthy's friends are still around. You have the opportunity to join them at his graveside in Appleton each May. I hope for your sake that U. S. 41 isn't under construction then. If it is, the road workers who work for the evil government are wearing orange and not red.
Brian Dey
8:44 am on Sunday, August 21, 2011
Just tired of people thinking taxpayers owe them something. Greedy state workers who think they somehow deserve more than the one paying their bills, politicians who think that somehow, 39% of my income is somehow not enough, and government taking control of whole industries; that's not the America I grew up in, nor the one I want to see my kids grow up in. Apparently, that is the vision of the Democratic party... shame, shame, shame!
Lyle Ruble
3:01 pm on Sunday, August 21, 2011
@Brian Dey...When are you going to move onto something else. You're obsessed with the "greedy state workers" and we are so beyond that. The America you grew up in is long gone. Time to give up your anal retentivity and adapt to the new world.
Lyle Ruble
10:23 am on Sunday, August 21, 2011
This article started out as a report of Paul Ryan's contemplation of throwing his hat in the ring for a presidential run. I honestly don't think he will run, but I've been surprised before. I have many objections to Paul Ryan but first and foremost is his tender age. He is 41 years old and lacks the kind of life experience that a president needs to have in order to govern. He has never run for a state wide office and lacks wider appeal to moderates and independents. He is a Ayn Rand advocate and sees himself in the role of John Gault of "Atlas Shrugged". Philosophically, he's very libertarian oriented. His business experience is limited to a marketing consultant to the family business. His political experience, before running and winning the 1st congressional district, has been as an aid to some of the most extreme right wing politicians. Finally, his budget looks more like a project done for some second rate MBA program and projects more wishful thinking than substance.