Decision 2012: Romney Picks Paul Ryan As VP Candidate

To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

Presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate in the race for president Saturday. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.

Presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney made a high-profile flub at a big announcement Saturday when he referred to Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, his nominee for vice president, as "the next President of the United States." But the Republican candidate for president quickly recovered.

"Every now and then I am known to make a mistake," Romney said. "But I did not make a mistake with this guy. I can tell you this, he is going to be the next Vice President of the United States."

Maspeth Residents Want To Learn More About Paul Ryan

Many Maspeth residents reacted positively to the news of presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate, while others responded less enthusiastically. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.

Ryan is a rising star in Republican politics. He is best known for his budget plans to cut federal spending and overhaul Medicare.

Romney's decision to select him as his running mate shakes up the presidential contest. It is likely a sign that Romney hopes Ryan's conservative fiscal credentials will energize the Republican base.

Ryan immediately went after the team's November target.

"President Obama and too many like him in Washington have refused to make difficult decisions because they are more worried about their next election than they are about the next generation," he said.

Unlike Romney, who spent most of his career in the private sector, Ryan is a creature of Washington. He is 42 years old and was first elected to Congress at 28. He is known as a prodigious fundraiser. Ryan is married and has three children.

"I don't know anyone who doesn't respect his character and judgment," Romney said.

Ryan's detailed budget proposals may be a mixed bag for the campaign. On the one hand, they clearly show the electorate where he stands. But his plans can be picked apart by the opposition and used against him. Either way, they have already made him into something of a lightning rod.

"This is the worst economic recovery in 70 years," Ryan said Saturday. "Whatever the explanations, whatever the excuses, this is a record of failure."

A spokesman for President Obama's campaign fired back, saying Ryan rubber-stamped policies that exploded the deficit and crashed the economy.

One thing is for sure. By selecting Ryan, Romney is putting the economy and the deficit front and center in this campaign.

Romney, Ryan Speak About VP Nomination

View presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and presumed Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan's remarks at Saturday's rally in Norfolk, Va.

To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.