National Journal Women 2020: 
I cannot embed but one c-span video to a page. So that is why you have lists for some of the pertinent information for candidates

How Women Are Reshaping the Economy, Politics and the World 8:30-8:40 am Welcome Remarks Constance Sayers Witherspoon, Vice President and Associate Publisher, National Journal Susan K. Neely, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Beverage Association 8:40-9:10 am Imagination and Innovation: Ideas That Can Change the World Moderator: Nancy Cook, Budget and Tax Correspondent, National Journal Anu Bhagwati, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Service Women s Action Network Dr. Karina Edmonds, Technology Transfer Coordinator, U.S. Department of Energy Michelle A. Rhee, Founder and CEO of StudentsFirst 9:10-9:45 am Women in Numbers: An American Story Moderator: Beth Reinhard, Political Correspondent, National Journal Kellyanne Conway, Founder and President, the polling company inc. Anna Greenberg, Senior Vice President and Principal, Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research 9:45-10:15am Enterprising Leaders: Lessons from Leading Entrepreneurs Moderator: Linda Douglass, Senior Vice President, Atlantic Media Company Doron Petersan, Founder and Owner, Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats Heather Podesta, Founder, Heather Podesta & Partners Linda Rabbitt, Chairman and CEO, rand* construction corporation 10:15-10:30 am BREAK 10:30-10:50 am Keynote Interview Moderator: Margaret Carlson, Columnist, Bloomberg View Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Democratic Leader(one q from web) 10:50-11:20 am The Next Generation:Educating and Developing Future Leaders Moderator: Fawn Johnson, Correspondent, National Journal Dr. Margaret Ann Hamburg, Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Interview with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Interview

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) talked about evolving role of women in the economy, politics and the challenges women still faced in the workplace. She listed affordable child care and one .. Read More

Interview with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison

Interview

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) talked about the challenges she faced as an elected official and a mother. In her comments she said that she the the other women Senate members have dinner .. Read More

Women in Politics

Forum

Women political leaders talked about the challenges women face when running for office. They all agreed with the importance of putting women into the "pipeline" to get the experience needed to .. Read More

Interview with Valerie Jarrett

Interview

Valerie Jarrett talked about her work on the Council of Women and Girls and when she first met President and Michelle Obama. She responded to questions from the audience.

Women's Influence on the Economy, Politics, and the World

Forum

Women leaders in politics, business and education spoke about challenges facing women in the workforce. According to a National Journal online survey of 717 professional women, three-fourths ..Read More

Women in Politics

Forum

Margaret Hamburg and Representative Connie Morella spoke about challenges women faced in government and elected office. Both talked about the changes in society that mades upward mobility for women .. Read More

Ann Romney: No more tax returns 'We have been very transparent to what’s legally required of us,' Ann Romney said. | AP Photo By: Tomer Ovadia August 15, 2012 03:31 PM EDT

Ann Romney said in an interview airing Wednesday that her husband has no plans to release additional tax returns, saying “it’ll just give them more ammunition” and insisting that “there’s nothing we’re hiding.” “We have been very transparent to what’s legally required of us. But the more we release, the more we get attacked, the more we get questioned, the more we get pushed. And so we have done what’s legally required and there’s going to be no more, there’s going to be no more tax releases given,” she said in the interview by NBC News. “And there’s a reason for that, and that’s because of how, what happens as soon as we release anything.” Romney is releasing two years of his tax returns. Democrats have said what’s he hiding and demanded he make public the last 10 years or more. Ann Romney also defended Romney’s character and said the “only reason we don’t disclose more is we’ll just become a bigger target.” “Mitt’s financial disclosures when he was governor are huge if people want to really look and see any question they have,” she said. “The other thing they have to understand is that Mitt is as honest — his integrity is just golden. We pay our taxes, we are absolutely — beyond paying our taxes we also give 10 percent of our income to charity.” She also said that the couple has had a blind trust since 2002 before Romney was governor and that they don’t know what’s in it. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy “There’s nothing we’re hiding,” she said, later adding: “I’ll be curious to see what’s in there too.” The debate for Romney to release more of his tax returns were spurred on by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid when he claimed that an anonymous source told him Romney had not paid taxes for 10 years, but it has calmed since Romney announced his vice presidential running mate this weekend. At a press conference in South Carolina, Mitt Romney criticized Harry Reid and said he never paid less than 13 percent in taxes. 08/16/2012 1:39 PM EDT

