Norfolk , Virginia ( CNN ) -- Mitt Romney on Saturday announced U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate for the White House -- a bold and risky move that energized both conservatives and their opponents . Ryan is a rising Republican star and the party 's leader on fiscal and budget issues . He said he is overwhelmed by the reaction to the announcement that he is Romney 's running mate . `` I was amazed at the energy , the crowd , people who just want to see us take the country in a different direction , '' Ryan said . `` It 's very exciting . We 're going to win this campaign . We 've got the wind behind us . I 'm really excited about this race . '' How Romney campaign kept Ryan tap under wraps . Ryan is the architect of a Republican spending plan that would overhaul many entitlement programs , making him a favorite of conservatives , whose support for Romney , the presumptive Republican presidential nominee , has been shaky . `` You saw the response of our crowds , very excited to meet Paul Ryan to get to know him , '' Romney said . `` A lot of them know him pretty well by virtue of things he 's been fighting for , but it just means one more person to drive a very strong message . '' But the Romney camp was also quick to put some distance between Ryan 's initial budget blueprint and his own . `` Gov . Romney applauds Paul Ryan for going in the right direction with his budget , '' the campaign said , `` and as president he will be putting together his own plan for cutting the deficit and putting the budget on a path to balance . '' His running mate choice draws some clear lines with Romney 's Democratic opponents over the size of the cuts in Ryan 's plan and his prior votes on taxes , which they say favor the wealthiest Americans -- a point of contention in an election in which both sides consider themselves champions of the middle class . `` Congressman Paul Ryan is an outstanding choice as our country 's next vice president , and today 's announcement demonstrates Governor Romney 's commitment to returning fiscal sanity back to Washington , DC. , '' said former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum , who mounted the strongest conservative challenge to Romney 's campaign in the Republican primaries . `` I have long supported Paul Ryan 's fiscal and entitlement reforms to return our country back on a path of fiscal health . '' Ryan , 42 , is considered a policy wonk and conservative Catholic likely to energize the GOP base and sharpen the campaign 's focus on government spending and the economy . That could boost Romney 's appeal among middle-of-the-road Catholic voters in battleground states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania , though Ryan offers little in the way of foreign policy experience . The House Budget Committee chairman was chosen ahead of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida , former Minnesota Gov . Tim Pawlenty and Sen . Rob Portman of Ohio . A campaign aide told CNN that Romney decided on Ryan on August 1 . GOP sources said Friday that the latter three had all been told that they would n't be getting the nod . Meanwhile , Vice President Joe Biden contacted Ryan , welcoming him to the race , saying that he `` looked forward to engaging him on the clear choice voters face this November . '' And Democrats were quick to make Ryan 's fiscal policies a target . Analysis : A bold but risky choice for running mate . `` Congressman Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney are a match made in millionaires ' heaven , but they 'll be a nightmare for seniors who 've earned their Medicare benefits , '' said New York Rep. Steve Israel , chairman of Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , `` For the last 18 months , we 've said Republicans will have to defend the indefensible -- their vote to end Medicare . Now with Congressman Ryan on the ticket , House Republicans face the one thing they hoped to avoid -- a national debate on their budget that puts millionaires first and Medicare and the middle class last . '' The announcement comes at the end of a week in which Democrats continued relentless attacks on Romney over his refusal to reveal more of his tax records and which saw three polls in 24 hours showing Obama with a growing lead over his Republican challenger . A CNN/ORC International poll released Thursday showed a big jump in those who had an unfavorable opinion of the GOP candidate . While some analysts saw Romney 's choice as risky , others thought Romney had to go big . `` With Mitt Romney losing ground to President Obama in the polls , I do n't see the selection of Paul Ryan as 'risky , ' I see the choice as bold and necessary , '' Republican consultant Ford O'Connell told CNN . Timeline : Paul Ryan through the years . CNN senior political analyst David Gergen says the Ryan pick is `` an opportunity for the Romney campaign to go on the offense . '' Ryan , appearing with Romney in Norfolk , Virginia , at the beginning of a four-day , four-state bus tour moved quickly to position himself and Romney as champions of voters dissatisfied with the economy and to draw his own contrasts with President Barack Obama . `` We wo