Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan has been getting a lot of pub lately. I saw a few interviews with him online which seemed promising as a voice of reason within the entitlement and debt spending arena. I described him on our Twitter feed as “one of the most lucid politicians I’ve heard in some time”, and declared “The US debt, entitlement disaster may have at least one hope in DC, and his name is Congressman #PaulRyan”. The response on Ryan through our Twitter network has been phenomenal, albeit mixed. Many people have pointed to his voting record during crunch time, where he said yes to TARP, the auto bailout, and the AIG bailout. A RINO (Republican in name only) politician as some have called him, he may be willing to give up his principles of reigning in public debt, entititlements, and taxes when it matters most.

For what it’s worth, you can read Ryan’s explanations on the three aforementioned votes here.

No matter your feelings on Paul Ryan the man, the politician, or the Ryan voting record, he has produced legislation which would slow or reverse our slide into bankruptcy. I would support that. However, as far as voting for a candidate or a party in 2012, taking the cream of the cesspool in DC has gotten us into the predicament we’re in. Nobody should be propping Ryan up too high as of yet. Give Ryan credit where it is due, though: he proposed legislation which would begin taking the country back toward sustainability regarding debt and entitlements. That’s more than most can say.