VEEP Joe Biden videos from this past campaigning year



Vice President Joe Biden talked about the state of U.S. manufacturing and the economy. The event took place at PCT Engineered Systems, an equipment manufacturer of electron beam systems, in Davenport, Iowa. He focused on improvements in the economy and also criticized Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney for being "consistently wrong" on U.S manufacturing and supporting tax breaks for companies that create jobs overseas.

Vice President Joe Biden talked about renewing the Violence Against Women Act, enacted in 1994 to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The legislation, which would reauthorize more than $650 million in programs and was expected to be taken up in the House after their recess. The act was drafted by then-Senator Biden.

Vice President Biden talked about tax code policy. In his speech he said Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is "out of touch" and "out of step" with voters. He used the phrase "Romney rule" to refer to potential tax policies in a Romney administration, and contrasted them with President Obama's "Buffett rule" proposal to change the U.S. tax code. The rule, named after billionaire investor Warren Buffett, would require earners who make more than $1 million annually to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes.

Vice President Joe Biden contrasted Obama administration foreign policies versus those Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has proposed. In his speech he said the Obama administration's record could be summed up in a bumper-sticker slogan: "Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive."

Vice President Joe Biden talked about the state of U.S. manufacturing and the economy. The event took place at PCT Engineered Systems, an equipment manufacturer of electron beam systems, in Davenport, Iowa. He focused on improvements in the economy and also criticized Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney for being "consistently wrong" on U.S manufacturing and supporting tax breaks for companies that create jobs overseas.

Vice President Joe Biden spoke at Wynmoor Village in Coconut Creek, Florida. He talked about the benefits of the 2010 health care law and the Obama administration's Medicare policies versus what the Republican proposals are on these programs. In his remarks he said, "Make no mistake. If Republicans in Congress and their amen corner of Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich get their hands on the White House, they will end Medicare as we know it."

OBAMA BIDEN RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN 
Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden on Medicare
He will deliver remarks on the President s efforts to help the middle class reclaim their economic security by restoring the basic values that made our country great. In his speech, the Vice President will discuss the President s commitment to preserving and protecting our sacred compact with America s seniors - that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can retire with dignity and security. The Vice President will highlight the Administration s efforts to strengthen Medicare and other critical programs, drawing a contrast with Republican candidates who support the GOP budget proposal that would turn Medicare into a voucher program forcing seniors to pay thousands more a year for their health care in order to give massive tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.
12:20-1:20p ET, Wynmoor Village, Coconut Creek, FL

Vice President Biden spoke to the auto workers' union in Toledo, Ohio. In his speech he He cited President Obama's actions in 2009 as key to reinvigorating the auto industry and criticized Mitt Romney's characterization of the bailout as a mistake. 

President Obama and Vice President Biden spoke to a meeting of governors who were in Washington, D.C. for the National Governors Association annual meeting, In their remarks they focused on the economy, unemployment, and manufacturing. 

Vice President Joe Biden spoke to House Democrats at their annual retreat. In his speech he said he believes actions by congressional Republicans will help Democrats win back the House and President Obama win re-election in 2012. He said the president's agenda is one that supports the middle class, while Republicans "don't get it." 

2012 National Council of La Raza Annual Conference
Vice President Joe Biden's Remarks at the 2012 National Council of La Raza Conference

Biden clarifies, digs in on 'chains'

By MAGGIE HABERMAN |

8/14/12 7:41 PM EDT

Vice President Joe Biden dug in when it came to apologizing for his earlier remark, made at a Virginia campaign event where the AP described the crowd as having a couple hundred African-American attendees, about Republicans and Wall Street wanting to put "y'all back in chains."

But he did clarify the comment. Here's the full text:

"We don’t have to imagine anymore. The details are there. Here’s what Congressman Ryan said. He said, 'We believe a renewed commitment to limited government will unshackle our economy.' The Speaker of the House said, used the word 'unshackled' as well, referring to their proposals. The last time these guys unshackled the economy, to use their term, they put the middle class in shackles. That’s how we got where we are.

