Paul Ryan for VP?

Both the Wall Street Journal and Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review, have strongly urged Mitt Romney to select Paul Ryan as his running mate. Ryan is chief budgetary bête noir of the American left because of his budget proposals, which involve big tax cuts for the rich, “broadening the tax base” (which means the rest of us pay more taxes), putting Medicaid on a strict allowance (block grants) and transforming Medicare to a “premium support” (or voucher) system.  A Ryan choice would shift the electoral debate away from Bain and the economy toward policy issues, and so perhaps this would be a good thing.  As Rich Lowry puts it, “Ryan would inject a jolt of energy into the campaign and reorient the debate around policy. The Romney campaign doesn't have to be reckless. It does have to have a pulse.”  Nevertheless, a Ryan choice carries a certain amount of risk, and, given Mitt’s track record with regard to courage, it seems more likely that he will choose Tim Pawlenty (yawn) or Rob Portman (who’s he again?).

Mitt Romney’s under pressure now

To pick Paul Ryan as his Veep

He’s more conservative than thou,

He dreams of budgets in his sleep

He’s really smart, or so they say,

The doubts of wing-nuts he’d allay.

They say he has a lot of guts

Because his economic pitch

Entails primarily huge tax cuts

That’d give more money to the rich,

And to satisfy the right wing’s prayer,

He’d do away with Medicare.

The Wall Street Journal says Mitt should

Select Paul Ryan for his Veep

It’d show the world just where he stood -

It’d be a bold, decisive leap -

And that is just the reason why

Poor Mitt’s unlikely to comply.