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Subscribe to RSSMooresville, N.C. -- On their second full day of campaigning together, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are taking advantage of enormous crowds and an intense media spotlight to help reshape their public images, and to defend one another's personal biographies, with a particular focus on shoring up perceived weaknesses.
Romney, speaking last, praised Ryan's work in Congress, where he has spent the last seven terms representing Wisconsin's First District, but pitched to a crowd of nearly 2,000 that Ryan had gone to Washington at the expense of his career, rather than as a career.
"His career ambition was not to go to Washington. That is not what he wanted to do, but he became concerned about what was happening in the country and wanted to get America back on track and so he put aside the plans he had for his career and said I'm going to go and serve, and he's done that and he's put the country and policies to get America right again ahead of ambition," Romney told the crowd at a NASCAR technical facility here.
But that interpretation of Ryan's career clashes with his actual biography. After graduating with a degree in economics and political science, Ryan moved to Washington to work as a congressional staffer, having already become familiar with campaigns as a volunteer for Ohio congressman John Boehner, now House speaker. Ryan returned the private sector and Wisconsin only briefly, before being elected to Congress at age 28.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus talks with NBC's David Gregory about Democratic assaults on Paul Ryan's record and how the candidate should best defend himself.
Ryan's career in the public sector has been seen by some political analysts as a potential liability on the Romney ticket, where executive competence and a Washington-outsider persona have long been the hallmarks of the campaign. Yesterday, Ryan suggested his legislative skills could help Romney in governing more than they might hurt the brand in campaigning.
“I believe that my 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,” Ryan said in Norfolk.
Ryan also returned the favor for Romney today, burnishing the GOP nominee's biography, including his tenure as head of the 2002 Olympics, and as Massachusetts governor, an oft-overlooked period for a candidate who prefers to focus on his business experience.
"His country asked him to move to Salt Lake, to turn it around and save the Olympics, he did it and we're so proud of that moment," Ryan said. "The contrast could not be more clear. When he was governor of Massachusetts, he balanced the budget without raising taxes. President Obama has given us budgets with no balance ever and a lot of new taxes."
The setting at NASCAR's technical institute was designed to let another bit of Romney's personal biography and personality peek out: he's a car guy, and the Romney logo-emblazoned stock car behind him was too good to resist.
"You see as a boy my dad made Ramblers, alright? And I only dreamed of cars like that," Romney said, eyeing the car. "To have my name on a car like that it's just too much."
"It must have been tough for my girlfriend to be able to go out on that first date with me in that red rambler we had," Romney said, introducing his wife Ann, who spoke on stage for the first time since the Ryan announcement.
For the Romney campaign, today's event in which thousands of supporters overflowed into parking lots outside, is expected to be the smallest of three major rallies here, and in Wisconsin.
Most of the energy at the event came from seeing the ticket for the first time, but some, surely, came from stock car driver Darrell Waltrip who, pacing the stage in the pre-program, offered advice for Romney seemingly ripped from the Will Ferrell movie "Talladega Nights," and got the crowd cheering uproariously.
"I have a little advice for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan: Boogity Boogity Boogity!"
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2nd verse same as the 1st--no pain for the middle class no gain for the upper and it's so because I can make it so if I just keep repeating myself.
I'm not sure there was a perfect choice for Romney for VP. But Ryan only exposes even more, especially when teamed with Romney, what a losing ticket really looks like. These two are so out of touch with what this country needs and wants and, more than anything else, how to fix things rather than make everything so much worse. They're doubling to tripling the incredibly failed policies of the Bush 2 Administration.
Well said Sonny. Great post
Sonny Drysdale
Which policies of the Bush2 admin do you feel failed us?
I told all you liberals a month ago that Romney was just getting warmed up...
The groundswell against Obama and his policies has just begun and is going to continue to build into November and wash over Obama like a tsunami wave on November 7...
When its all over, everyone will look back and realize that there was never much of a contest because Republicans had the truth on their side the whole time... The truth is always the easiest story to stick with...
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
Please note that since the VP announcement many snap polls have shown and even large move to OBAMA and Romney sliding in the polls ! Ryan frightens people .And a majority of independents will most certainly turn away now !
