Paul Ryan Is Romney’s VP Pick – Ryan Personal History And Career Highlights
Paul Ryan is officially the Mitt Romney vice-presidential pick. Word began leaking Friday night after Tim Pawlenty left a Romney campaign meeting that the second name on the Republican presidential ticket was fiscal hawk Paul Ryan. Boxes carried into campaign headquarters rumored to contain new Romney posters and signs were kept under wraps until the candidate’s pending Saturday morning press conference in Virginia. The slogan on the new campaign posters allegedly reads, “America’s Comeback Team.”
The time of guessing on possible Romney running mates has come to an end. The last time a presidential hopeful chose a vice-presidential candidate from the House of Representatives was the ground-breaking choice of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. Although speculation about Marco Rubio, Rob Portman and Chris Christie as possible Romney vice-presidential candidates ran high last night when the media learned of the planned VP announcement, Fox News is now reporting Paul Ryan was tapped on August 3, and the decision was kept under wraps by Romney until today. The Paul Ryan VP Twitter account was activated this morning and had more than 7,000 followers in the first five minutes.
“In America we promise equal opportunity not equal outcome,” Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan stated during his speech in Virginia with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “We won’t duck the tough issues. We will lead. We will take responsibility for our actions, we won’t blame others. We will preserve Medicare.”
Paul Ryan Facts
US Representative Paul Ryan, 42, represents the First Congressional District in Wisconsin. Ryan is the Chair of the House Budget Committee. The Romney vice-presidential running mate also serves on the House Ways and Means Committee.
Ryan released the “Roadmap for America’s Future” federal tax code reform proposal in 2010. The tax reform plan was designed to address ways to eliminate federal debt while preserving entitlement programs for future generations of Americans.
The GOP vice-presidential candidate was born in Janesville, Wisconsin. Paul Ryan is the youngest of four children born to stay-at-home-mom Betty and attorney father, Paul Ryan Sr., according to the Mitt Romney campaign website. Ryan is known as an avid outdoorsman and is a member of the Janesville Bowman club. Ryan enjoys hunting, fishing and “noodling” catfish.
In 2000 Ryan married Janna Little of Oklahoma. The couple tied the knot at one of the representative’s “favorite fishing spots” – Big St. Germain Lake in Wisconsin. Paul and Janna Ryan live in his hometown of Janesville with their three children, Sam, Liza and Charlie. The Ryan family attends St. John Vianney Catholic Church.
Ryan’s reading list for his staff and interns may score the Romney-Ryan ticket some points with Libertarians and Independent voters. The Daily Caller notes Ryan is a “big fan” of philosopher Ayn Rand. Although he does not subscribe to Rand’s atheist philosophy, he allegedly enjoyed Atlas Shrugged, so much he wants his staff to become familiar with the book as well.
Paul Ryan graduated from Joseph A. Craig High School and earned degrees in political science and economics from Miami University in Ohio. In college Ryan worked for Oscar Mayer, his duties included occasionally driving the “Weinermobile,” the Daily Caller notes. While working at Oscar Mayer Ryan helped introduced a new line of products called Lunchables to area grocery stores. The VP candidate also worked as a marketing consultant for the family construction business his great-grandfather started in 1884.
Before running for Congress Ryan was an aide to Senator Sam Brownback, Senator Robert Kasten Jr. and was a speechwriter for Education Secretary William Bennett.
Paul Ryan earned a paycheck working as a fitness trainer in Washington and still leads a group of US Congressional Representatives in a P90X workout routine when Congress is in session. Ryan also moonlighted on Capitol Hill as a waiter at the Tortilla Coast restaurant.
GOP VP candidate Paul Ryan enjoys listening to Led Zeppelin and Rage Against the Machine, Fox News notes.
