Republican members of Illinois' Congressional delegation were enthused by presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's choice of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) as his running mate. In a statement released this morning, U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Peoria) said Ryan is an "intellectual world heavyweight champion."

"I have had the honor of seeing up close how Paul is one of the most admirably principled people in our government," Schock wrote, noting that he and Ryan are early morning workout buddies.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady touched on a common GOP theme that Ryan will be a serious, issues-oriented running mate. "In selecting Congressman Ryan, Mitt Romney has shown the nation that he understands that this election is about big issues facing our future," Brady said in a statement.

Ryan's budget roadmap passed the Republican-lead House in the spring and has become a de facto guiding document of the GOP. With cuts to a range of social service programs plus tax breaks for the rich, the Washington, D.C. Center for Budget and Policy Priorities said the proposal "would likely produce the largest redistribution of income from the bottom to the top in modern U.S. history."