Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan (Photo: MittRomney.com)

After weeks of veepstakes drama, Mitt Romney introduced Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate this morning in Norfolk, Virginia. After a small slip-up where Mr. Romney accidentally introduced Mr. Ryan as "the next President of the United States," the congressman settled in to a speech in which he said President Barack Obama's policies "didn't make things better" and vowed that "Mitt Romney and I will take the right steps, in the right time, to get us back on the right track."

The Romney campaign has already released a transcript of Mr. Ryan's remarks. Read it below:

"Thank you Governor Romney, Ann.  I am deeply honored and excited to join you as your running mate.

Mitt Romney is a leader with the skills, the background and the character that our country needs at a crucial time in its history. Following four years of failed leadership, the hopes of our country, which have inspired the world, are growing dim; and they need someone to revive them. Governor Romney is the man for this moment; and he and I share one commitment: we will restore the dreams and greatness of this country.

I want you to meet my family.  My wife Janna, our daughter Liza, and our sons, Charlie and Sam.

I am surrounded by the people I love, and I have been asked by Governor Romney to serve the country I love.

Janesville, Wisconsin is where I was born and raised, and I never really left it. It’s our home now.

For the last 14 years, I have proudly represented Wisconsin in Congress.  There, I have focused on solving the problems that confront our country, and turning ideas into action; and action into solutions.  

I am committed, in heart and mind, to putting that experience to work in a Romney Administration. This is a crucial moment in the life of our nation; and it is absolutely vital that we select the right man to lead America back to prosperity and greatness.

That man is standing next to me. His name is Mitt Romney. And he will be the next president of the United States

My dad died when I was young. He was a good and decent man. I still remember a couple of things he would say that have really stuck with me.  "Son you are either part of the problem or part of the solution."  

Regrettably, President Obama has become part of the problem,...and Mitt Romney is the solution.

The other thing my dad would say is that every generation of Americans leaves their children better off. That's the American legacy.

Sadly, for the first time in our history, we are on a path which will undo that legacy. That is why we need new leadership to become part of the solution – new leadership to restore prosperity, economic growth, and jobs.

It is our duty to save the American Dream for our children, and theirs.

And I believe there is no person in America who is better prepared – because of his experience; because of the principles he holds; and because of his achievements and excellence in so many different arenas – to lead America at this point in its history.

Let me say a word about the man Mitt Romney will replace. No one disputes President Obama inherited a difficult situation.  And, in his first 2 years, with his party in complete control of Washington, he passed nearly every item on his agenda.  But that didn’t make things better. 

In fact, we find ourselves in a nation facing debt, doubt and despair.

• This is the worst economic recovery in 70 years. Unemployment has been above 8 percent for more than three years, the longest run since the Great Depression. Families are hurting.

• We have the largest deficits and the biggest federal government since WWII. 

• Nearly 1 out of 6 Americans are in poverty--the worst rate in a generation.  Moms and dads are struggling to make ends meet.

• Household incomes have dropped by more than $4,000 over the past four years.

Whatever the explanations, whatever the excuses, this is a record of failure.

President Obama, and too many like him in Washington, have refused to make difficult decisions because they are more worried about their next election than they are about the next generation. We might have been able to get away with that before, but not now. We’re in a different, and dangerous, moment. We're running out of time -- and we can't afford 4 more years of this.

Politicians from both parties have made empty promises which will soon become broken promises--with painful consequences--if we fail to act now.

I represent a part of America that includes inner cities, rural areas, suburbs and factory towns.  Over the years I have seen and heard from a lot from families, from those running small businesses, and from people who are in need.  But what I have heard lately troubles me the most.  There is something different in their voice and in their words. What I hear from them are diminished dreams, lowered expectations, uncertain futures.

I hear some people say that this is just "the new normal." High unemployment, declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal.  It's the result of misguided policies.  And next January, our economy will begin a comeback with the Romney Plan for a Stronger Middle Class that will lead to more jobs and more take home pay for working Americans.

America is on the wrong track; but Mitt Romney and I will take the right steps, in the right time, to get us back on the right track!

