Washington (CNN) – House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan may have waved off a run for President in 2012 in his appearance on a Sunday talk show, but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor told reporters on Capitol Hill Monday he would like to see Ryan make a bid for the GOP nomination.
Assessing the 2012 Republican field after Indiana Republican Governor Mitch Daniels announced this weekend he would not run, Cantor said he thought the GOP candidates already in the race "are strong candidates," but he also noted, "it's early still. These campaigns will begin to focus as the primary season nears."
Pressed on whether he'd like to see Ryan run, Cantor said, "sure," and the number two House Republican went on to praise Ryan effusively. "Paul's about real leadership – that's what this public so desperately wants to do right now is they want to see Washington that will lead. They don't want to see individuals dismiss the current problems as something that we can just sweep under the rug."
Cantor also had direct message to the Republican presidential field, saying it's time for everyone to get on board and publicly push for Ryan's controversial proposal to overhaul Medicare. The House GOP budget, authored by Ryan, includes a plan to change Medicare from a program that directly pays for seniors' health care to one that would provide subsidies for people to purchase coverage from private plans.
"I'm looking for them to embrace our formula in the Ryan budget. I'm looking for them to embrace a leadership role that takes the tough positions," Cantor said.
Recently House Speaker Newt Gingrich labeled Ryan's proposal as "radical change" and "right wing social engineering," prompting a sharp and immediate backlash among House Republicans, including Cantor, who overwhelmingly voted for the plan last month.
Cantor and Ryan, along with House GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy, made up a group of House Republicans dubbed the "Young Guns." The three GOP leaders helped raise money and recruit candidates in the 2010 midterms and co-wrote a book last fall.
The Majority Leader also made the point that GOP candidates should look to House Republicans' policy agenda as the race heats up. "Our role in the House, again as Republicans is to set the bar. It is setting the bar for leadership. It is taking on the tough challenges; it is putting solutions out there. And it's trying to deliver results."
From CNN Politics
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The GOP-Tea Party talk so much thrash about how bad President Obama is to America, but they can't find one credible candidate to unseat him!
Every candidate they have paraded so far is a JOKE CANDIDATE and they are falling like a pack of zombies: BARBOUR, PALIN, TRUMP, GINGRICH, HUCKABEE, MITCH DANIELS, ROMNEY, PAWLENTY, you name it!
GOP is now running from pillar to post to actually prop up a Tea Party ZOMBIE candidate to run for the President of the United States!
GOP-Tea Party....Party with NO IDEAS....Party with NO CANDIDATE!!!!
Who in their right mind would vote for this clown.
Ryan will give the GOP a good excuse for losing and that's all this amounts to as they grasp for straws.
Canter is right about one thing, the house republicans have set the bar for leadership. The problem is, they set it so low all creepy crawlers and looney tunes have crawled from underneath a rock and applied (Trump, Palin, O'Donnell, Bachmann, Newt, etc). Movie producers need not look any further for the next hit comedy. Just scan all the colorful characters in the republican party. Might I'd suggest a remake of the "Three Stooges"? Staring Donald Trump as Larry (this could be a coming-out-of-the comb over and exposing “the” bald episode). Ran Paul could play "Curly" (he has curly locks and could easily stand a slap in the face). Last but not least, Newt as "Moe" (he definitely has no problem being mean or nasty). Now, this might be worth entertaining!
Run Snookie Palin run! Wingnuts are desperate and terrified. Pass the popcorn please,this is so much fun.
"Ryan's controversial proposal to overhaul Medicare."
Newsflash to CNN: it's not an "overhaul." Ryan's idiotic evisceration of Medicare would more correctly be referred to as a "REPEAL AND REPLACE." You can't change it entirely and gut its effectiveness and still call it by the same name. It's no longer Medicare under his plan...NOT EVEN CLOSE.
Paul Ryan for President? LMAO!
