August 11, 2012: �Ryan�s budget plan has become a lightning rod, and it will be a focus of Democratic attacks in the fall. The most controversial component of the plan is that it significantly transforms Medicare, which is regarded as the government�s most popular program. �In addition to Medicare, Ryan was one of the driving forces to partially privatize Social Security after George W. Bush�s victory in the 2004 presidential election. �There are also holes in Ryan�s budget-hawk armor: He voted for some of the biggest drivers of the deficit/debt -- the Bush tax cuts, the Iraq war, and the Medicare prescription-drug benefit, all of which weren�t paid for. Moreover, Ryan voted against the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles recommendations. �Has never held statewide office and has no foreign-policy experience. Both could be liabilities. �As a member of Congress, Ryan currently works in -- and is a relatively high-profile member of -- one of America�s least popular institutions. �And while Romney has criticized Obama for not having private-sector experience, the same is largely true of Ryan: As the New Yorker has written, Ryan briefly worked for his family�s business as a �marketing consultant,� but most of his adult life has been spent as a congressman, congressional aide, or speechwriter/analyst at Jack Kemp�s Empower America think tank.