Biden's 'Paul Ryan' Calls Budget Chairman's Speech 'Very Disappointing'

The congressman who will be prepping Vice President Joe Biden for his face-off with House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said that his congressional colleague gave “a very disappointing speech” last night.

“Republicans have claimed that they want to have a serious conversation about the issues. And last night proved that they’re not serious at all,” Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), ranking member on the Budget Committee, told CNN today. “That speech that Paul Ryan delivered contained so much misinformation in distortion that it’s kept the fact checkers up all night.”

Van Hollen hit at Ryan for criticizing President Obama for not adopting the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction recommendations even though Ryan voted no on the proposal as a member of the commission.

Other Obama surrogates made the rounds for Monday morning quarterbacking of the vice presidential nominee’s big night, including to fundraise on Ryan’s remarks.

“If you’ve seen any coverage of Paul Ryan’s speech in Tampa, you know that the consensus among journalists and independent observers is that it was … factually challenged,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina said in an email to supporters.

“He lied about Medicare. He lied about the Recovery Act. He lied about the deficit and debt. He even dishonestly attacked Barack Obama for the closing of a GM plant in his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin — a plant that closed in December 2008 under George W. Bush. He also failed to offer one constructive idea about what he would do to move the country forward,” Messina said. “Don’t roll your eyes. We can’t just groan and shrug and remark to our like-minded friends that this is ridiculous, because this is a significant moment in this campaign.”

Obama staffers tread carefully on Ann Romney’s speech Tuesday night.

“I think that it was pretty clear last night that she loves her husband and respects her husband, and we respect that,” deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter said on MSNBC. “I think it was a good speech… my take-away is that she really loves her husband.”