Washington Monthly, via AlterNet:
Paul Ryan to Give GOP Response to State of the Union Address -- Does the GOP Embrace His Extremist Ideas?When congressional Republicans tapped House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to delivered the GOP's response to the State of the Union, it probably struck the party as an uncontroversial move. The Wisconsin Republican is a mild-mannered lawmaker, adored by the media, who'll very likely avoid the Jindal-like embarrassment we saw two years ago.
But Ryan's selection carries a broader significance. He is, after all, the architect of a very radical budget "roadmap," and the more Republican leaders rally behind Ryan, the more they take ownership of his extremist blueprint.
Indeed, this morning, the perpetually-confused, House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor (R-Va.), said on "Meet the Press" that "the direction in which the roadmap goes is something we need to embrace."
The wording of that endorsement is obviously pretty awkward, but the sentiment is unmistakable. This strikes me as pretty important -- before the midterm elections, Eric Cantor notably refused to endorse Paul Ryan's roadmap. Now he thinks the budget blueprint is "something we need to embrace." ............(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/446902/paul_ryan_to_give_gop_response_to_state_of_the_union_address_--_does_the_gop_embrace_his_extremist_ideas/#paragraph3