Ryan blasts Obama over defense cuts in Virginia

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

(CBS News) SPRINGFIELD, Va. - Returning to Virginia less than a week after his candidacy was announced, vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan on Friday made a foray into national security issues as he criticized President Obama for looming defense cuts -- sparing his party from blame -- and warned America's foes to respect a President Romney.

Ryan, who spoke in a Northern Virginia suburban area that is heavily dependent on defense spending, blamed the president for looming $500 billion in cuts to the Pentagon and other national security agencies.

"In the House, we already passed the bill to cut spending in other areas of government to make sure these devastating cuts to defense never occur and we don't put Virginians out of work and so we have a strong national defense. That's extremely important," Ryan said, calling the defense cuts a "lack of leadership" from Obama.

While he suggested the cuts were mandated solely by the administration, it was an agreement between both houses of Congress and the White House to institute mandatory cuts to defense spending and other programs if Congress was unable to cut other areas of the budget by the end of 2012.

An Associated Press "fact check" in July after Mitt Romney made a similar claim said that Romney "ignores the central role that Congress played last summer in setting the stage for such a massive cut in the Pentagon's budget."

The House-passed bill to which Ryan referred passed in May without a single Democratic vote and has no chance of passing in the Democratically-controlled Senate. The bill would swap defense cuts for sharp reductions in spending for social programs, specifically Medicaid and food stamp spending, and reduce money for Obama's health care reform law while taking away the ability of regulators to wind down failing financial firms and end a White House program meant to assist struggling homeowners.

Ryan also weighed in on comments by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel is a "tumor" that needs to be wiped out.

"Let me be really clear: Under President Romney, our adversaries will think twice about challenging America and our allies because we believe in peace through strength. There will be no daylight between America and our friends around the world," he said.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Who is Paul Ryan?

A catholic who rejects the teachings of Jesus Christ for the philosophy of atheist Ayn Rand. Even the council of catholic bishops and the organizations of catholic nuns are against Ryan and the Ryan budget voted out of the house of representatives by republicans.

Nice pick Mitt

[gca2]

Perhaps it is time to review in depth what it costs to be in two wars at a time. Mr. Ryan says he will cut the budget, leaving the military spending intact--
--get ready anyone born after 1958, the world will be a bit tougher for you by the time you are in need.

[ichibandan]

The US has a defense budget greater than all other countries combined--ALL OTHER COUNTRIES COMBINED-- time to start chipping away at the $ 400 hammers.There is soooo much fat in the defense budget, but Ryan wants to cut Medicare and food stamps instead.

[Eco99]

Right on ichi: Cut programs that overwhelmingly help those that need it most but keep in place spending for the the military industrial complex that is already bloated. It is shameful the hypocrisy present in such a position.

[Lindag20]

Since these cuts WERE part of the bargain made last summer this is just another lie by Ryan. Seems none of the Republicans want to KEEP the bargain, but would rather throw everyone and everything else under the bus in order to protect their sacred cow, defense.

[sjc_1]

We spend more on the military than the whole rest of the world combined. The FA22 costs $300 million per plan, or about TEN times what an F16 cost and it has NO mission.

Now they want 2000 units of the F35 fighter that will cost even more and really has no mission either. We have to get more practical in our weapons programs NOW.

It is just politics to say that we are defending the country and getting the Pentagon more efficient is putting everyone in danger. All the trillions of dollars spent on defense did not stop 9/11, so until we get a defense that truly defends us, we are wasting money.

[gca2]

In some cases programs are being forced upon the Pentagon for items that there is no need for. Guess who's doing the forcing... politicians in districts where program cuts will cost jobs.

So in the end this insane cycle continues------ we don't any money-- but we keep on spending anyway...

[fiberglass3]

Ryan wants us to believe that he is all about cutting the deficit.
Yet he is crying about defense cuts.

Despite what you may have heard to the contrary, Republican'ts taking about deficits and debt is eye candy to gull the public into believing they are serious fiscal stewards. Their rhetoric is intended to camouflage their real objective, which is to slash taxes for their wealthy contributors.

[robert1129]

I am an active voter. What is offensive to me is that Ryan knows that the actual facts have already been in the news and he tries to lie about them. These spending cuts were bipartisan and he knows it.He even voted for them.

[KPeters_from_UK]

Cut the investment on our children; our future but go ahead and protect defense.

[Lindag20]

Vet: today's conservatives consider Eisenhower a "liberal". Go figure.

[cubscout09]

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

Dwight David Eisenhower, November 8th, 1954

[Thinkbeforeyouwrite]

Paul, you are doing what they signed you up to do and that is being the "attack dog". I am not surprised you are using that old reliable GOP trick of presenting a Democrat as being weak on defense. Republicans have used that tactic on numerous occasions over the years with some success haven't they, Paul. Let's convince people that the only true patriots are the GOP. To those who are unaware that the Republicans in Congress have some responsibility for these cuts it might work. You wouldn't be trying to take advantage of their lack of knowledge, would you? That would be kind of dishonest, Paul.

[bbinfla]

The Republican Party is desperate, after the embarrasing loss 4 years ago, they have done everything they could to try to make Obama fail as President. Then they try to blame him for their actions. Despite the endless attack he has managed to keep us going. Now all they can do is spout drivel like this. Romney might as well have picked Sarah Palin. Now all he has is Sarah Palin Jr.

[RangerDan107]

You want more defense, then pay more taxes Mr. Romney. Afterall, you got more to lose than the rest of us.

[sjc_1]

Romney should be paying 30% not 13%, but most of it is in off shore accounts anyway, so if someone invaded it is safe in Switzerland. Of course his mansions, horses and car elevators would be in danger.