COLUMBUS: Last week I offered ideas for President Obama and Mitt Romney that they could adopt to implement their economic plans for the country. Now I ain’t bragging, but I think Mr. Romney saw my column, liked what he read, and asked himself, ‘Who could I get for V-P who can convince Americans we must cut the budget, without losing their votes?’ He identified several prospects who know how to cut spending. But he decided there was only one who knew  economics and accounting well enough to clearly explain the cuts to wary voters: Paul Ryan.

Now, Congressman Ryan is from Wisconsin, home of brats, beer and LaFollette. But he got his education at Miami University. Not the one in Florida, the one in Ohio. It is located at a town called Oxford. Yes, in Ohio, not England. The school traces its roots all the way back to President George Washington. It is named for the Miami Indians. The government forced the Indians to move to Indian Territory (Oklahoma), but not the college. It got to stay. In 1825 they started teaching “political economy,” which explains how Paul Ryan got picked. Miami is known as the “Cradle of Coaches”, and that sounds way more prestigious than cradle of vice-presidents. Miami has produced a slew of vice-presidents, but never one for the whole country. (Although they did have a grad, Benjamin Harrison, who was President without having to serve an apprenticeship as V-P.)

Of course, for the Democrats you already know Joe Biden who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  He went to the University of Delaware, which is in Delaware. The Delawares are also a proud Indian tribe that got shipped to Oklahoma. So one thing that Biden and Ryan can agree on, and maybe the only thing, is that Indians had a hand in their college education.

The campaign gives a clear cut choice. There’s no confusion where they stand.  It’s another Hoover vs. FDR in ‘32. One says, “We’re broke!”, and the other says, “Shhhh, not so loud.” One says, “Give us 4 more years to right the ship.” The other says, “Time’s up.”  What voters want to hear about are jobs, unemployment, Medicare, Medicaid, deficits, and defense budgets. Especially jobs.

Mr. Obama’s mother said little Barack was born in Hawaii, and she ought to know. Mitt Romney has made millions and paid more taxes than 99.9 percent of us ever will, including Harry Reid. Now that that’s settled, can we get Congress and the President to work on some serious business before the election? Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that all important financial decisions are to be made by Lame Ducks.

Historic quote by Will Rogers:
On the radio in 1930, Will offered up some of his qualifications in case a Presidential candidate wanted him to serve as his V-P: “I could go to all the dinners when the President couldn’t come; the (Toastmaster) would say, “We are very sorry the President couldn’t come. He got a better offer. But we have with us the Vice-President,” and he tries to think of the name. I am a fair eater. I don’t eat correctly, but I eat a lot. Then I could make a speech, not a good speech but good for a politician. Any audience that would gather to hear a politician speak wouldn’t know a good speech if they heard one.”   Radio, April 27, 1930