Paul Ryan

I just finished watching a video of the appearance by Congressman Paul Ryan on Hardball. Since no one watches that show on MSNBC, I should tell you that it is hosted by Chris Matthews, a former staffer for a Democrat senator, who has one of the loudest mouths on TV. Matthews is like a Democrat talking point come to life. Ryan, on the other hand, is the congressman from the first district of Wisconsin and he is one of the brightest lights in Congress (admittedly that is not saying much). Ryan is on the budget committee, the ways and means committee and also the debt reduction commission set up by Obama. He has come forward with a detailed plan to cut spending, modify entitlements, and end deficit spending. The video can be reached by clicking on the title to this post.

It was fun watching Ryan make a fool out of Matthews. Matthews was doing his usual blathering generalizations; he claimed that Republicans said they were for cutting spending but never make detailed proposals. Ryan responded that the details were on a website whose address he gave and then rattled off 1.3 trillion dollars worth of immediate cuts that he supported. Matthews said that was less than one percent of the deficit (revealing that he is certainly not a numbers guy). Since the deficit this year is about 1.6 tillion, ryan's cuts would close over 80% of the budget deficit.

I have watched Ryan for some time now. He is imaginative and intelligent. he is well spoken and good looking. He does not get constrained by old structures of political thought; instead he comes up with solutions that look like they would work.

I hope Ryan runs for President. I would like to vote for him. Ryan has already said that he will not run. Nevertheless, I hope that whoever the GOP nominates in 2012, ryan is the candidate for vice president. the country needs people like him in power.