Ryan Lies Low to Prep for Biden Debate

It's debate-prep time for Paul Ryan, whose advisers admit he will be up against a seasoned pro when he faces Joe Biden on Oct. 11. Biden "is one of the most experienced debaters in American political life and we definitely don’t take the challenge lightly," an adviser says. Ryan's first full prep day is tomorrow, when he goes to a backwoods area of Oregon with his team for the first of several sessions, reports NBC News.

But never fear—Ryan “knows a lot about a lot of things," an adviser says. "It’s not so much a crash course on how to get smarter in a particular policy area as it is how to think about debating someone who is extremely experienced." Mitt Romney is further ahead in his preparations, engaging in mock debates this week with Ohio Sen. Rob Portman standing in for President Obama. But Ryan's prep is probably more entertaining: The VP pick sat home last weekend watching the feisty 2008 debate between Biden and Sarah Palin. (More Paul Ryan stories.)