U.S. vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan is promising an end to “excuses and idle words” when it comes to the economy, if voters put Republicans back in the White House.
Republican party officials have released excerpts ahead of Ryan's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida Wednesday night.
Ryan says he and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will “meet serious challenges in a serious way,” although he warns that the country's economic problems are so big that “we don't have that much time.”
He also chastises President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats for spending the past four years blaming others for the problems instead of finding solutions.
Many Republicans have been looking forward to Ryan's speech. The 42-year-old lawmaker from Wisconsin has energized conservative activists even though he also has come under fire for his proposals to impose deep cuts in social programs.
Earlier Wednesday, President Obama chided Republicans during a campaign speech to a crowd of mostly college students in Virginia.
Mr. Obama called the Republican convention a “pretty entertaining show,” but he said voters will not hear Mr. Romney or other Republican party officials offer “a clear, serious path forward.”
Mr. Obama also defended his health care policy, called “Obamacare” by Republicans. The president said he calls Mr. Romney's plan “Romney doesn't care.”
The president spoke at about the same time Mr. Romney addressed war veterans at an American Legion Convention .
The Republican presidential candidate condemned Mr. Obama's record on jobs, saying “this president's greatest failure is that he's not delivered those jobs. As president, I will get America to work again.”
He also accused the president of trying to balance the budget at the expense of the military and veterans, saying Mr. Obama is on the verge of breaking a promise he made to the group just last year.
During his speech, Mr. Obama argued he would do more to help veterans, saying “nobody should have to fight for a job or for a roof over their heads after they've been fighting for our freedom.”
The Democrats will hold their convention next week in Charlotte, North Carolina.