"Nine million jobs lost. Wage stagnation. 16 trillion dollars in wealth you all lost in your home equity, in your 401Ks and your pension plans. You’re the ones that got nailed. All of America, except the very few.

"And I’m told that when I made that comment earlier today in Danville, Virginia, the Romney campaign put out a tweet. You know, tweets these days? Put out a tweet, went on the airwaves saying, ‘Biden, he’s outrageous in saying that,’ I think I said instead of ‘unshackled,’ ‘unchained.’ ‘Outrageous to say that.’ That’s what we had. I’m using their own words. I got a message for them. If you want to know what’s outrageous, it’s their policies and the effects of their policies on middle class America. That’s what’s outrageous."

The line kept Democrats on defense for part of the day, and was seized on by Republicans. Mitt Romney's campaign was outraged, calling it a "new low." While there was no contrition - and the campaign backed him up - the clean-up reflects that the comment, even if it was a pivot off the "unshackle" line, was fairly loaded.

Biden Tells Audience Romney Ticket Would Put Them ‘Back in Chains’

The vice president said the GOP ticket would hurt the middle class by letting Wall Street write its own rules.

August 14, 2012 | 3:05 p.m.

Updated: August 14, 2012 | 6:26 p.m. 

RICHARD A. BLOOM

Vice President Joe Biden.

DANVILLE, Va.--Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday told a diverse crowd here, including many African-Americans, that presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney would “put you all back in chains" by unshackling Wall Street.

Biden told more than 800 ticketed supporters that Romney wants to repeal the financial regulations enacted after the Wall Street crash of 2008. “He’s going to let the big banks once again write their own rules – unchain Wall Street!” Biden said. Then he added, “They’re going to put you all back in chains” with their economic and regulatory policies.

Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said Biden’s comments “are not acceptable in our political discourse and demonstrate yet again that the Obama campaign will say and do anything to win this election. President Obama should tell the American people whether he agrees with Joe Biden’s comments.”

Stephanie Cutter, deputy campaign manager of the Obama campaign, called Saul’s statement “faux outrage." Cutter said on MSNBC that Biden was “using a metaphor to talk about what’s going to happen” if Romney is elected and financial reforms are repealed, and added, “We have no problem with those comments” in their full context.

Later on Tuesday, after his remarks went viral, Biden stood by them. "The last time these guys unshackled the economy, to use their term, they put the middle class in shackles," he said. "That’s how we got where we are. Nine million jobs lost, wage stagnation, 16 trillion dollars in wealth you all lost, in your home equity, in your 401ks, and your pension plans – you’re the ones that got nailed. All of America except for the very few."

"I’m using their own words," Biden said, referring to Republicans' use of words like "shackles" when discussing government regulation.

The Obama campaign has also put out a statement that described Biden’s remark as a variation on comments Republicans have made about unshackling the private sector, and his own frequent references to the need to unshackle the middle class. “Today’s comments were a derivative of those remarks, describing the devastating impact [that] letting Wall Street write its own rules again would have on middle class families,” the campaign said.

Biden is on a Southern swing to North Carolina and Virginia this week. “With you, we can win North Carolina,” he said at the end of his speech, mistakenly referring to the bordering battleground state that he visited on Monday.

In the past month polls of Virginia have ranged from showing a tie to putting Obama ahead by 4 percentage points, within the margin of error. North Carolina is also a toss-up state.

VP Biden Campaigns in Virginia

WASHINGTON, DC
Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Vice President Joe Biden is on a two day tour in southern Virginia and delivers remarks at The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, VA.

In his remarks, the Vice President said that the Romney plan would "unshackle" the private sector by "shackling the middle class." The Romney campaign immediately responded with this statement:

“After weeks of slanderous and baseless accusations leveled against Governor Romney, the Obama Campaign has reached a new low.  The comments made by the Vice President of the United States are not acceptable in our political discourse and demonstrate yet again that the Obama Campaign will say and do anything to win this election.  President Obama should tell the American people whether he agrees with Joe Biden’s comments.”

