There are plenty of reasons for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to pop the running mate question to Paul Ryan.
The Wisconsin congressman is from a swing state. He's the GOP's leading voice on the federal budget and is the rare member of the Republican establishment who's loved by the tea party. Ryan says the vice presidency is a bridge he'd consider crossing.
But the 42-year-old says he's driven by "policy ambition" above all else. That might make the No. 2 job too confining for someone who already holds a powerful budget post in Congress.
Ryan plans to appear with Romney next week during a visit to a fabric mill in the congressman's hometown of Janesville, Wis.
