Paul Ryan discusses his RNC speech and the 2012 election

MILWAUKEE -- Last week, Republicans held their national convention where they nominated Mitt Romney for their presidential candidate and Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan as their vice-presidential candidate. Following the convention Romney and Ryan have been on the road campaigning hard for the White House.

Paul Ryan joins FOX6 News from Des Moines, Iowa where he's been campaigning. Ryan begins the interview by clearing up the big news that came out of his RNC speech regarding the Janesville plant. In Ryan's speech he uses the shutdown of a Janesville plant as an example of President Obama's unfulfilled promises.

FOX6's Shawn Patrick: Was there an illusion there in saying that President Obama had something to do with the plant closure, when indeed it closed before he took office?

Paul Ryan: "That was not the point and we were really clear about that. We are not faulting him (President Obama) for the plant showdown, we are faulting him for yet another broken promise. When he comes to our town, like he did all around America, and says what I quoted him saying, that's an empty promise.

Ryan claims when the plant shutdown President Obama said he would lead a retooling effort to help the factories. Ryan claims that promise wasn't fulfilled, because the plant is still closed.

" He filled people will hope, but didn't fulfill those promises because the plant is still closed. He should not be blamed for the plant showdown, but he should be held accountable for the promises he made."

FOX6's Tammy Hughes: So you're saying that quote was a promise to open that plant specially?

Paul Ryan: "Look at his quote that he used when the plant shutdown was announced. He said he would lead retooling efforts for facilities like Janesville to get these jobs back. The point I am trying to make is he filled people with hope, made these commitments,  and they didn't materialize.

Ryan continues to argue that 'candidate' Obama made promises that gave people hope, but claims 'President' Obama did not deliver on those commitments."He said he would cut the deficit in half in four years, he hasn't even come close." Ryan said.

FOX6's Tammy Hughes: Well, one of the things that has been a big talking point for Republicans the last couple of days is are we better off than we were four years ago? When President Obama took office, literally in January of that year we were losing 725,000 jobs( the job loses in that month), and since March of the following year we have been adding jobs in the private sector. Some would say that is better off. What is your response?

Paul Ryan: "No doubt he inherited a very tough situation, we were in the middle of an economic crisis at that moment. Usually when we have these deep recessions, usually when we have sharp drops of economic growth, we grow out of them. We bound out of them. This economy is stagnant, it's limping along. 23 million people are still struggling to find work. So what he said he would do and accomplish, is not what has been accomplished. Unemployment has been undetectably high, above 8% for 42 months. So, no, I would not say we are better off than we were four years ago."