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Ryan tapped as Romney's VP pick

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Scrapbook: Rep. Paul Ryan through the years

Rep. Paul Ryan, a Janesville Republican, was elected to represent Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District in 1998.

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JANESVILLE — Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) is Mitt Romney's choice for his vice presidential running mate, according to the Associated Press.

The announcement also was posted on Romney's website.

Ryan, a seven-term congressman for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District who also heads the House's Budget Committee, had been frequently mentioned as a VP choice by everyone from media pundits to fellow politicians.

Ryan even appeared with Romney during the latter's stop in Janesville in June, touting the recall re-election of Gov. Scott Walker.

But Ryan himself had been evasive for months, saying he didn't want to fuel speculation or distract from Romney's campaign.

The decision to choose Ryan seems to make political sense for Romney.

Ryan is from a battleground state in the presidential election. He's known for his proposed House GOP budget plan that would basically overhaul the Medicare program and claims to cut the national deficit. And he's well loved by conservatives, especially the tea party--though he seems careful about being labeled.

During a Q&A with editorial staff at CSI Media in Delavan in May, Ryan insisted he's not an extremist in his party. "I think I get framed by the left that way," he said.

For a related stories on Ryan's May interview at CSI, see "Politics aside, Ryan says it's all about the ideas," and "US can avoid Europe's economic pitfalls by acting now, Ryan says."

For a photo gallery scrapbook on Ryan over the years, see HERE.

For more national coverage on Ryan as a VP candidate, see the www.nytimes.com or www.washingtonpost.com