I believe my record of getting things done in Congress will be a very helpful complement to Governor Romney’s executive and private sector success outside Washington. I have worked closely with Republicans as well as Democrats to advance an agenda of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and job creation.

I’m proud to stand with a man who understands what it takes to foster job creation in our economy, someone who knows from experience, that if you have a small business—you did build that. 

At Bain Capital, he launched new businesses and he turned around failing ones – companies like Staples, Bright Horizons and Sports Authority, just to name a few. Mitt Romney created jobs and showed he knows how a free economy works.

At the Olympics, he took a failing enterprise and made it the pride of our entire nation.

As governor of Massachusetts, he worked with Democrats and Republicans to balance budgets with no tax increases, lower unemployment, increase income and improve people’s lives.

In all of these things, Mitt Romney has shown himself to be a man of achievement, excellence and integrity.

Janna and I tell Liza, Charlie and Sam that America is a place where, if you work hard and play by the rules, you can get ahead.

We Americans look at one another's success with pride, not resentment, because we know, as more Americans work hard, take risks, and succeed, more people will prosper, our communities will benefit, and individual lives will be improved and uplifted.

But America is more than just a place...it's an idea.  It's the only country founded on an idea.  Our rights come from nature and God, not government.  We promise equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.

This idea is founded on the principles of liberty, freedom, free enterprise, self-determination and government by consent of the governed.  

This idea is under assault.  So, we have a critical decision to make as a nation.

We are on an unsustainable path that is robbing America of our freedom and security. It doesn't have to be this way.

The commitment Mitt Romney and I make to you is this:

We won't duck the tough issues...we will lead!

We won't blame others...we will take responsibility!

We won't replace our founding principles...we will reapply them!

We will honor you, our fellow citizens, by giving you the right and opportunity to make the choice:

• What kind of country do we want to have?

• What kind of people do we want to be?

We can turn this thing around.  Real solutions can be delivered.  But, it will take leadership.  And the courage to tell you the truth.

Mitt Romney is this kind of leader.  I'm excited for what lies ahead and I'm thrilled to be a part of America's Comeback Team. And together, we will unite America and get this done. 

Thank you."

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan moments before today's speech. (Photo: Garrett Jackson/Twitter)

Mitt Romney rolled out his running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, at an event at the U.S.S. Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia this morning, but he made a slight mistake when introducing the man he hopes will serve as his vice president next year.

"Join me in welcoming the next President of the United States, Paul Ryan," Mr. Romney said as his running mate took the stage.

Mr. Ryan began speaking and, a few moments later, Mr. Romney jogged back to the podium to acknowledge his slip of the tongue.

"Every now and then I'm known to make a mistake," said Mr. Romney as the crowed cheered and laughed. "I did not make a mistake with this guy, but I can tell you that he's going to be the next Vice President of the United States."

After Mr. Romney corrected his mistake, Mr. Ryan continued his speech saying he's "thrilled to be a part of America's Comeback Team."

Mitt Romney (Photo: Getty)

Mitt Romney is set to reveal his running mate at an event at the USS Wisconsin tomorrow in Norfolk, Virginia, according to a late night email from the Romney campaign, which noted the big reveal will kick off Mr. Romney's "The Romney Plan For A Stronger Middle Class" bus tour. The location and a report from the Weekly Standard that came out just twenty minutes before the official announcement indicate Mr. Romney may have settled on Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.

Mr. Ryan, who is the main architect of the Republicans' budget proposal for 2013, enjoys rock star status among fiscal conservatives, but the deep entitlement cuts in his budget plan have made him a bogeyman and favored target for liberals seeking to fire up their base. Along with Ohio Senator Rob Portman and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Mr. Ryan has been considered one of the frontrunners in Mr. Romney's drawn out veepstakes drama, but his aides have deflected past rumors. As of this writing, Mr. Ryan's staff has not responded to requests for comment on this story.