The Obama campaign later countered with the following statement:

“For months, Speaker Boehner, Congressman Ryan, and other Republicans have called for the ‘unshackling’ of the private sector from regulations that protect Americans from risky financial deals and other reckless behavior that crashed our economy. Since then, the Vice President has often used a similar metaphor to describe the need to ‘unshackle’ the middle class. Today’s comments were a derivative of those remarks, describing the devastating impact letting Wall Street write its own rules again would have on middle class families. We find the Romney campaign’s outrage over the Vice President’s comments today hypocritical, particularly in light of their own candidate’s stump speech questioning the President’s patriotism. Now, let’s return to that ‘substantive’ debate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan promised 72 hours ago, but quickly abandoned.”

Updated: Tuesday at 3:22pm (ET)

Obama defends Biden on 'chains' remark

• Comments (29)

By BYRON TAU |

8/15/12 7:23 PM EDT

President Obama came to Vice President Joe Biden's defense in interviews with People Magazine and Entertainment Tonight, calling Biden an "outstanding" running-mate.

"Joe Biden has been an outstanding vice president. He is passionate about what's happening in middle-class families," Obama told People. "So I will be talking to him a whole lot about the campaign generally."

On the trail in Virginia Wednesday, Biden suggested that Wall Street and the Republicans would put Americans back in "chains" — a phrase that Republicans said evoked racial connotations.

Biden was saying "you, consumers, the American people, will be a lot worse off if we repeal these [Wall Street reform] laws as the other side is suggesting," Obama said. "In no sense was he trying to connote something other than that," Obama added.

"Folks like to get obsessed with how something was phrased even if everybody personally understands that's not how it was meant," Obama told People. "That's sort of the nature of modern campaigns and modern coverage of campaigns."

Some Republicans have even suggested that Obama replace Biden on the ticket — an exceedingly unlikely scenario given that it would represent a certain failure on the part of the Obama campaign.

In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight, Obama said that the gulf between what the national press wants to talk about and what the American people want to talk about is great.

"You know the truth of the matter is, again, this is an example of what the American people hear and what the press corps want to focus on are two very different things, so if we're going to talk about substance, than we should focus on what Joe's comments meant and what they're intended to mean, and that is we shouldn't roll back Wall Street reforms that are making consumers and the economy a lot more secure," Obama told ET.

"Most folks know that's just sort of a WWF wrestling part of politics. It doesn't mean anything, just fills up a lot of airtime," Obama said.

UPDATED at 8:09.

DCCC begins attacks on Ryan
A new TV ad released by the DCCC attacking Michigan Rep. Dan Benishek for voting for the Ryan budget. 08/16/2012 9:13 AM EDT

Illegal immigrants seek work permits At least 13,000 people stood in line in Chicago. | AP Photo   By: Associated Press August 15, 2012 09:17 PM EDT

