Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin has been many things in his political career: Republican vice-presidential candidate, uncompromising budget hawk, conservative policy maven and, for Democrats, the breathing symbol of draconian fiscal policies.
Now, from his new perch as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Ryan finds himself in the unlikely position of gatekeeper of President Obama’s agenda.
Although he has served as a partisan warrior and foil to Mr. Obama throughout Mr. Obama’s presidency, his committee is at the junction where the White House and Republican agendas overlap — trade, taxes and possibly health care. And in an odd political twist, Mr. Ryan’s longstanding enmity for All Things Obama may be key to efforts to burnish the president’s legacy in the twilight of his second term...
Front Porch Punditry
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Sat Feb 07, 2015 9:54 pm
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Front Porch Punditry