Despite a definitive headline declaring, "Romney Prepares to Pick Ryan," the Weekly Standard report was loaded with caveats like "the Romney team could be engaging in some last minute misdirection, as other campaigns have done." The world, and a slew of political reporters who are having their weekends ruined, will have to wait for a final answer when Mr. Romney holds his event starting at 8:45 tomorrow morning.

David Petraeus and his daughter, Anne, together in the Czech Republic. (Photo: Czech-Anne-Out.blogspot.com)

David Petraeus, the CIA Director and former commanding general of the coalition forces in Iraq, is the latest public official to be identified as a finalist in Mitt Romney's veepstakes by the influential conservative news site The Drudge Report. In an effort to get to know a more personal side of Mr. Petraeus, we perused the websites written by his daughter, Anne, a prolific lifestyle blogger who is studying to become a registered dietician and sells her own line of "Will Run For Bacon" T-shirts.

His daughter's postings on her various blogs over the years reveal the former general is active on both land and sea, comfortable hanging out with celebrities and not a fan of "hippie" cuisine. Here are the five most interesting facts we learned about Mr. Petraeus from reading his daughter's sites:

1) Mr. Petraeus is very accommodating and doesn't mind when his foodie daughter takes pictures of the dishes they eat while dining out. However, when she cooks at for him at home he has one ground rule—"no hippie food."

2) During this summer, Mr. Petraeus developed a new hobby, paddleboarding on the Potomac. He apparently liked it so much the first time he tried it back in June that he got back on board two weeks later. Here is a picture of Mr. Petraeus riding his paddle board.

3) Mr. Petraeus is able to run five miles in about forty minutes.

4) He keeps in shape using an Army exercise called the "eagle ab."

5) Mr. Petraeus and his wife became "BFF" with Heroes and Gilmore Girls actor Milo Ventimiglia while sitting in the NFL Commissioner's box during the 2009 Super Bowl, where the former general was 0n hand to perform the coin toss.

Matt Drudge, the namesake and proprietor of The Drudge Report reportedly has a close relationship with Mr. Romney’s campaign manager, Matt Rhoades. The Drudge Report has previously flagged former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty as veepstakes frontrunners.

Mr. Petraeus has previously been painstakingly clear that he doesn't have his eye on the White House, but the exclusive Drudge Report item on Mr. Petraeus' vice presidential prospects claimed "President Obama whispered to a top fundraiser this week that he believes GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wants to name Gen. David Petraeus to the VP slot!"

According to the Drudge Report, Mr. Petraeus "could be a shrewd Romney choice" because he has been praised by the Obama administration and the Senate confirmed his selection as CIA Director by a vote of 94-0. However, The Drudge Report also noted the Obama campaign "stands prepared" to link Mr. Petraeus to "Bush Wars."

Paul Ryan (Photo: Getty)

With Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan considered to be a leading contender to be Mitt Romney's running mate, readers of the veepstakes tea leaves took note when he pulled out of a planned speech this evening and when his political action committee filed several amended reports. However, aides to Mr. Ryan told The Politicker it would be a mistake to read any greater significance into these moves.

Mr. Ryan was scheduled to speak at the Americans for Prosperity Foundation's Defending the American Dream Summit in Washington D.C. tonight, but he cancelled the appearance. Mr. Ryan's cancellation made Daily Caller reporter Matthew Boyle say "Hmmm..."

"Had to run to answer VP call?" asked Houston Chronicle blogger Kathleen McKinley.

Organizers told us they were unsure why Mr. Ryan pulled out of the planned speech.

"I'm not quite sure what the situation was, but he wasnt able to make it today," Americans For Prosperity spokeswoman Jennifer Ridgely said.

Mr. Ryan's press secretary, Smythe Anderson, said he simply returned to Wisconsin after this week's House voting ended last night.

"The House finished up votes last night and so he's back in the district," Ms. Anderson said.

Kevin Seifert, a spokesman for Mr. Ryan's campaign, echoed Ms. Anderson's explanation saying the congressman "wanted to get back and see his family." He also said Americans for Prosperity was warned this might happen.

