Ryan is Romney's VP pick | Bangkok Post: news

A Republican presidency under Mitt Romney would "restore greatness" to America, says Paul Ryan, the man Romney has chosen as his vice-presidential running mate.

Mitt Romney (L) introduces Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential candidate in front of the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday morning. "High unemployment, declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal. It's the result of misguided policies," the Wisconsin House of Representatives member said in his first public comments after being introduced on Saturday morning in Norfolk, Virginia."And next January, our economy will begin a comeback with the Romney plan for a stronger middle class that will lead to more jobs and more take home pay for working Americans."The first word of Ryan's selection arrived via a dawn message sent to reporters from the Romney campaign's smartphone application."Romney-Ryan is the Republican ticket," it said. "Spread the word about America's Comeback Team."The official announcement followed at 9am (8pm Saturday Thailand time) in Norfolk during a photo opportunity on the USS Wisconsin, a decommissioned World War II-era battleship that also saw service during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.Ryan, a wonkish budget hawk whose plan to slash federal spending and lower taxes has won over many Republicans, is from the state of Wisconsin, which shares the name of the battleship.Putting Ryan on the ticket would mean Romney is gambling that voters want nothing less than a showdown over the nation's fiscal future and the role of government in American life.The congressman in recent days became the clear choice for many influential conservatives seeking a bold running mate for Romney.Ryan, 42, was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, where his father was a lawyer, and obtained a BA in economics and political science from Miami University of Ohio in 1992. A Catholic, he and his wife Jenna have three children.Ryan worked in Washington as an aide to Republican politicians including Jack Kemp, the 1996 vice presidential nominee. In 1998 he won election to the House of Representatives, succeeding Republican incumbent Mark Neumann. He is now in his seventh term.A serious and impassioned yet even-tempered "fiscal pit bull", Ryan has emerged as a star in the House of Representatives' Republican caucus, which has embraced his plan to slash spending.While a clear Washington insider who at age 42 has already worked on Capitol Hill nearly half his life, the House Budget Committee chairman is pledging a revolutionary, once-a-generation debate about the direction of the economy.A budget proposal he put forward that would cut spending by some $5 trillion over the next decade was approved by the...