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Nathaly Uribe has all the papers she needs to get a work permit - something the 17-year-old daughter of a construction worker only dreamed of growing up as an illegal immigrant in the United States. The high school senior said she hopes a federal program beginning Wednesday and defers deportation for illegal immigrants will make it easier to get a decent job and help pay for college. “This is my country. It’s where my roots are,” said Uribe, who moved from Chile when she was a toddler and lives in Glen Burnie, Md. “It feels great to know that the country that I call home is finally accepting me.” Thousands of young illegal immigrants lined up Wednesday hoping for the right to work legally in America without being deported. The Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals could expand the rights of more than 1 million young illegal immigrants by giving them work permits, though they would not obtain legal residency here or a path to citizenship. At least 13,000 people stood in line in Chicago, clutching reams of paperwork, for a workshop led by immigrant rights advocates at the city’s Navy Pier. Hundreds of potential applicants waited outside nonprofit offices in Los Angeles for help filing paperwork to open the door to the staples of success in America - a work permit, and then later a Social Security number and driver’s license. “It’s something I have been waiting for since I was two years old,” said Bupendra Ram, a 25-year-old communications graduate student in Fullerton, Calif., who still needs supporting documents from his Fiji Islands home before he can apply. “This offers us an opportunity to fulfill the dreams I’ve had since I was a child.” Less than three months before an expected tight presidential election, the new immigration program is mired in controversy. Republican critics accuse President Barack Obama of drafting the plan to boost his political standing with Latinos ahead of November’s vote and say the program favors illegal immigrants over unemployed American citizens during dismal economic times. In Arizona, which passed one of the nation’s toughest anti-immigration laws, Gov Jan Brewer signed an executive order Wednesday directing state agencies to deny driver’s licenses and other public benefits to illegal immigrants who obtain work authorizations under the program. Brewer said she’s following the intent of the current state law denying public benefits to illegal immigrants. To be eligible for the federal program, immigrants must prove they arrived in the United States before they turned 16, are 30 or younger, have been living in the country at least five years and are in school or graduated or served in the military. They cannot have been convicted of certain crimes or otherwise pose a safety threat. Initial concerns that federal authorities might take a tough approach on applications or that a Republican presidential victory could unravel applicants’ gains have largely been pushed aside by massive interest from thousands of young people eager to work. In Los Angeles, one immigrant rights’ group started hosting hourly information sessions over the last month to keep up with the frenzy. The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles has handed out 12,000 information packets about the program and is encouraging all eligible immigrants to apply as long as they have stayed out of legal trouble, said Angelica Salas, the organization’s director. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney does not support so-called Dream Act legislation for illegal immigrants who attend college - a key group that Obama aims to reach with this program. The former Massachusetts governor has also criticized the deferred action program but has not said it he would reverse it, pledging instead an unspecified “civil but resolute” long-term fix to illegal immigration. So far, the measure has won favor for Obama along Latinos - many who view immigration as a litmus test when choosing a political candidate, said Manuel Pastor, director of the University of Southern California’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. “What this has done is to signal that the president, who was unable to get comprehensive immigration reform, does at least care about the situation of these immigrants,” Pastor said. “This is something that has been overwhelmingly popular in the immigrant population and in the Latino population in general.” Some Republican lawmakers have accused Obama of sidestepping Congress and creating a backdoor amnesty program. “It’s a betrayal of American young people,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican. “We’re supposed to be representing the interests of the American people - not people who come here illegally from other countries.” In an internal document outlining the program’s implementation, Department of Homeland Security officials estimated more than 1 million people would apply in the first year and about 890,000 would be eligible. On Wednesday, immigrants lined up for help filing applications at workshops around the country. Others sought identity documents from consulates to be able to apply. Jaqueline Cinto said she’s still working on gathering the documents she needs, knowing it’s her only shot at putting her master’s degree in education to good use. But she’s nervous that filing the papers might put her relatives at risk for deportation - even though Homeland Security officials have said they will generally not use applicants’ information to track down other family. “I am even more afraid that I might be denied,” said Cinto, 26, who came to New York more than a decade ago from Mexico. In central California, one group has been warning farmworkers and their children not to sign up for the program at all. “Immigration agents could haul them off that same day,” said Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League. “Even if they don’t, if this policy is disbanded, now ICE has the addresses of all the families. Why would you want to squeal on your parents?” The documents to prove identity could include passports, birth certificates, school transcripts, medical, financial and military records. Multiple sworn affidavits, signed under penalty of perjury, can also be used, Homeland Security officials said. Anyone found to have committed fraud will be referred to federal immigration agents, the department said. Laura Lichter, a Denver attorney who heads the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said everyone takes a risk by applying. “I would say that people are between a rock and a hard place. In most cases, people can take [the government] at their word that their intent is to administer this policy in a fair and appropriate manner but there are going to be people that are going to find themselves having problems,” she said A decision on each application could take several months, and immigrants have been warned not to leave the country while their application is pending. If they are allowed to stay in the United States and want to travel internationally, they will need to apply for permission to come back into the country, a request that would cost another $360. The lines on Wednesday grew throughout the day; the crowd in Chicago was so large that workshop organizers told them to come back another day. “Navy Pier is today’s Ellis Island, and while they saw New York City, today they see Chicago,” said Illinois congressman Luis Gutierrez. “But the most important thing is they see America.”

