Why does Mitt Romney want to make it harder for young people to go to college?

Presumptive Republican president nominee Mitt Romney, commenting on the federal budget plan put forth by Republican Rep. Paul Ryan:

“I’m very supportive of the Ryan budget plan. It’s a bold and exciting effort on his part and on the part of the Republicans and it’s very much consistent with what I put out earlier. I think it’s amazing that we have a president who three and a half years in still hasn’t put a proposal out that deals with entitlements. This president’s dealing with entitlement reform — excuse me — this budget deals with entitlement reform, tax policy, which as you know is very similar to the one that I put out and efforts to reign in excessive spending. I applaud it. It’s an excellent piece of work and very much needed.”

“Bold and exciting” and “excellent.” Romney’s using some strong words to describe the Ryan budget, but keep in mind that the Paul Ryan budget that Mitt Romney thinks is so “bold and exciting” is the same budget that would not only slash funding for programs like Medicaid (a 45% cut in funding, no less) and food stamps, but also for programs like Pell grants for college students, making it harder for lower and middle class students to be able to afford a college education. What’s more, if enacted the Ryan budget that Mitt Romney loves so much would double interest rates on student loans, which would cost students here in Wisconsin an average of $968 more over the life of their loans.

The fact that Mitt Romney doesn’t support government assistance for students who might not be able to afford college on their own shouldn’t come as any surprise to anyone. During his tenure as governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney wanted to cut $150 million from state higher education spending, while his 2004 state budget increased tuition for Massachusetts’ public universities by 15%.

Then again, perhaps Mitt Romney thinks Rep. Ryan’s budget is “bold and exciting” because it would keep proles who are poor or middle class from going to college and bettering themselves, thus creating an ample supply of poorly educated workers qualified for nothing more than service jobs for Romney and other corporate raiders and vultures to be able to fire for their enjoyment.