Ryan Lowers The Boom On Obama During RNC Vice Presidential Speech
TAMPA, Fla. (CBSNewYork) -- Naming names.
The gloves came off at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.
Vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan stepped into the spotlight and focused his frustration on President Barack Obama.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani told CBS 2's Marcia Kramer on Wednesday that Ryan's challenge was to ease the concerns of seniors that his budget plan won't end Medicare, and tell younger generations there will be some kind of health care for them, too.
"I accept the calling of my generation to give our children the America that was given to us, with opportunity for the young and security for the old," Ryan said Wednesday night during his speech in Tampa, Fla.
Ryan's reputation as a budget cutter was on the line and he tried to walk the line. The Republican plan is to assure those over 55 they'll still have Medicare as they know it and to try to find some way of saving health benefits for generations to come. They hope some of the money will come from a repeal of President Obama's health care law.
"Obamacare comes to more than 2,000 pages of rules, mandates, taxes, fees and fines that have no place in a free county," Ryan said.
The boyish, 42-year-old fitness buff also began drawing the lines between the Republican and Democratic party that Mitt Romney will fill in Thursday night.
"Here is our pledge. We will not duck the tough issues. We will lead. We will not spend four years blaming others. We will take responsibility," Ryan said.
And following the scripts of Ann Romney and Chris Christie, he talked about his experiences growing up in Janesville, Wis., experiences that helped form his views.
"My dad use to say to me, 'Son, you have a choice. You can be part of the problem or part of the solution,'" Ryan said.
There was an important Romney video played during the night's session reaffirming his support for Israel, an attempt to win Jewish voters.
"It's deeply moving experience to be in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," Romney said on the video.
"We can't afford to cause our friends and allies from Latin America to Asia, Europe, to the Middle East and especially in Israel, a nation under existential threat, to doubt America's leadership," Sen. John McCain added.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice piled on, launching criticism of the Obama foreign policy.
But if we are not inspired to lead again, one of two things will happen – no one will lead and that will foster chaos --- or others who do not share our values will fill the vacuum," Rice said.
Thursday night is the big dog's turn, Romney's opportunity to win American's support.
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