Janna Ryan steps lightly into national spotlight

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

'We have been very transparent to what’s legally required of us,' Ann Romney said. | AP Photo

By Krissah Thompson, Published: August 13

The day after her husband joined the Republican presidential ticket, Janna Ryan waved, smiled and shook hands. But when offered the microphone at a raucous rally, she chose not to speak — even when Mitt Romney himself invited her to take the floor.
Paul Ryan’s wife — a former tax attorney, lobbyist and congressional staffer with degrees from Wellesley College and George Washington University Law School — is taking careful first steps into the harsh spotlight that comes with a run for the White House.
Having grown up in a family deeply rooted in Oklahoma’s Democratic politics, Janna Ryan is accustomed to the rigors of political life. But as adoring crowds of Republicans turn out to see her husband, she seems conscious of the size of the stage on which she is now standing.
Janna Ryan, 43, conducted her first interview Sunday with celebrity-friendly People magazine, describing her husband’s work style and personal habits.
“You know, he’s pretty low-maintenance,” said Janna, who is now a stay-at-home mom. “Paul is someone who goes with the flow and has one of the sunniest demeanors and most positive outlooks of anyone I’ve ever met. So I’d say Mitt’ll probably have a lot of fun with him.”
Friends say Janna is a good complement to her husband. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who has known Janna for more than two decades, said, “She is comfortable talking to people at the Sand Bass Festival one day and having dinner with the governor the next. There’s no stiffness to her. No awkwardness.”
That adaptability was honed in her childhood, say those who know her. Paul and Janna Ryan are both from wealthy, well-connected families. His owns a construction company that has been in the family for more than a century. Her uncle, David Boren, is a former Democratic governor and now president of the University of Oklahoma. Janna’s grandfather also ran for governor and started a law firm in the town where her father, Dan Little, still works, according to the Daily Oklahoman. Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) is her first cousin.
Her father served on the University of Oklahoma board of regents, and her late mother, Prudence, also was involved in civic life, sitting on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. The value of the trust that Prudence “Prud” Little left her daughter, which ranges between $1 million and $5 million, according to Paul Ryan’s financial disclosure statement, is one of the family’s largest assets.
In leaving her skyrocketing career as a lobbyist who represented clients including the Cigar Association of America and United Parcel Service to raise her children, Janna is following the example of her mother, who also graduated from Wellesley and attended law school before marrying and moving to rural Oklahoma to raise three daughters.
Both Catholic, the Ryans were introduced to each other by a mutual friend in Washington in 1999. They had run in the same circles on Capitol Hill, where he was a staffer before being elected to Congress at 28. When they began dating, Janna had recently broken up with a longtime boyfriend. Their courtship got quickly serious.
“I had known her in other relationships, and all of a sudden my girlfriend was starry-eyed,” said Leslie Belcher, a lobbyist and longtime friend of Janna who worked with her in the office of former Rep. Bill Brewster (D-Okla.). “They are a very compatible couple.”
In an April 2000 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about their engagement, Paul Ryan bragged that Janna had shared a deer stand with him when he shot a buck as hunting season opened. He proposed to her at one of his favorite fishing spots, Big St. Germain Lake in Wisconsin. They married in December 2000.
“He couldn’t believe he had met someone who was from Oklahoma and was okay with the fact that he hunted,” recalled Jodi Bond, an old friend of the Ryans.
The new vice presidential candidate still enjoys the life of an outdoorsman. According to the state political blog CapitolBeatOK, Paul Ryan joked during a speech in Oklahoma that he and the family visit “three times a year — deer season, duck season and turkey season.” For some reason, he said, “Janna refers to our visits as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.”
The Ryans live in his home town of Janesville in a large colonial on the block where Paul Ryan, 42, was raised, surrounded by his extended family. There they are raising their three school-age children, Liza, Charlie and Sam. Janna is also a member of a book club and tends her garden.
“Janna is naturally a very private person, but she has been so supportive of Paul and his big dreams and aspirations for the country,” Bond said.
Belcher added, “You can take the girl out of the politics, you can’t take the politics out of the girl. She does stay very current on policy issues.”
Cole recalled Janna accompanying her husband on a congressional trip to the Middle East in 2010 that stopped in Saudia Arabia, Oman and Dubai and being impressed with the couple. “When I got back from the congressional trip I dropped a line to Dan Little, her dad, telling him that it was like traveling with a future president and first lady,” Cole said. “She is probably as knowledgeable a critic and defender of Paul’s economic ideas as anybody. She is very, very sharp.”
In photos pulled from Paul Ryan’s Facebook page, they are the picture of a happy family, wearing matching Green Bay Packers sweatshirts.
After Romney and Ryan spoke at a rally in North Carolina last weekend, Romney offered the microphone to his wife, Ann, who rallied the crowd: “We’re not gonna take it anymore!” she shouted. “We’re gonna take back the White House!”
Romney then offered the microphone to Janna, who politely declined.
“You sure?” he asked.

