Charlotte, N.C. -- Speaking to the Minnesota delegation to the Democratic National Convention, DFL Gov. Mark Dayton launched a sharp criticism of Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick Paul Ryan -- and his marathon times.
Ryan, a Republican U.S. representative from Wisconsin, recently said in a radio interview that he ran a sub-three hour marathon, causing interviewer to reply "Holy Smokes." Turns out, Ryan's actual best time was just over four hours.
"Not only had he fully misrepresented what he had done, when he finally acknowledged it, it was just as disingenuous as the first time," said Dayton, who referred to Ryan as the "two-hour marathon man."
"I rounded up to three and I should have rounded up to four," Dayton said, mockingly paraphrasing Ryan's explanation. "Well, from Wisconsin, they should know the difference," between three and four, Dayton said.
The governor, a former U.S. Senator, went on to criticize both Ryan and actor Clint Eastwood, who spoke at last week's Republican convention, for their smacks at Democratic vice president Joe Biden.
He called Eastwood, an "actor out there is Carmel, who can't even remember what he's saying and nobody else knows what he's saying either."
Dayton said Biden was "one of the smartest" people in Washington and the Republicans' critique was "beyond the Pale."
The governor is in Charlotte for the convention not only to represent Minnesota but also as a speaker at Democratic Governors Association events.
