Mitt Romney’s decision to include Catholic congressman Paul Ryan on the Republican ticket presents a challenge for the U.S. Catholic bishops. And, equally importantly, it has the potential to open up a new “religion problem” for the Romney campaign among rank-and-file Catholics.
At the heart of this tension is Ryan’s signature budget proposal, driven by a vision of economic austerity and small government, which aims to dramatically cut government spending and reshape the tax code. [cont.]
Robert P. Jones, Public Religion Research Institute (Washington Post)