DURANGO, Colo. – There was no shortage of love between the two most prominent members of the House of Representatives as they campaigned here Monday, trading compliments and memories of their mutual past.
House Speaker John Boehner recalled his first election for Congress, 22 years ago, when he had “a student at Miami of Ohio putting yard signs up for me.” That student was vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who volunteered for Boehner before launching his own congressional career at age 28.
After the speaker described widespread difficulties in pronouncing his last name, Ryan took the stage and deliberately misprounounced Boehner’s name as “boner” (the correct pronunciation is Bay’-ner). “I would put up yard signs as a young guy in college, I had no idea how to pronounce his name,” Ryan said. “But serving with him for 14 years, we kind of figured it out.”
“John Boehner is a good man, he is a small businessman who came to Congress to fight for jobs and that's exactly what's he's doing,” Ryan said.
Boehner, in Colorado to campaign for Rep. Scott Tipton, said he was proud of Ryan and proud that GOP nominee Mitt Romney plucked his running mate from the House.“You’re never going to find … anyone who’s smart—as smart as he is, who knows more about economic policy, knows more about the economy,” Boehner said. He said Ryan, author of several spending blueprints that have been flashpoints in political campaigns, including the current presidential race, “has done a marvelous job leading our budget committee.”
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