"We informed Americans For Prosperity too that, in the event they finished early, this was going to happen," said Mr. Seifert.

Mr. Ryan has no publicly scheduled events this weekend.

The cancelled speech isn't the only thing that caused speculation to swirl around Mr. Ryan this afternoon. Eagle-eyed Politico reporter Ken Vogel also noted Mr. Ryan's political action committee, Prosperity PAC, filed amended versions of its three most recent monthly fundraising reports today.

"Preparing for big announcement w FEC cleanup?" Mr. Vogel asked.

Mr. Seifert said the reports had to be amended when Mr. Ryan's staff noticed a donation made in April was accidentally counted for both the Prosperity Action Committee and the congressman's joint action committee, a mistake which carried over into subsequent reports.

"It's a pretty easy explanation. Basically, it was cleaning up an error that had been made in April 2012 regarding money that had been doubly counted," Mr. Seifert said.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty have also been the subject of intense veepstakes rumors in recent weeks. Barring any early sightings of a made-over Romney campaign plane, the world may not know the answer about Mr. Romney's running mate for certain until the official announcement comes via app.

Tim Pawlenty campaigning with Mitt Romney in New Hampshire in January. (Photo: Getty)

Just four days after claiming Condoleezza Rice was the "frontrunner" in Mitt Romney's veepstakes, the Drudge Report is claiming Mr. Romney has "made his decision" and decided on former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty.

The Drudge Report's proprietor, Matt Drudge reportedly has a close relationship with Mr. Romney’s campaign manager Matt Rhoades. Mr. Drudge's close connections to the Romney campaign make it possible he has some inside information about the vice presidential vetting process, but it has also led to speculation he may be trying to shift the conversation away from the continuing controversy over Mr. Romney's departure from Bain Capital.

This time around, Mr. Drudge pegged his claim to a New York Times report that Mr. Romney is considering tapping Mr. Pawlenty. Officially, the Romney campaign is not commenting on the veepstakes rumors.

"We don't discuss VP speculation," Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul told The Politicker. 

Mr. Pawlenty came very close to being tapped to run on the Republican ticket with John McCain in 2008. Last year, he began a presidential campaign for this year's race, but he dropped his White House bid just a few months later after coming in third in the Iowa straw poll last August. Since then, Mr. Pawlenty, who finished his second term as Governor of Minnesota in 2010, has aggressively campaigned for Mr. Romney.

Other politicians who have been floated as potential running mates for Mr. Romney include; Ohio Senator Rob Portman, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte and Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Like Mr. Pawlenty, all of the other entrants in Mr. Romney's veepstakes have also hit the campaign trail for the Republican nominee. According to the Times report on Mr. Pawlenty's vice presidential prospects, "several Republicans close to the campaign believe Mr. Pawlenty and Mr. Portman stand out among those being considered."

Update (12:05 pm): The Drudge Report has now changed their headline linking to the Times article from "HE'S MADE HIS DECISION!" to the decidedly more tentative "NYT: HE'S 'MADE HIS DECISION.'"

Chris Christie (Photo: YouTube)

Hey, have you seen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's goofy web video with Newark hero-Mayor Cory Booker? Have you? Have you? Well, if you're famous enough, Mr. Christie has probably tried to pitch it to you over Twitter.

Last night, the official account of the New Jersey Governor tweeted at Saturday Night Live and Seth Meyers, suggesting Mr. Christie and Mr. Booker would be good for a sketch on the show. Cute. But a quick glance further into his feed shows clear and troubling signs of desperation.

Throughout the day, Mr. Christie tweeted the clip at football star Tim Tebow, Conan O'Brien, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander and Jimmy Fallon.

He even tweeted at Oprah!

None of the celebrities in question have responded to Mr. Christie's pleas for attention.

The governor's aggressive attempts to promote the video are particularly interesting since the clip hypes his status as a potential vice presidential pick and ends with him telling Mitt Romney he'll take the job. Mr. Booker, who spoofs his reputation as "supermayor" in the video, has said the whole thing was Mr. Christie's idea.

