Ryan won’t say whether he regrets sending those stimulus letters
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Settling into a late-morning pancake breakfast with his wife, Janna, and their three children, GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan looked relaxed and said he felt “great” after his debate Thursday night with Vice President Joe Biden.
A few journalists were allowed to briefly enter Josie’s Grab & Go with Ryan, who answered a couple of questions before they were escorted back outside.
One asked if he’d felt “knocked around” by Biden, who was aggressive, frequently interrupted Ryan, raised his voice and laughed dismissively at Ryan’s responses to questions posed by the moderator, ABC News correspondent Martha Raddatz.
“No, it was what I expected,” said Ryan, who had predicted the vice president would come at him “like a cannonball.”
TRANSCRIPT: Read Biden, Ryan’s arguments
Ryan generally did not respond to Biden’s provocations, though a couple of times he interjected his own put-downs, telling Biden at one point, “Mr. Vice President, I know you’re under a lot of duress to make up for lost ground, but I think people would be better served if we don’t keep interrupting each other.”
Ryan had a wobbly moment when Biden chastised him for attacking the federal stimulus program while seeking funds for two projects in his district. “He sent me two letters saying, ‘By the way, can you send me some stimulus money for companies here in the state of Wisconsin?’ ” Biden said.
Ryan acknowledged that he had sent such letters. “On two occasions,” he said, “we advocated for constituents who were applying for grants.”
As Ryan and his family looked at their menus, a TV producer asked whether he regretted sending those letters.
“We’re going to get through it later,” he said. “We’re going to eat breakfast now.”
INTERACTIVE: Predict a winner in the battleground states
On Friday afternoon, Ryan and his family flew to the battleground state of Ohio for an evening rally with running mate Mitt Romney.
After the short flight to Columbus, Ryan was greeted by Romney as he stepped off the plane. “Great job, way to go,” Romney said, shaking his running mate’s hand.
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