Paul Ryan's spending votes get a second look comments
(CBS News) As a congressman in a comfortably safe Wisconsin district, Rep. Paul Ryan voted for some expensive initiatives while building a reputation as a serious conservative. But now that he is Mitt Romney's running mate, some of his ideological inconsistencies are now coming under the microscope.
Ryan came under fire this week after reports surfaced that Ryan requested stimulus funds for Wisconsin businesses even as he lambasted President Obama's $787 billion initiative as a waste of money. The congressman initially denied requesting the funds, but later Thursday evening said his office did make make the requests on behalf of the businesses. His office mistakenly treated the issue like any other "constituent service" request, he said, and "should have been handled differently."
The Obama campaign on Thursday seized on the issue, sending out an official press release with the reports of Ryan's initial denials.
The Obama campaign also this week cast Ryan as a flip-flopper after the Republican congressman said, "Mitt Romney and I are going to crack down on China cheating. And we're going to make sure that trade works for Americans." Danny Kanner, a spokesman for the president's re-election team, noted that Ryan voted against a bill in September 2010 authorizing the Commerce Department to impose duties on imports from countries with undervalued currencies such as China. "Just a few days after being picked as Romney's vice presidential candidate because of his 'ideas,' it's unfortunate and troubling that he so quickly abandons them," Kanner said.
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The intense focus on Ryan's record is new for the congressman -- Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG), a firm that analyzes political advertising, noted that more ads are released in one quiet week of the presidential campaign than have aired in the span of several of Ryan's last congressional races.