With less than a week to go before the republican convention Senator Jim Inhofe told KRMG news he’s thrilled with the choice of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s running mate. “I think Paul Ryan is the right guy” Inhofe began.  And the Senator stays in touch with Ryan “I talked to Paul Ryan Saturday” he noted.

Inhofe says he likes Ryan because he’s not afraid to ask for assistance. “He knows the budget and he’ll listen to people in areas where he doesn’t have that individual expertise.”

The Senator says one of those places is energy production where he hopes to add a helping hand after the election. “I’m very proud that the two areas where I can be helpful to him when he becomes the Vice President are in the areas of what’s happening with the war on fossil fuels and with overregulation” Inhofe commented. If Romney and Ryan win the election Inhofe would chair the Committee on Environment and Public Workswhere he is currently a ranking member. “Those are the two areas that I will have jurisdiction in the committee that I will be chairing after the November election.”

The Senator reminded us that Ryan is no stranger to our state. “He has deep connections in Oklahoma from the rural Little family down in the Madill area in southern Oklahoma and I’ve known him through that connection.”  

Listen to the entire interview with Inhofe by clicking here.

Inhofe did have one disappointment when it came to the Ryan announcement. “I have to say I was a little disappointed, I was hoping they would hold off on Ryan until the convention” he noted. The Senator explained “It’ll make it a little bit anticlimactic” he smiled. He finished by saying “They have a lot smarter people that I am making those decisions and they decided it needed to be done.”

Inhofe was in Owasso Monday for the dedication of a compressed natural gas facility.

KRMG is Tulsa’s election headquarters. Our Washington watchdog Jamie Dupree will be in Tampa and Charlotte with complete coverage of both conventions.