AL.com (The Press-Register) | Alabama congressional delegation applauds Paul Ryan pick for VP

Alabama congressional delegation applauds Paul Ryan pick for VP
By George Talbot | The Press-Register | August 13, 2012

POINT CLEAR, Alabama -- Members of Alabama's Republican congressional delegation had high praise for Paul Ryan, saying their House colleague will be an asset as the running mate to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“It’s a bold choice,” said U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile. “No one has a better way to describe the two distinct choices America faces in this election than Paul Ryan.”

U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, said Ryan will be popular with Southern voters. Ryan, he said, is strongly pro-life and a true fiscal conservative.

“He’ll resonate with people in Alabama,” Aderholt said. “He can really articulate what’s going on with the national debt. I think people will respond to that here as well as across the country.”

U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Vestavia Hills, said Ryan, a seven-term congressman from Wisconsin, has shown a willingness in Congress to take on tough issues.

“Some of his positions haven’t been the most popular, and that could make him a risk,” Bachus said. “But he’s committed to tax reform and reducing the debt – that’s actually something both parties can agree on. So I think it’s a net positive.”

The three Republicans, who spoke on the sidelines of this weekend’s Business Council of Alabama conference in Point Clear, all said Ryan should complement Romney on the ticket.

“He’s got a common touch that Romney has lacked to this point,” Aderholt said.

Bonner said Ryan, 42, should help Romney win voters in several key, battleground states.

“There’s an excitement factor with him. I think he can go into states like Ohio and Virginia and be effective,” Bonner said. “And on the other side, I think the Democrats will have to be really creative to counter him on the issues. He’s a talented politician.”

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