The message from two new profiles of House budget chief Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), in New York and The New York Times, is pretty unmistakable: This is Ryan's GOP, and Mitt Romney is only along for the ride. Ditto for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Romney has pledged to enact the controversial budget plan authored by Ryan, and powerful anti-tax activist Grover Norquist says the only qualification the next (Republican) president needs is "enough working digits to handle a pen" to sign Ryan's fiscal prescriptions — which would slash both tax rates and spending on social programs — into law. Is a 42-year-old self-styled wonk really the most powerful Republican in the nation?
Ryan's being oversold: "Happy Paul Ryan Day!" says Brayden Simms at Metro New York. You'd think from all the buzz that Ryan is "the reigning king of the Republican Party," but the only actual Republicans quoted saying that are Norquist and fellow "right-wing ideologue" Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.). I get why they want to make Romney No. 2 to a man who wants to "give the wealthiest among us a huge windfall and take a torch to programs for the poor," but the rest of the GOP probably wants a little more "wiggle room."
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