Politics

The man some Republicans once hoped would be their party's 2012 presidential nominee, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, will instead deliver the keynote speech at the national convention that will make Mitt Romney the GOP's official standard-bearer.

Christie has won plaudits from Republicans for an everyman style, for taking on the New Jersey teachers unions, and for generally not suffering lightly those he considers fools — whether they're voters, members of the media or even some members of his own party.

President Obama continues his campaign bus trip across Iowa. He's traveling from west to east, drawing sharp contrasts with the Republican ticket. Obama warned some jobs could be in jeopardy if a wind power tax credit is allowed to expire, as Romney has proposed.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was in Miami, where he courted Cuban-American voters Monday. They're one of the few minority communities that vote solidly Republican. In a news conference Monday, Romney suggested voters don't care about a candidate's race.

On Monday, GOP Rep. Paul Ryan made his first solo campaign trip since being named Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate. Ryan went to the Iowa State where candidates are a common sight. Ryan drew a big crowd but it wasn't always friendly.

Amy Goldman is best known as the author of lavish books about heirloom tomatoes, squash and melons. Now Goldman is trying to cultivate a second term for President Obama.

Goldman wrote a check for $1 million to a pro-Obama superPAC — and gave another million to the political arm of Planned Parenthood.

With Rep. Paul Ryan officially in the mix as Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick, the 2012 race for the White House was fully engaged Monday, as all four members of the two major-party presidential tickets campaigned in swing states.

Both President Obama and Ryan were in Iowa, while Romney, the all-but-official Republican nominee, campaigned in Florida. Meanwhile, Vice President Biden was in North Carolina, hitting a state the Republican ticket visited over the weekend.

Two years ago, Republican Linda McMahon ran for an open U.S. Senate seat in Connecticut, spent $50 million of her own money in the process, and lost.

In an otherwise Republican year, the former top executive at World Wrestling Entertainment was easily beaten by Democrat Richard Blumenthal.

Now, McMahon is trying again — running for the seat of outgoing Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent.

The selection of House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan to be the GOP vice president candidate shook up the presidential race over the weekend. Mara Liasson joins Audie Cornish to talk about the campaign.

Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan campaigned in different states on Monday. Ryan was in Iowa, where President Obama was also campaigning. Meanwhile, Romney was in the important battleground state of Florida. Some analysts believe that Ryan's budgets proposals — which make major changes to Medicare — could hurt the Romney/Ryan ticket in Florida, especially among older voters.

President Obama began a three day bus tour of Iowa on Monday. He held up the stalled out farm bill as an example of uncompromising Republican congressional leaders and an appropriate role for the federal government.