Positive reactions to Mitt Romney???s selection of Paul Ryan for Vice President are coming in from prominent conservatives across the nation.
Praise from the other top names under consideration as Romney???s running mate was swift and strong:
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: ???With Paul Ryan on the ticket this is a team that understands the economic stagnation our country has been facing the last four years and the urgency with which we need to change course. The Romney-Ryan team is uniquely positioned to make the tough choices necessary to confront our fiscal challenges and get results.???
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL): ???Throughout his life, Mitt Romney has made great decisions, and choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate is a truly inspired choice. I got to know Paul during my Senate campaign when he endorsed me early on when I was still considered a long shot. Paul Ryan is a courageous reformer who understands our nation???s challenges, has proposed bold policy solutions to solve them, and has shown the courage to stand up to President Obama and other Washington politicians trying to tear him down. The Romney-Ryan ticket is going to win in November because it offers the American people visionary leadership to recapture the free enterprise spirit that has empowered countless Americans to build businesses from scratch and live the American dream. I???m excited about the visionary change a Romney-Ryan team will bring to Washington, and I look forward to campaigning with them this fall.???
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH): ???Mitt Romney has made a great choice in Paul Ryan. He is an accomplished public servant and a leading voice on the most pressing issues facing our country. Paul is one of my best friends in Congress and someone I have worked closely with as a former colleague on the House Ways & Means Committee.??? He added that he looks forward to ???working closely with a Romney-Ryan Administration to restore fiscal sanity and enact pro-growth policies to create jobs.???
Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota: ???Congressman Ryan is a respected leader and a bold thinker regarding the changes needed to restore America. His selection will also help Governor Romney win the key swing state of Wisconsin. I am excited about a Romney-Ryan ticket and look forward to doing all I can to help them win this election.???
Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana: ???Paul is a good friend and one of the smartest guys I served with in Congress. He has the courage of his convictions, which is what our nation needs.???
Several of Mitt Romney???s rivals from the 2012 Republican primary were also quick to praise the selection of Ryan:
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, via Twitter: ???Paul Ryan carries on the solutions oriented tradition of Reagan, Kemp, and the Contract With America! A great choice by Romney.??? In a CNN interview Saturday morning, Gingrich said Ryan ???has grown into one of the great intellectual leaders in this country. His work on the budget is extraordinary. It is a real decision by Gov. Romney that this is going to be a very substantive fall campaign, it???s going to be an enormous choice for the American people. And I think Ryan is going to be very effective.???
Rick Santorum, former Senator from Pennsylvania: ???Congressman Paul Ryan is an outstanding choice as our country's next vice president, and today's announcement demonstrates Governor Romney's commitment to returning fiscal sanity back to Washington, DC. I have long supported Paul Ryan's fiscal and entitlement reforms to return our country back on a path of fiscal health. At a time when our country is at an economic crossroads, Congressman Ryan's depth of knowledge on how to tackle these challenges is unparalleled. He will serve Governor Romney and our country well to undo the flawed policies of the last four years.???
Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota: ???Today, Mitt Romney cemented his vision for America as the economic leader in the world. Paul Ryan's leadership in Congress and his boldness to deal with our financial problems is exactly what Americans want to hear. More importantly, Ryan's boldness is exactly what America needs. Since 2008, uncertainty has plagued employers, families and our economy and the Obama-Biden ticket has failed to realize the depth of the situation. Americans know we will grow when we are strong. The Romney-Ryan Republican ticket is our Comeback Ticket to prosperity and strength. I'm proud to support these men and look forward to their success.???
Other prominent conservatives and Republican officials weighed in:
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): ???Paul Ryan is a reformer and a proven leader who will be a great partner to Governor Romney in his efforts to get our country, and our economy, back on track. At a time when millions of Americans are still looking at President Obama???s policies and asking ???where are the jobs???? Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney will focus on common-sense solutions to stop Washington from spending money it doesn???t have, and get the federal government out of the way of small business job creators. I???m proud to call Paul Ryan a friend, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that he and Mitt Romney ??? along with our entire Republican ticket ??? are well positioned to win in November.???
Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union: ???Today marks the real start of the general election as Mitt Romney hit a home run with his Vice Presidential selection. Congressman Paul Ryan is a very smart, young and a superb family man with serious policy solutions to turn around the disastrous fiscal and economic policies of the Obama Administration.
???This bold choice is resonating throughout the conservative movement and will give Mitt Romney very important momentum heading into the Convention and ultimately to victory in November. Gov. Romney's selection unifies conservatives, defines our message of bringing fiscal sanity back to our government, and brings a youthful enthusiasm to the ticket as we embark on an important debate of ideas which will define America for generations to come.
???Governor Romney has selected a true partner to help bring our country back on a path to prosperity again. Congressman Paul Ryan has shown leadership and courage on balancing the budget in contrast to the Obama Administration's policies of runaway debt and unemployment.
???Congressman Paul Ryan, his wife and three young children personify the best of America's future we all work so tirelessly to defend, protect and strengthen. Congressman Ryan has a lifetime ACU rating of 91.69, and the American Conservative Union and our followers simply love this choice!???
Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida: ???I applaud Mitt Romney???s selection of Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate. Congressman Ryan???s command of economic policy and the federal budget will prove invaluable as Governor Romney fights to reform government, accelerate job growth and rein in the out-of-control spending that has been a hallmark of President Obama???s years in office. This courageous choice is the type of leadership American voters deserve. And, I believe it will ensure a victory for the Romney-Ryan ticket this November.???
George W. Bush: ???This is a strong pick. Governor Romney is serious about confronting the long-term challenges facing America, and Paul Ryan will help him solve the difficult issues that must be addressed for future generations.???
Senator John McCain (R-AZ): ???Governor Romney and Representative Ryan are the strongest team to return America to prosperity and to defend our interests abroad. Paul Ryan has proven that he is fully prepared to address our nation's economic challenges, which have only worsened over the last four years under the Obama-Biden Administration. I look forward to working for the election of the Romney-Ryan team this fall.???
Scott Walker, Governor of Ryan???s home state of Wisconsin: ???I???ve known Paul throughout the years and know him as a man who is probably the smartest person I know in politics, yet he???s one of the most humble people I know in politics. Paul and I have often talked about the two kinds of people in Washington - not Republican and Democrat, but people who want to be somebody great and people who want to do something great. Paul Ryan is definitely one of those people who wants to do something great and I think that???s why he was, certainly why Governor Romney was drawn to putting him on the ticket.???
And it looks as if a whole lot of Republican voters are excited by the choice of Paul Ryan for Vice President as well, because the Romney campaign reports that it received over $1.2 million in donations in just four hours after the announcement was made Saturday morning.
