The risk that Mr Romney took in appointing the young Wisconsin congressman appeared to crystallise almost immediately, as the US presidential debate shifted from the economic malaise to the long-term future of the social safety net. The race was on – 24 hours after Mr Romney unveiled his choice in the shadow of the warship USS Wisconsin – to define the new candidate.

"It is a pick that is meant to thrill the most strident voices in the Republican Party, but it's one that should trouble everybody else, the middle class, seniors, students," said David Axelrod, President Barack Obama's campaign strategist.

Unlike most running mates, historically, Mr Ryan comes with a fully fleshed-out plan for running the federal government over the next 10 years – the so-called "Paul Ryan budget" that passed the Tea Party-dominated House of Representatives last year, but did not make it past the Democrat-controlled Senate or White House.

Among other big cuts to government spending, the budget promises to turn Medicare, the popular government-run health service, into a system of vouchers for private care.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mitt-romneys-highrisk-gamble-ignites-race-for-the-white-house-8037173.html

MITT ROMNEY’S vice-presidential pick, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), is a virulent denier of climate science, with a voting record to match.

A favourite of the Koch brothers, Ryan has accused scientists of engaging in conspiracy to “intentionally mislead the public on the issue of climate change.” He has implied that snow invalidates global warming.

Ryan has voted to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting greenhouse pollution, toeliminate White House climate advisers, to block the U.S. Department of Agriculture from preparing for climate disasters like the drought devastating his home state, and to eliminate the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA-E):

Paul Ryan promoted unfounded conspiracy theories about climate scientists

In a December 2009 op-ed during international climate talks, Ryan made reference to the hacked University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit emails. He accused climatologists of a “perversion of the scientific method, where data were manipulated to support a predetermined conclusion,” in order to “intentionally mislead the public on the issue of climate change.” Because of spurious claims of conspiracy like these, several governmental and academic inquiries were launched, all of which found the accusations to be without merit. [Paul Ryan, 12/11/09]

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/paul-ryan-the-fossil-fuel-lobbys-vp-candidate/

A Washington professional, he [Ryan] lacks broad experience of life outside politics and has made his name more as a policy wonk than a populist. But he has an easy manner with people and a gift for presenting economic issues in simple terms of American values and optimism.

For the outside world, as for many within America, that makes Mr Romney's decision to commit himself to right-wing policies worrying. At a time of faltering recovery in the world's largest economy, we can ill afford a lurch back to the contraction and the social strains that heavy cuts in public expenditure would bring. If nothing else Mr Romney's appointment puts policy back where it belongs, centre stage. It is now up to the Democrats to make clear the advantages of a different, more liberal and more internationalist approach.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/adrian-hamilton/adrian-hamilton-obama--and-the-world--should-fear-lurch-to-the-right-8037171.html

http://www.yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/17463#comment-24430

Republicans condemn Missouri congressman who has strong links to Romney's pick for VP

REPUBLICAN presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has condemned Missouri congressman Todd Akin (above) after he caused outrage on Sunday by claiming that women rarely became pregnant from what he called "legitimate rape" because they are able to "shut down" their bodies.

The comments could spell trouble for vice-presidential pick Paul Ryan, who is firmly pro-life and has links to Akin on the issue of abortion.
 
Akin, a favourite of the Tea Party who is hoping to become a Republican senator for Missouri, made the comments in an interview with a TV station in St Louis on Sunday.
 
When asked about his position on abortions for women who had been raped, Akin said: "It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare [for the victim to become pregnant].

Washington correspondent Craig McMurtrie says the Republican Convention can't come soon enough for the party as it tries to distance itself from Todd Akin's controversial comments.

If you listen carefully, you can hear it coming: a great big Republican bus trying to run down Missouri congressman Todd Akin.

He's the piñata swinging in the breeze that just won't break, but is showering gifts anyway - on Democrats and political journalists.

The 65-year-old conservative, with a 100 per cent pro-life voting record, left his political filter at home when asked about rape and pregnancy in a local television interview.

"It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that is really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," he explained.

We shouldn't be surprised that he thinks this; the amazing thing is that he said it just as his party was shining its buttons to reintroduce Mitt to American voters, in Tampa next week.

Democrats accepted the gift; national pro-choice groups went to war; and the president broke a long drought in the White House briefing room, popping up for an unscheduled press conference.

"The views expressed were offensive. Rape is rape," he thundered.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-22/mcmurtrie-akins-costly-brain-snap-on-abortion/4215032?WT.svl=theDrum

Remember, these fellow leading the Republicans (US conservatives), like Ryan, Romney and Akin are religious zealots who only see life through the arse hole of their religious prism...