Politics & Government

Paul Ryan Reportedly Mulling Presidential Bid

Congressman said to be discussing race with his family.

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.

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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.

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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.


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