Crown Ryan

What young up-and-coming GOP legislator in Washington doesn't wish he were Paul Ryan right now?

Rep. Paul Ryan of Janesville has put forth a far more sweeping proposal, and he's drawn national attention and considerable praise from conservatives for it.

"You do not look upon the likes of Ryan very often," said Bob Moffit, a health policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a policy research organization in Washington, D.C.

The man is untouchable!! All the articles around healthcare show Congressman Ryan at the front of the GOP pack, leading the opposition to a government takeover. I'm actually waiting for the political cartoons to show him in Badger Red army garb storming the Capitol with a bayonet pierced through the bazillion-page bill!

He is articulate, well-informed, extremely intelligent, and not bad to look at. ;-)

From where I sit in Wisconsin, he's our #1 out in D.C. Congressman Ryan is the guy that comes home to walk the Janesville LaborFest parade with his kids and a gaggle of local support in one of Wisconsin's largest union towns, and receives a roaring crowd. Then he hops a plane back to Washington to fight for his constituents, literally.

The headlines read "Paul Ryan Could SAVE America," "The Congressman and Calculator," "Paul Ryan v. The President," and on and on. A recent article talks about the Democrats "reconciling" and conspiring to come back at only him!!

Ryan's entire proposal, which includes privatizing part of Social Security, is aimed at reducing the long-term fiscal challenge of funding the Medicare and Social Security programs.

"Ryan actually stands alone in the Congress as the only person who has actually come to grips with the true dimension of the problem," Moffit said.

He is their foe.

For a guy to be so smart on economic issues, to crunch the numbers with absolute determination to unveil the current health care bill of everything wrong (wearing the "geek glasses," no less), and to do so with class and ease as he sits in a healhcare rountable prove the makings of a President.

He would likely slap my fingers typing this, as his "kids are too young and his ego's not that big," but what about... dare I say... 2016?

Congressman Ryan, your three gorgeous babies will be well into Middle School if not the early years of High school in 6 years, am I right? If I'm wrong, we'll simply brush over that fact with "kids grow up so fast these days" and "they're from Wisconsin, so you know they'll be humble and well-adjusted in the White House."

That's the other tail on the donkey. Paul Ryan is simply too main-stream America. He's not power hungry, or we would have seen him run for Senate already, maybe Governor? (the GOP base has been begging him for years.) But he likes his perch.

And as leader of the anti-universal health care movement, I think he does too. And anyone in his office is going to strap themselves with ducktape to their computer chairs for as long as they can, so as not to lose a ride on the Paul Ryan Wagon.

His Roadmap for America may not be perfect. What legislation is? And while Republicans may not be rushing to defend him just yet, he doesn't need much help with the media- and the entire state of Wisconsin- lifting him up.