Romney Picks Ryan: Local Reaction

On Saturday, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced his pick for vice president -- Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.

Ryan, 42, is serving his seventh term in Congress and has risen as a superstar in the conservative wing of the Republican party in recent years. As chairman of the House Budget Committee and member on the House Ways and Means Committee, he is seen as a Tea Party favorite who could help solidify Romney's conservative credentials.

Ryan is the architect of "A Roadmap for America's Future," a budget proposal often called "The Ryan Plan" and touted by Ryan as "an alternative" to President Obama's plan for economic recovery. Follow the link above, or read it right here – we've uploaded the pdf here for you.

The news of Ryan's selection as vice presidential candidate has taken the nation by storm. Here a few comments from political figures in our area.

Rosemary Smedile, North Andover Republican Town Committee Chair:

"I am absolutely delighted and thrilled with Congressman Ryan being chosen as the vice presidential pick. Not only does he truly understand that we need to honor the obligations that we have for our current seniors with Medicare and Social Security benefits, but he's also so strong with the budget and his knowledge of the deficit that he plans for our future generation and making sure that their benefits are intact and in place. As much as the opponents are already saying that he will 'throw grandmother over the cliff,' there is no way he is intending to do that and he has a plan not only for our seniors now but our seniors in the future. He clearly has a strong understanding of the budget, the deficit that is absolutely crippling this country and our future. So I could not be more delighted. He's a strong candidate, he has strong moral values, he's a good family person and a strong constitutionalist. He is an excellent candidate."

Bryan Kirby, North Andover Democratic Town Committee Chair:

"It makes sense as far as the thought process behind it. The one thing that might hurt him is Paul Ryan's budget. He always said he support it, but he put forward a revised one with all these nuances. Now we'll see, will we get the Paul Ryan budget verbatim or will they take the finer points and create something different? Hopefully this means we can get some sort of actual budget from Mitt. We see him saying a lot of things with no details. He says he'll close tax loopholes but doesn't tell you which ones. For Mitt, I think [Ryan] is an excellent selection because Mitt's problem was he wasn't appealing to the conservative base. Paul Ryan is realy going to rally the conservative base. But I think [Ryan] is full of empty rhetoric. He panders to a specific demographic, specific population. His proposals are not thought-provoking, they're typical Republican pandering to fear and greed."

Republican State Rep. Candidate Karin Rhoton:

"I am excited with Mitt Romney's pick of congressman Ryan as his Vice Presidential nominee. The GOP ticket has the practical experience and discipline to turn our country towards Economic recovery and fiscal responsibility. I welcome Paul Ryan's energy, honesty and work ethic on the Republican ticket."

Democratic Congressman John Tierney:

“The Ryan-Tisei policies will end Medicare as we know it, give tax breaks to Big Oil, protect companies who ship jobs overseas, and raise taxes on the middle class. My opponent has aligned himself with Ryan’s agenda and is now supporting him for Vice President. The middle-class cannot afford the Ryan-Tisei agenda, that will threaten our future economic success.Voters have a very clear choice in this election between the Romney-Ryan-Tisei plan to end Medicare and my vision of a stronger middle class."

Republican Congressional Candidate Richard Tisei:

"Congressman Ryan, whether one agrees with him on every issue or not, is a serious politician who sees our country's economic problems in clear terms. I don't agree with him - or anyone else - on every single issue. I do believe that it's critical that we have leaders from both parties who aren't in denial about the problems we face and who are determined to resolve them. The days of name-calling need to end. The people expect no less and are entitled to no less. They're also sick to death of politicians who, ignoring the country's peril, spend their days only to make cheap political points."

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Elizabeth Warren:

"For years now, America’s working families have been getting hammered, and Mitt Romney just picked up a bigger hammer. The Ryan Budget is a plan to hit families, seniors, our kids harder—all so that millionaires and billionaires can get more tax breaks. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are a demolition team that will wreck our economy and leave working people and small businesses to struggle in the mess. The choice is clear. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will work to make the rich and powerful, richer and more powerful. I’m standing with President Obama to work for our families, to invest in our kids, and to give our small businesses a fighting chance to succeed because I believe that’s how we build a strong foundation for our future."

Gov. Deval Patrick:

"In case it was ever in doubt, what is truly at stake in this election was made even clearer today by the selection of Congressman Ryan as the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. Congressman Ryan was the chief architect of a budget that would decimate education funding and end Medicare. He and Governor Romney believe that each and every one of us is on his or her own, and that government has no role to play in making a better future for the next generation. We know better - that government does have a role to play, not in solving every problem in every person's life, but in helping people help themselves. The very character of our nation, and the American Dream itself, are at stake in this election - let's stand up and show that it is worth fighting for."

What do you think of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick? Discuss in the comments below.