“I want to congratulate Mr. Ryan. I know him, I welcome him to the race.”

“Just yesterday, my opponent chose his running mate, the ideological leader of Republicans in Congress. Mr. Paul Ryan,” said Obama at a fundraiser in Chicago, according to a White House pool report. “I want to congratulate Mr. Ryan. I know him, I welcome him to the race.”

But the president made clear he would draw a sharp contrast between his policies and those of the Romney, Ryan ticket.

“He is a decent man, he is a family man, he is an articulate spokesman for Governor Romney’s vision but it is a vision that I fundamentally disagree with,” said Obama.