n't duck the tough issues , we will lead ! '' Ryan told a cheering crowd on the battleship USS Wisconsin . `` We wo n't blame others , we will take responsibility . We wo n't replace our founding principles , we will reapply them . '' `` I hear some people say that this is just 'the new normal . ' Higher unemployment , declining incomes and crushing debt is not a new normal . It 's the result of misguided policies . And next January , our economy will begin a comeback with the Romney plan for a stronger middle class that will lead to more jobs and more take-home pay for working Americans . '' Romney called Ryan `` a faithful Catholic '' who `` believes in the worth and dignity of every human life . '' He lauded the fifth-generation Wisconsin native serving his seventh term in Congress as `` an intellectual leader of the Republican Party '' and a person who will help lead the country `` to widespread and shared prosperity . '' Romney introduced his running mate saying that his `` integrity is unquestioned and his word is good . '' Paul Ryan , top GOP voice on fiscal matters . But Romney , 65 , initially flubbed his big line , announcing , `` Join me in welcoming the next president of the United States , Paul Ryan ! '' He recovered moments later when Ryan took the stage , saying , `` Every now and then , I 'm known to make a mistake . I did not make a mistake with this guy , but I can tell you this : He 's going to be the next vice president of the United States . '' At a later stop in Manassas , Virginia , Ryan picked up again on the economy . To choruses of `` no '' from the crowd , Ryan asked , `` Do you think the economy is heading in the right direction ? Do you think we 're getting our debt and deficit under control ? Do you think the country is on the right track ? '' `` Do you know why ? he asked . `` Because President Obama is our president and he has put all of his policies in place and they 're just not working . '' Romney then took the microphone , touting energy independence , improved worker skills and enhanced trade opportunities . First , he drew cheers for his choice of Ryan . `` If you said one word about Paul Ryan it would probably be leader , '' Romney said . `` This is a man who learned leadership young because leadership is a function of character and courage . '' Accolades on the veep choice poured in from Republicans . In a statement , Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called Ryan , the House budget chairman , `` a confirmation that Gov . Romney is serious about strengthening America 's economic future , tackling the deficits and debt that have skyrocketed under President Obama , and returning to a path to solvency and security . '' Pawlenty , in New Hampshire , called Ryan `` a respected leader and a bold thinker regarding the changes needed to restore America . '' But the Obama campaign reacted to the announcement making familiar charges against the architect of GOP budget plans and tried to tie him to the incumbent 's predecessor , which is consistently blamed for the country 's economic doldrums . `` In naming Congressman Paul Ryan , Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy , while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors , will somehow deliver a stronger economy , '' it said in a statement . `` The architect of the radical Republican House budget , Ryan , like Romney , proposed an additional $ 250,000 tax cut for millionaires , and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid . His plan also would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher system , shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors . As a member of Congress , Ryan rubber-stamped the reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy . Now the Romney-Ryan ticket would take us back by repeating the same , catastrophic mistakes . '' Democratic attacks on Ryan focus on changes to Medicare and Medicaid . The bus tour will take Romney through major media markets in four battleground states -- Virginia , North Carolina , Florida and Ohio . Virginia Gov . Bob McDonnell , once a potential running mate , introduced Romney . House Majority Leader Eric Cantor , a Richmond native , joined Romney at stops in the commonwealth on Saturday . Prior to Saturday 's announcement , many Republicans who spoke to CNN -- all of them granted anonymity to speak freely without angering Romney officials in Boston -- wondered why Romney would announce the pick on a weekend when millions of potential voters are likely to be distracted by the Olympics , PGA golf , late-season baseball and the box office release of the latest Bourne thriller . Opinion : How Ryan could help Romney . What do you think of Romney selecting Ryan as his running mate ? Let us know on CNN iReport . CNN 's Peter Hamby , John Helton , Martina Stewart , Rachel Streitfeld and Tom Watkins contributed to this report .
NEW : This means the product will ship as received by the manufacturer, sealed, with all advertised components, and with the manufacturer warranty. Ryan wrote a GOP budget plan , which seeks to revamp entitlement programs . Biden welcomes Ryan to the race , which he says will provide `` clear choice ''