OBAMA -
40 months of 8.3% Unemployment - 23,000,000 out of work and what does Obama do? He issues 1,800,000 work permits to illegals so he can pander to the latino vote...
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
Danny, you look like a wise old man. Why are you talking so stupid? Are you senile?
Johnny
You sound like a disrepectful person.
"Burnish" is just NBC's snarky way of putting down two extraordinary men. In fact, people should pay more attention to their accomplishments. As part of an experienced, innovative management team; they can lead this country back to greatness.
Romney tied his dog to the roof of a car. Now, he wants to do the same to your great aunt like in the movie "Vacation." Kill her, tie her to the roof and dump her off somewhere. Sweet guy, ain't he?
Liberals: Re-read this post by John Penn-2341008 and ask yourselves: Is this really the group I want people to associate me with?
Romney tied a Dog carrier to the roof of his car and the Dog was in the carrier.
How is that any different than riding in the back of a truck were the animal isn't secure at all? The dog could be slammed against the cab in an emergency stop, thrown out on a tight curve, etc.
At least Romney Has never eaten dog Unlike Obama.
Did you read that part?
OBAMA -
Loaned $535,000,000 to his big campain bundler at Solyndra....
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
Obama -
Outsourced NASA's space shuttle program to Russia - Decimating southern Florida's economy!!
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
NASA just landed a rover on Mars. Where have you been?
The Space Shuttle was obsolete and that's why it was defunded. It was costing us more money than it was worth.
John Penn
And was the price of a rover on Mars worth it? Does that secure our ability to send Americans into space?
Obama -
Sixteen trillion = 16,000,000,000,000 in National Debt and will grow to 17,000,000,000,000 by 2013! And still growing....
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
Obama -
"The private sector is doing just fine" and
"If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
Enough said...
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
I do so enjoy watching the Left Bloviate.
Gas prices are going up at a record pace. Its already hitting $3.95 a gallon where I Live. When gas prices hit $4.00 a gallon people tighten their belt and stop spending which causes the economy to retract. It isn't exactly like its been a great recovery.
The economists already call this the "Worst Economic Recovery in History" and that's how its being written in the history books.
Just Remember "Obama Built That".
Are you kidding, gas prices have been down. I know of at least 5 people that have been out of work for 1-2 years who have just gotten jobs. Things are looking up, but I guess that doesn't help your boy get elected.
Obama -
Adds the overhead costs of OBAMAcare to the already high cost of U.S. labor in a time where what is left of U.S. manufacturing is already struggling to compete with foreign imported goods DURRING A RECESSION!!!!
Romney/Ryan 2012!!! LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGE!!! Yeah Baby!!!
Jaw dropping: over 100-million now on Federal Welfare
by Norm Van Ness
Posted: 08.08.2012 at 5:34 PM ....
Thanks Obama .... "LOL"
The new numbers stem from the U.S. Census's Survey of Income and Program Participation which shows that nearly 110,000 million individuals received a welfare benefit in 2011. The benefits counted were not limited to U.S. citizens...as non-citizens were included in the final tally ....
And 36% of illegal aliens are on some type of Obama welfare now .... "LOL"
Excluding S.S , Medicaid and Medicare ....
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/over-100-million-now-receiving-federal-welfare_649589.html
http://rt.com/usa/news/million-us-residents-welfare-268/
Biden would have a better chance if he dumped Obama as his running mate .... "LOL"
Obama may well dump Biden, you never know, he has no loyalty, it is all about himself...
Mr Romney selecting Mr. Ryan as his running mate has assured my vote is going to be cast for Obama/Biden 2012.
:))))))))))))))))))))
Missy - Are you sure you want four more years of financial disaster and incompetent leadership?
I have noticed a trend developing here and on other web sites , and it is that a number of moderate republicans have now decided to not support the ticket of Romney and Ryan ! This also extends to many other groups ( seniors,Hispanics ) and this trend will only grow larger once Americans see how dangerous the policies of Romney and Ryan are to the welfare and future of the country ! A VOTE AGAINST ROMNEY AND RYAN CAN SAVE AMERICA !
