To the Editor:

Ah, those piercing blue eyes, the jet black hair, that gym-toned body, the charming affability—but wait, closer scrutiny may reveal that Paul Ryan is not the VP candidate of your dreams after all.

A long-time Ayn Rand disciple, Congressman Ryan brings considerable baggage to the Republican ticket with his extreme budget proposals. Lauded as bold and gutsy, Ryan pushes draconian cuts to the safety net, cuts in Pell Grants for college scholarships, severe cuts to Medicaid, and changing Medicare to a voucher program. Conversely, he allows no cuts to the Defense budget, and promotes ever more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Even the Conference of Catholic Bishops, no devotee of the Obama administration, has condemned his budget as immoral. Democrats have logically asked — what is bold and gutsy about picking on the poorest and most politically vulnerable to reduce the deficit.

Ryan co-authored the ‘personhood’ amendment whereby all abortions would be prohibited, including cases of rape or incest, and opposes insurance coverage for contraception. Along with Mitt Romney, he promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act, stripping seniors of free preventive care, reopening the drug donut hole, and kicking children over 22 off their parents’ insurance.

Meanwhile, Romney flip flops on his running mate’s positions, insisting he (Romney) has his own budget, other times saying there is little difference between them, demonstrating once again Romney’s own hollow lack of convictions

What is clear is that the Romney/ Ryan ticket is the most radically extreme in recent memory, and ought to alarm all thinking Americans.

Mary Easthope

S. Lake Leelanau Drive

Lake Leelanau