Paul Ryan and adult conversations about the future...who else is there?

Ryan Streeter

Paul Ryan and Jerry Seib noted the other day in their WSJ video that adult conversations had broken out in Washington on some of the big issues facing the country.

Ryan says in an op-ed today in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Obama's deficit commission was a success because it advanced an "adult conversation" about the deficit. 

What is it with Ryan and "adult conversations?" The truth is that he has played a big part in getting policymakers and the media to grow up and deal with an imbalanced future that we cannot afford. But he can also rise above the mathematics of deficit reduction to offer a moral challenge. He writes today:

Do we wish to accept a cradle-to-grave welfare state, in which more Americans depend on the government than on themselves, or do we want to promote an opportunity society that promotes human flourishing, connecting effort with reward?

The former is where we're headed if we remain on our unsustainable course. The latter will require a restoration of the foundations for growth: low tax rates, spending restraint, reasonable regulations and sound money. Will we be mature enough to start laying those foundations now, before it's too late?

ConservativeHome believes that adult conversations are the only ones worth having right now. Also, we believe in the moral seriousness that Ryan challenges us to adopt. Finally, we believe that there are not nearly enough elected officials who have the courage to act on this kind of moral seriousness.

To that end, readers are invited to send us names of Republican leaders who they think are capable of leading "adult conversations" about policy and who have the moral seriousness to act on their convictions.

Comments

[tennisman]

Paul Ryan is terrific. The more he is associated with face of modern conservative/republican ideals, the more wide spread become our governing philosophy.