Responding to the news that Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels would not be running for president, House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) said on Meet the Press this morning that he had spoken with Daniels last night and was “disappointed” to see him remain on the sidelines. “His candidacy would’ve been a great addition to this race and I think it’s unfortunate that he’s not going to run,” Ryan said.
Asked whether or not he might now consider throwing his hat in the ring, Ryan once again denied, in no uncertain terms, his interest in running in 2012. “I’ve been very clear about this, I’m not running for president,” he said. “If you’re running for president, you’ve gotta do a lot of things to line up a candidacy. I have not done any of those things.”
He did not, however, rule out a run as the potential vice presidential nominee, and certainly left the door open in terms of future possibilities. “My plan is to a be a good chairman of the House Budget Committee and to fight for the fiscal sanity of this nation,” he continued. “You never know what opportunities present themselves way down the road, I’m not talking about right now.”
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