(Newser)
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Mitt Romney got so excited to announce Paul Ryan today that he mistakenly introduced him as the "next president of the United States." When Ryan arrived on stage, Romney corrected himself to make it "vice" president. "Every now and then I make a mistake," he said. "But I didn't make a mistake with this guy." (Hold your laughter, Democrats. ABC points out that President Obama did the same with Joe Biden in 2008.) Prior to that, Romney praised Ryan as a man of intellect and character. Some snippets from USA Today:
- "Paul Ryan works in Washington but his beliefs remain firmly rooted in Janesville, Wisconsin. He's a person of great steadiness whose integrity is unquestioned."
- "His leadership begins with character and values," Romney said. Democrats may disagree with him, but "I don't know of anyone who doesn't respect his character and judgment."
- "Paul also combines firm principles with a practical concern for getting things done. He's never been content to just curse the darkness."
Ryan, for his part, didn't waste much time going after President Obama, after properly thanking and praising Romney, of course. Some excerpts, from CNN:
- Referring to Obama: "Whatever the explanations, whatever the excuses, this is a record of failure."
- "I hear some people say that this is just 'the new normal.' High unemployment, declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal. It's the result of misguided policies. And next January, our economy will begin a comeback ..."
- "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."
- "Our rights come from nature and God, not government. ... This idea is under assault." (Huge applause line.)