Perhaps Mr. Christie is hoping to show Mr. Romney he can bring star power to a potential ticket. Or, maybe he just wants someone to talk to on Twitter.

Either way, Mr. Christie's celebrity correspondence clearly hasn't worked. Perhaps he should set his sights a little lower and reach out to some more D List Jersey-based stars before truly trying to take on Hollywood. We'd suggest sending a DM to Snooki, or perhaps an @ tweet at the infamous "tanning mom." That's much more likely to yield a response.

Cory Booker and Chris Christie in their video spoof. (Photo: Youtube)

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Newark Mayor Cory Booker filmed a video for the annual New Jersey Press Association Legislative Correspondents Club Show spoofing Mr. Booker's reputation as the "supermayor" and Mr. Christie's widely rumored status as a potential vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney. The video begins with Mr. Christie trying to come up with something "even bigger" than Town Halls to energize his administration. He gets the idea to try to copy Mr. Booker's daring rescue of a woman in a house fire last month by similarly saving someone from a disaster, but at every turn, Mr. Booker has already beat him to it.

"I got this," Mr. Booker says.

"Booker!" Christie replies angrily each time his efforts are thwarted.

The video ends with Mitt Romney calling Mr. Booker and asking if he'd accept the vice presidential nomination.

"You're very persuasive, but I'm not a number two guy," Mr. Booker says to Mr. Romney.

Mr. Christie walks in and takes the phone.

"Excuse me Mayor, I got this," he says.

Watch the clip below.

Mitt Romney and Chris Christie on stage together at a campaign event in New Hampshire January 8. (Photo: Getty)

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is taking his show on the road and traveling to Wisconsin to stump for that state's embattled governor, Scott Walker, who's facing a recall election over his decision to eliminate collective bargaining for public employees. Mr. Christie's trip to Wisconsin will kick off a summer tour of conservative events that will take him to Washington D.C., Kentucky and Chicago where he's appearing at the regional conference of the Conservative Political Action Committee alongside Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann and Bobby Jindal.

Mr. Christie previously campaigned for Mr. Walker in 2010 citing his own battle with public employees' unions in New Jersey. However, since then, the Star Ledger points out Mr. Christie has distanced himself from Mr. Walker's push to abolish collective bargaining:

"At a town hall meeting in Hillborough in March 2011, Christie blamed 'liberals in the media' for pointing to similarities in the way New Jersey and Wisconsin tackled public-sector unions, and said contracts should be negotiated through collective bargaining," Star Ledger reporter Jenna Portnoy wrote in a writeup of Mr. Christie's trip to Wisconsin.

Mr. Christie is regularly named as a potential vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney, whom he has also campaigned for during this election. However, his political strategist, Mike DuHaime told the Star Ledger "it’s pure coincidence that Christie’s schedule is full of events that could boost his conservative credentials" as Mr. Romney's campaign heats up.

Marco Rubio (Photo: Getty)

Today, the pollsters at Public Policy Polling took a look at how the presidential race is shaping up in Florida, one of the most crucial swing states. Though Florida Senator Marco Rubio is considered to be one of the leading contenders to run as Mitt Romney's vice president, PPP found Mr. Rubio actually hurts Mr. Romney in his home state.

Overall, President Barack Obama has a five point advantage over Mr. Romney in Florida with 50 percent of voters saying they'd support him compared to 45 percent for Mr. Romney. With Mr. Rubio on the ticket alongside Mr. Romney, Mr. Obama's numbers stay flat, but Mr. Romney's support drops to 43 percent.

Mr. Rubio is Cuban and his Latino ethnicity is a major reason many observers believe he could be an asset to Mr. Romney's candidacy, however PPP found Mr. Rubio does nothing to improve Mr. Romney's Hispanic support in Florida.

PPP Director Tom Jensen believes Mr. Rubio's low approval rating to explain his negative impact on Mr. Romney's poll numbers in the Sunshine state.

"Rubio is not an overwhelmingly popular figure in Florida with 43% of voters approving of him to 41% who disapprove," Mr. Jensen wrote.