If Romney wants an epic clash of visions, he doesn’t need Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman, on his ticket.



He only needs to insert real numbers in his own plan, revealing that the only way to provide his upper-income tax cuts without exploding the national debt is to initiate a sharp retrenchment of government outlays that benefit middle-class and poor Americans.



Romney chose not to do that either because he deems it political suicide or because he wants the details sufficiently vague that he can shake free of them if he’s elected president; most likely both.



His selection of Ryan doesn’t clarify that intentional muddle.



A Romney plan that deliberately doesn’t add up is now complemented by a Ryan plan that deliberately doesn’t add up.



Ryan has no more concern for deficits than any other Republican who amasses debt under Republican administrations and complains about it under Democratic administrations.



Ryan, the conservative icon, is the ideal emissary to inform the party's true believers that not everyone is this large, pluralistic, complex nation wants to dismantle the federal government at this particular moment.




http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...-visions-.html