Which policies?
The liberals are shell shocked by the Ryan pick....they are off their game..their game being nasty personal attacks...
Do you believe Debbie Wasserman Schultz claimed she has no idea about even the Party affiliation of the Bill Burton Obama Super PAC which ran the despicable "Romney killed my wife" ad.....
"Sgt" Shultz claims to "know nothing"!!
Bob
Watching that woman speak is more insulting than listening to Mr. Biden or Mr. Axelrod.
It's amazing how little the Democrats claim "to know"...
Bob and MJ:
Still harping about a PrioritiesUSA superpac ad that only aired on youtube (never on TV)? Still failing to mention the actual Romney ad about work/welfare that had nine million dollars worth of TV air time and the New York Times and the Washington Post both scored as a complete LIE? Romney actually and intentionally LIES, whereas Priorities USA merely insinuates unfairly, and you harpie seals bark over and over. You've been completely destroyed by the fact checkers.
Romney was already losing the women's & Independents votes...with Ryan choice he made it worst!
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) cosponsored a bill that would give fetuses full personhood rights from the moment of fertilization, which was even rejected by voters in the socially conservative state of Mississippi. He voted to defund federal family planning programs, authored a budget that dismantles Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, all of which disproportionately aid and employ women, and voted multiple times to prevent women in the military from using their own money to pay for abortions at military hospitals.
Ryan also supported a highly controversial bill that Democrats nicknamed the "Let Women Die Act," which would have allowed hospitals to refuse to provide a woman emergency abortion care, even if her life is on the line.
Planned Parenthood Action Fund said in a statement on Saturday morning that Ryan has earned zero percent on its women's health voting scorecard, and other women's rights group expressed similar alarm.
Ryan....13 years in Congress....2 bills passed....naming a post office and tax on arrows....LOL!
The ONLY ANSWER for effective governing is to elect a Republican President and a Democratic Congress.
For the far right wing whack jobs that think Paul Ryan is a great choice, I submit to you a branch of Catholics that disagree: http://www.catholics-united.org/ At least these people have some common sense, which seems to have vanished from the Christian Right.
Ryan's record speaks for it's self, voting for 2 unfunded wars, bailouts, tax cuts etc.
The GOP which helped our economy into a ditch, has fought tooth and nail to keep it there, to make the Obama Adm look bad, now says vote for us again we can save this Country, HOW? With the same failed policies that got us there, tax cuts and deregulation's! Really? You can't be serious? The sad thing is they are!
The Ryan plan, what did Newt Gingrich call it social engineering, the Catholic Bishops condemned the plan, but these two are going to save us?
RomneyHood/BrotherRyan been there done that, been trickled on enough!
Obama/Biden 2012 forward not back!
Daniel, I found your post reciting Ryan's speech. Look at his words carefully and objectively. He and Romney offer equal opportunity, but not necessarily equal outcomes. How can he claim that with a straight face when their proposals favor the wealthy to the detriment of the middle class. You can't be serious. Right our of the gate their whole platform falls apart.
Daniel streibig....doubtful their is NO leadership with romney ryan ticket just smoke and mirrors... the facts will come out and romney ryan road to ruin will be exposed...
how can the road to ruin policies of bush change anything for the American People???
seems as though they are ONLY concerned with their 1% don't be fooled AGAIN!
romney/ryan = same policies as bush=same results...
OBAMA/Biden 2012 the thinking persons choice!
Folks,
Who just Blocked da Campaign Finance Reform Bill?
Who just Blocked Obama’s Jobs Bill?
Who rewrote and put a Loophole in da House Version of da Stock Act Bill ?
You Guessed it……Boehner, McConnell , Cantor and da rest of them Republican TeaBilly Politicians…… Can you Imagine da Shenanigans if Romney and Ryan get in.
Mitt "F da Poor" Romney and Paul “Middle Class Warfare” Ryan are nothing more than Two “Howdy Doodie Political Puppets” sitting on da Koch Brothers Lap.
You BetCha....Fer Sure.