MA Democrats and GOP Leaders React to Ryan Selection

Monday, August 13, 2012

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Many of the biggest names in Massachusetts politics have voiced their opinion on Mitt Romney's selection of Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) as the Vice Presidential candidate for Vice President.

Big name Democrats and top GOP thinkers give their insights to what the Ryan selection means to the Presidential election.

Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA):

"In case it was ever in doubt, what is truly at stake in this election was made even clearer today by the selection of Congressman Ryan as the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee. Congressman Ryan was the chief architect of a budget that would decimate education funding and end Medicare. He and Governor Romney believe that each and every one of us is on his or her own, and that government has no role to play in making a better future for the next generation. We know better - that government does have a role to play, not in solving every problem in every person's life, but in helping people help themselves. The very character of our nation, and the American Dream itself, are at stake in this election - let's stand up and show that it is worth fighting for."

Grace Ross, Progressive leader and former candidate for Governor:

"First, this decision is about window dressing not about governing. These days, decisions by candidates at this stage - even unfortunately those who are supposed to be serving in office right now - are about what they think will make them win not what they should be planning to improve the lives of the majority of the people they are supposed to be running to serve.

"Second, vice presidents have no guaranteed say in governance. There have been vice-presidents who have essentially spent four years on the beach with a cocktail in their hand (well, or playing host to fundraising cocktail parties).

"What this tells us really is: the Romney camp was sufficiently worried about the weakness of his support in the most right-wing republican base that they didn't care how much money or energy this galvanized for Obama."

Rob Eno, Conservative leader, Editor of Red Mass Group:

"With the pick of Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has finally excited the conservative base. Ryan has serious, sobering plans to put America back on a solid financial footing. We are currently experiencing a hangover from the past forty years of tax and spend progressivism. The only way forward is a measured budget that has no sacred cows, Paul Ryan brings that to the table. I am finally excited about this Presidential election."

Elizabeth Warren, Democratic nominee for United States Senate:

"For years now, America’s working families have been getting hammered, and Mitt Romney just picked up a bigger hammer. The Ryan Budget is a plan to hit families, seniors, our kids harder—all so that millionaires and billionaires can get more tax breaks. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are a demolition team that will wreck our economy and leave working people and small businesses to struggle in the mess.

"The choice is clear. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will work to make the rich and powerful, richer and more powerful. I’m standing with President Obama to work for our families, to invest in our kids, and to give our small businesses a fighting chance to succeed because I believe that’s how we build a strong foundation for our future."

Chris Pinto, Worcester GOP:

"In three and 1/2 years President Obama has failed to pass a single budget in violation of federal law. Even when democrats had control of both houses of congress they did not pass a budget all while bringing the national debt up to $16 trillion with reckless spending and 40 straight months of the highest unemployment that this nation has faced since the great depression.

"The United States is at a turning point. Will we become Greece or the domestic equivalent, California? The choice of Paul Ryan sends the message that Mitt Romney is not afraid to take on the hardest problems that face our great nation. The Romney / Ryan ticket is exactly what we need to turn around the economy."

Former Massachusetts Speaker of the House, Tom Finneran:

"Don't dismiss P. Ryan out of hand. He's young, smart, and telegenic. More importantly, he has had months and months of dress rehearsal for this stage. The continuing attacks on the 'Ryan budget' have given him countless opportunities to practice and sharpen his responses. With young people depressed about their job prospects and convinced that Soc. Security will never be there for them, they might be more receptive to Ryan's arguments that the same old/same old approaches no longer apply.

"As for senior citizens, the question is whether the Republicans can convince them that their SS benefits remain protected. As for the rest of us, we can look forward to a real debate over the very real issues of spending, debt, and deficits.

"The Democrats should not get cocky. Ryan is NOT Sarah Palin."

Tim Cahill, former Treasurer of Massachusetts and Candidate for Governor:

"Congressman Ryan represents a high-risk, potentially high-reward strategy for the Romney campaign. Independent voters will be drawn to his history of fiscal conservatism. They may however be frightened by his plan to radically change Medicaid and Social Security.

"This makes the race one about big issues and radically differing views about the role of government in society. Historically Americans are more comfortable will incremental change.

"It remains to be seen which campaign can best craft a message that drives their base to the polls without driving independents away."

Paul Giorgio, Member Democratic State Committee & former member of the DNC Platform Committee

"I can't think of anyone else the Democrats would have preferred Romney to choose unless he chose Sarah Palin. This means that Mitt Romney has embraced the Ryan Budget Plan which calls for the elimination of Medicare and the privatization of Social Security. Romney just touched the third rail of politics twice."

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