Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate. Tongues have been wagging about Romney's decision since the announcement was made early Saturday morning. Ryan has been on the radar of progressives for some time thanks to his ultra conservative views and desire to shrink government at all costs.

Ryan was the architect of the GOP's most recent controversial budget that slashed funding for social services and called for the complete overhaul of Medicare. Last summer, we took a look at how Ryan's budget proposal would affect most Americans. We also looked at the pushback Ryan has seen from Chicagoans and Democratic congressional candidates Tammy Duckworth, Brad Schneider and Bill Foster.

Check back with Progress Illinois for more news and analysis on Romney's VP pick.