Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney introduced Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice presidential running mate, turning to the architect of a deeply conservative and intensely controversial long-term budget plan.
NORFOLK, Virginia (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said on Saturday he has chosen Congressman Paul Ryan as his vice presidential running mate, a move that will bring the debate over how to reduce government spending and debt to the forefront of the race for the White House.Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, announced that he has tapped the House of Representatives Budget Committee chairman at an event at the retired battleship USS Wisconsin - coincidentally named for Ryan's home state."His leadership begins with character and values. ... Paul Ryan works in Washington but his roots remain in Janesville, Wisconsin," Romney said.Romney said Ryan, 42, "has become an intellectual leader of the Republican Party," and stressed that their campaign will focus on ways to create jobs, protect Medicare and Social Security, and repeal the health care law enacted under Democratic President Barack Obama.The announcement marked the end a months-long search by Romney for a running mate to join him in facing Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the November 6 election.His choice of running mate is a bold one and comes after polls this week showed him falling slightly behind Obama in what is still a close race, in a campaign that is focused largely on the weak U.S. economy.The selection of Ryan brings a measure of youthful exuberance and energy to the Republican ticket as party activists prepare to gather in Tampa, Florida, late this month for a convention to formally choose Romney as their presidential nominee.Ryan's selection also immediately draws attention to a budget plan he proposed as House budget chairman that would include controversial cuts in government health programs for the elderly and poor."We're in a different and dangerous moment. We're running out of time and we can't afford four more years of this," Ryan told the crowd. "Politicians from both parties have made empty promises which will soon become broken promises with painful consequences if we fail to act now."He drew his biggest reaction, saying: "0ur rights come from nature and God, not from government."Conservative leaders, increasingly anxious over the state of Romney's campaign, had urged him to pass over reliable - but not particularly inspiring - figures such as Ohio Senator Rob Portman and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, and instead go for Ryan.The Wisconsin congressman is a favorite of the conservative Tea Party, an anti-tax, limited-government movement that helped Republicans take over the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010.Democrats are eager to pounce on Ryan's budget plan with its proposed cuts to programs for the elderly - particularly in Florida, where many seniors live and which could be a crucial state in the November election. Ryan's selection makes the Florida leg of Romney's bus tour an instant test for the new ticket.Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina said in a statement that Ryan shares Romney's commitment to "the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy."Romney starts a bus tour on Saturday through four politically divided states that he needs to win in November: Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio.A NEW TARGET FOR DEMOCRATSRomney's decision to select Ryan suggests he is willing to have a debate over government spending and its role in the daily lives of Americans. He has endorsed parts of Ryan's budget."Conservatives are going to be very energized because this is a demonstration that Romney was willing to make a bold pick," said Republican strategist Matt Mankowski. "It may not be what he wanted to do three or six months ago, but I think this is as significant a choice as he could have made."Bill Burton, senior strategist at the pro-Obama group Priorities USA, indicated that Ryan being on the Republican ticket would open a new avenue of attack for Democrats.
Yesterday, in front of the  in Norfolk, Virginia, presumptive Republican presidential nominee, former Massachusetts  Mitt Romney selected Congressman  of Wisconsin as his .
Paul Ryan prepares to deliver his acceptance speech after Mitt Romney's introduction.
After an introduction from Virginia  , who himself had been considered a potential running mate, Romney officially made the announcement. He referred to Ryan as "an intellectual leader of the Republican Party" and initially labeled Ryan as the "next president of the United States" before correcting himself after Ryan reached the podium. 

Ryan, 42, has represented  since 1999 and serves as chairman of the . Last year, he authored the budget proposal, '''', which promotes reductions in federal spending of $6.2 trillion from the Obama plan through a repeal of the , a reformation of , and capping of federal . 

During his acceptance speech, Ryan said that his "record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Governor Romney's executive and private sector success outside of Washington." He added that the campaign "won't duck the tough issues—we will lead" and went after the record of President Barack Obama, arguing that his policies "didn't make things better."

On the announcement, senior Obama staffers explained that Ryan's selection "makes clear that Romney would be a rubber stamp for the congressional GOP" and that the choice provides the Obama campaign with "clear advantages".

According to '''', Romney made the decision on August 1 after returning from his international trip. Four days later, Ryan was secretly flown to , Massachusetts to meet Romney at the home of Beth Myers, who was running the vice presidential search. Ryan was supposed to be announced on Friday in New Hampshire, but he had to return to Wisconsin to attend a memorial for victims of the . 

Thereafter, the campaign decided to make the announcement in Virginia, and so Ryan was once again secretly flown, this time to , North Carolina near Norfolk, where he met with Romney and prepared his acceptance speech.

''NBC News'' first announced the decision, and the Romney campaign announced the news to supporters through a phone application at seven a.m., a couple of hours before the official announcement. 


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