Washington: Paul Ryan, the Republican Vice-Presidential pick, on Saturday lashed out at the US President, especially for what he alleged as the "failed" economic policies and said Barack Obama was part of the problem.
"Regrettably, President Obama has become part of the problem...And Mitt Romney is the solution," Ryan said in his maiden public address as the vice presidential pick of Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential candidate, in Norfolk Virginia.
As a lawmaker from Wisconsin, Ryan said he has focused on "solving the problems that confront our country, and turning ideas into action" and action into solutions.
Hitting hard at Obama, Ryan said no one disputes that he inherited a difficult situation.
"And, in his first 2 years, with his party in complete control of Washington, he passed nearly every item on his agenda. But that didn`t make things better," he noted.
"In fact, we find ourselves in a nation facing debt, doubt and despair. This is the worst economic recovery in 70 years. Unemployment has been above 8 per cent for more than three years, the longest run since the Great Depression. Families are hurting. We have the largest deficits and the biggest federal government since WWII," he said.
"Nearly 1 out of 6 Americans are in poverty - the worst rate in a generation. Moms and dads are struggling to make ends meet. Household incomes have dropped by more than $4,000 over the past four years. Whatever the explanations, whatever the excuses, this is a record of failure," Ryan said.
He argued that 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.
"We might have been able to get away with that before, but not now. We`re in a different, and dangerous, moment. We`re running out of time -- and we can`t afford 4 more years of this," the vice presidential pick said.
Ryan said America is on the wrong track but he and Romney will take the right steps, in the right time, to get America back on the right track.
"I believe my record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Governor Romney`s executive and private sector success outside Washington.
"I have worked closely with Republicans as well as Democrats to advance an agenda of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and job creation," he said.
"I`m proud to stand with a man who understands what it takes to foster job creation in our economy, someone who knows from experience, that if you have a small business you did build that.
"At Bain Capital, he launched new businesses and he turned around failing ones companies like Staples, Bright Horizons and Sports Authority, just to name a few. Mitt Romney created jobs and showed he knows how a free economy works," Ryan said.
Ryan said his team would present a positive governing agenda, as the two leaders hit a campaign trail on bus taking them to several key States.
"Paul and I are beginning on a journey that will take us to every corner of America. We are offering a positive, governing agenda that will lead to economic growth, to widespread and shared prosperity, and that will improve the lives of our fellow citizens.
"Our plan to strengthen the middle class will get America back to work and get our country back on track," Romney said addressing a enthusiastic gathering in Norfolk Virginia before hitting the bus trail.
Announcing Ryan as his running mate, weeks ahead of the Republican party convention in Tampa later this year, Romney said he and Ryan offers solutions that are bold, specific, and achievable.
"We offer our commitment to help create 12 million new jobs and to bring better take home pay to middle class families," he said.
"To strengthen the middle class, we will provide our workers and our children with the skills to succeed. We`ll cut the deficit, have trade that works for America, and champion small business. And finally, we will unleash our energy resources to achieve North American energy independence," Romney said.
Attacking Obama, he said unlike the president who has cut Medicare funding by USD 700 billion, "we will preserve and protect Medicare and Social Security".
Explaining the reasons for selecting Ryan as his running mate, Romney said his leadership begins with character and values.
"And Paul is a man of tremendous character, shaped in large part by his early life. Paul Ryan works in Washington but his beliefs remain firmly rooted in Janesville, Wisconsin.
"He is a person of great steadiness, whose integrity is unquestioned and whose word is good," he said.
With energy and vision, Ryan has become an intellectual leader of the Republican Party, Romney said.
"He understands the fiscal challenges facing America: our exploding deficits and crushing debt and the fiscal catastrophe that awaits us if we don’t change course," he added.
"Paul also combines firm principles with a practical concern for getting things done. He has never been content to simply curse the darkness; he would rather light candles," Romney said.
PTI