The Democratic Administration and congress spent us into a $14 trillion rut and are asking for more with no strings attached. They have no clue. Everything needs to be on the table, including tax reform and entitlements. What Paul Ryan does is the work necessary to SAVE Medicare. The seniors should be thanking him. If we do not save it now, everyone knows it is a goner. It is worth saving. It is an important benefit for people when they need it.
Cantor wants Ryan to run, all right. He's worried about Ryan challenging him for his job as Majority leader. He wants Ryan to run, and get blown out. Boehner will be out as Speaker even if the GOP doesn't lose control of the House and that would leave little Cantor as the top republican in the house. Cantor is about as loyal as Brutus.
Uh, HELL NO !!
The desperation in the Republican party is not at all attractive.
It shows that their opposition to the President isn't principled at all. They just want someone – - anyone - to run against him.
Regarding saving Medicare -
The age for any transistion as Medicare is revamped should be 42 / 43 years old. At that age, most working people have paid-in to Medicare and Social Security for TWENTY or more years . It is WRONG have them pay in for the majority of their working lives and then change the rules on them.
Yeah, because his plan to dstroy Medicare as we know it was/is SO popular. Idiots, he's the best they can do?
Ryan should run. He came up with the plan. He should be the one held responsible, not some other sacrificial lambs.
Gingrich will be getting an apology from Ryan. The end of the world is coming in November 2012- for the Republican Party.
Yeah Ryan should run ... but only if you want to get another four years of Barack Obama.
Polls have shown 80% of the American people do not like Paul Ryan's plan. Need I say more?
"What Paul Ryan does is the work necessary to SAVE Medicare. "
Look around you (figuratively speaking). Do you really see everyone nodding their heads in agreement and buying that load of malarky? Spin it however you want. Ryan REPEALS Medicare and REPLACES it with something entirely different that will NOT provide the same level of societal security, health, welfare and care as the current Medicare system, which runs with 3% overhead and does a bang up job, despite its problems, of taking care of our elderly. Name me a giant private insurer with 3% overhead.
I'm waiting.
I like Eric Cantor's strong show of support here and agree with his reason. Paul Ryan is a star. He gets it. He is one of few people in Washington who understand whose job it is to rescue America's financial situation. Apparently Obama and Harry Reid think it is just okay to push off the tough decisions on future generations. That is very weak and selfish at the expense of our country's future. Their position borders on incompetance.
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Yeah, he gets it alright. Ryan wants to push it all off on senior citizens and the poor 11 years from now, while enabling the rich to get even richer without having to pay taxes. Yeah, Ryan's a star alright – his star is 100 million light years away from reality. He won't even win his congressional seat again let alone have a snowballs chance of being POTUS. Ryan and the GreedOverPeople party are facists in the making.
Run, Paul, Run! You would be even a greater gift to President Obama and the entire Democratic Party than $illy $arah!
I would be even so willing to change my party affilation just to vote for you in the primay to ensure your GOP/Teahadist nomination! Run, Paul, Run--
Brought to you by--Obama/Biden-2012!
The GOP cant come up with a better candidate? Paul Ryan is not the most popular guy in the GOP, much less winning against a powerful incumbent President Obama...
There is talk of Ryan not even keeping his seat in Congress, much less winning the GOP nod.
I doubt he would even win Wisconsin..
If Eric Cantor get his head out of Paul Ryan's butt he would realize that what he is smelling are not roses but just some more Republican BS.
More proof just how out of touch the Greedy Old Pigs are from average Main St. Americans. IF Ryan runs he will be hammered so hard by the voters he may have to retire from politics entirely. Right now, after his attack on Medicare and is absolutely insane employment projections, he might have a hard time getting elected dog-catcher.
Run? You bettcha! Obama will send him running for the hills.
So much for them trying to distance themselves from the lunatic fringe for someone mainstream....
Paul Ryan would be devastating to American Worker. He would rob from the worker and give to the wealthy (to whom he has sold his soul).
Please let him run and defend not wanting to work for AVERAGE AMERICANS! President Obama would win by a landslide.
Peace