Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, one of the Republican Party's rising stars, has repeatedly criticized Mitt Romney for being too cautious. He hoped that would change when the GOP presidential nominee chose a Wisconsin boy, Rep. Paul Ryan, as his running mate.
But in an interview with conservative radio host Charlie Sykes on Friday, Walker said he is still disappointed.
"They not only need to use [Ryan] out on the trail more effectively; they need to have more of him rub off on Mitt, because I think Mitt thinks that way but he's gotta be able to articulate that," said Walker.
More from the interview:
I was enthused when Mitt Romney picked Paul Ryan because I thought that was a signal that this guy [Romney] was getting serious, he's getting bold. It's not even necessarily even a frustration over the way Paul Ryan's been used, but rather in the larger context, I just haven't seen that kind of passion that I know Paul has transferred over to our nominee. I think it's a little bit of some pushback from the folks in the national campaign. But I think for him to win, he's got to [do] that.
The Sunday after Paul Ryan was picked ... I could sense the enthusiasm, the excitement, the adrenaline that Mitt Romney had -- not just Paul Ryan, [but what] he had about this ticket and about being bold and exciting. I haven't seen that as much lately. I think they need to get back to that if they're going to win that election. People want bold leadership.
Listen:
Also on Friday, in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Walker said Romney needs to be more forceful in talking about the economy.
"In the end, at least in my state, what most voters need to know, more than anything else, is what are you going to do to fix things," Walker said. "Gov. Romney needs to do more to articulate and address those issues. He needs to be bold and specific on the budget debate."
(HT: Politico)
UPDATE: 5:59 p.m. -- Paul Ryan responded to Walker's comments Friday, telling reporters in Florida that he "absolutely" believes he's been effectively utilized by the Romney campaign and attributing Walker's concern to the Wisconsin governor being a "good backer" of Ryan.
"We're talking to local people, going around the country, talking to local press," Ryan said. "I'm excited about my role, and I feel very comfortable with it."
Sabrina Siddiqui contributed reporting.
(HT: Politico)
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