Congressman Paul Ryan,...

...Republican of Wisconsin, is getting a lot of attention these days, not least for his plan to balance the federal budget, A Roadmap for America's Future.

But as far as I can tell, Ryan is nothing more than a fast-talking, oily con artist who wants to dismantle America's safety net -- Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He also wants to lower taxes on the rich, raise taxes on everyone else and keep defense spending at its current levels. While one wag has called his plan "A Roadmap for America's Dickensian Future," I fear that Ryan's America would look more like a Latin American banana republic (and not the retail outlet) with a tiny upper class living in walled communities (with bodyguards) and everyone else in poverty.

The rest of the GOP is understandably keeping its distance from Ryan's radioactive plan, although I'm sure most of them agree with it in private. And if the Republicans take back the House in November, look for Ryan's plan to get a lot more backing.

Shouldn't the goal be to balance the federal budget while retaining some safety net for the weakest among us? Isn't that how they do it in every other developed country on the planet?