U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan's record runs much deeper than his signature budget and Medicare ideas that delight conservatives and alarm many Democrats.

The Wisconsin lawmaker who is Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate is against abortion rights. The outdoorsman has a top rating from gun-rights groups. And he supported sending troops to the wars.

But, in conflict with fellow Republicans, Ryan's also opposed attempts to weaken wage laws that labor unions closely guard. And he backed the auto industry and bank bailouts that the party's right flank now opposes, votes that put him cross-ways with Romney.

Ryan's 14 years in Congress leave a trail of votes for Democrats to dissect, a process that began as Romney announced the pairing Saturday.

Romney and Ryan are pitching themselves as "America's Comeback Team," Republican turnaround artists willing to take on tough decisions.

President Barack Obama and his allies said adding the conservative Wisconsin congressman to the GOP ticket creates a sharp choice for voters on the future of the nation's tax system and safety-net programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.

Romney's selection of Ryan as his vice presidential running mate this weekend jolted the presidential contest and set the contours for the fall campaign.

Romney touts himself as a proponent of a friendlier business climate seeking to revitalize the economy and rein in federal spending.

Obama casts himself as a defender of middle-class families and federal spending on health care, retirement pensions and education.

Romney is clearly pleased with his choice of Paul Ryan as a running mate, and it shows. The usually buttoned-up Romney is gleeful on the campaign trail. He's giving a thumbs-up often. He's passing around high fives and clapping Ryan on the back.

It's a far different sight than from the more muted days of the early primary campaign. Ryan's selection has injected a huge dose of energy both into the candidate and into the Republican Party's conservative base.

The man who picked Sarah Palin as his Republican running mate four years ago said Ryan is another bold choice.

John McCain said Sunday that the goal in selecting a running mate is to help the nominee win and pick someone who would make a good vice president.

McCain said he's "still proud of my running mate" -- the former Alaska governor whose run for vice president helped boost his campaign initially, but has received mixed reviews even from some Republicans since then. The Arizona senator said Romney's selection of Ryan was "a bold choice as well." He praised Ryan's "intimate knowledge of the budget."

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is calling Romney's running mate the "ideological leader" of Republicans in Congress.
Obama said that ideology has led to gridlock, dysfunction and a top-down approach to growing the economy.

Addressing young supporters at a Chicago fundraiser, Obama called Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan a decent, family man and welcomed him to the presidential race.

But Obama said he fundamentally disagrees with Ryan's vision for the country. He said Ryan and his allies in Congress mistakenly believe that fewer regulations and tax breaks for the wealthy will help create jobs.

Romney announced Saturday he had chosen Ryan as his vice presidential candidate. Democrats pounced, arguing that Ryan's budget-cutting agenda will harm seniors, students and the middle class.