Alice Crites, Eddy Palanzo and Philip Rucker in Mooresville, N.C., contributed to this report.

White House daily briefing, 8/16

8/16/12 11:30 AM EDT

White House press secretary Jay Carney just conducted his daily briefing. Here are some highlights:

1.) BIDEN'S ON THE TICKET: No surprise, but Obama will not be dropping Biden from the ticket. More here.

2.) CHAINS: Carney says the national press is the only one that cares about Biden's remark that the GOP wants to put people back in "chains." 

3.) GOPERS TRYING TO DISTRACT? Carney: "I noted that having covered a number of presidential campaigns myself..." there is often a point at which one side tries to distract ... "that is invariably because that side is losing the policy debate."

Full liveblog after the jump.

Carney starts at 11:47.

Carney jokes that it's no longer a daily briefing.

No announcements at the top.

Carney takes a question about the tone of the campaign.

Carney insists that Obama's trip has been a substantive, issue filled campaign.

Carney: "I noted that having covered a number of presidential campaigns myself..." there is often a point at which one side tries to distract ... "that is invariably because that side is losing the policy debate."

More: "We are focused on, the president is focused on the issues that matter to the American economy and the American people. ... I think Medicare is a perfect example. What we have seen since late last week, early this week... when the ticket for the other side was filled out was initial announcement that there was a desire for a substantive policy debate."

Carney said that there has "obviously been a desire to change the subject" by the GOP.

Carney is asked about shooting in Afghanistan and the friendly fire incidents.

Carney says the relationship with Afghan forces "is strong."

Carney says that the purpose of being in Afghanistan is to defeat Al-Qaeda.

Carney takes a Syria question.

Repeats that Assad needs to go, that allies of Assad need to recognize that they're "on the wrong side of history," etc, etc.

More: "Assad will not be a part of the future in Syria."

Carney takes a question on welfare reform and the controversy over Priorities USA ad. Says that millions of dollars are being spent on a "fiction."

Carney: "Just false. Factually false."

More: Carney says Obama is focusing on the "issues that matter to the American people."

Q: Chains/Biden replaced.

Carney: "They know what they're saying about this is ridiculous. The vice president was clearly making, as he repeatedly ... a statement about the Republican insistence that if they are able to... they will immediately repeal Wall Street reform."

Carney says the consumer protections need to stay. 

Carney: "I understand there's an attempt to distract attention from the actual substance of the discussion ... They don't want to talk about that because they know that most Americans answer that question absolutely, definitely yes."

More, on Medicare: "Republicans don't want to debate that."

More: "We're going to keep talking about the issues."

More: "That's what we're seeing right now."

Q: Do you regret the choice of words?

Carney

Q: Obama using Seamus Romney.

Carney says it was a joke, and that a "little levity" never hurt.

More: "One joke as an aside should not become the focus" of the campaign.

More: "A one line joke about the joke" should not be the "principle focus" of the campaign.

Carney takes a few questions about Medicare.

Q: On Jan Brewer's directive.

Carney: "I don't ..."

Q: VPOTUS comments. Doug Wilder.

Carney: "He doesn't have a point. The vice president was talking about Wall street reform."

More questions about

Q: This is the ticket? Obama Biden?

Carney: "Yes, and that was settled a long long time ago."

Carney: One place I would not go for advice on presidential running mates is John McCain

Q: Obama's ET interview. Why doesn't he condemn Priorities USA?

Carney: "He doesn't dictate to, or coordinate with..."

Q: I disagree...

Carney: "You hear his tone when he speaks. ... There has been a relentless critical evaluation."

Carney ends at 12:39.