Expectations for Paul Ryan’s Wednesday speech were already sky high even before former-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez both brought the Republican National Convention to their feet with inspirational testimonials to conservatism. But a confident and cool Ryan took the stage and blew past what even his most ardent supporters even thought was possible. To get the full experience you would have to watch the full speech here. Below are some of Ryan’s greatest hits from last night:

“I have never seen opponents so silent about their record, and so desperate to keep their power. … With all their attack ads, the president is just throwing away money – and he’s pretty experienced at that.”

“The stimulus was a case of political patronage, corporate welfare, and cronyism at their worst. You, the working men and women of this country, were cut out of the deal.”

“The greatest threat to Medicare is Obamacare, and we’re going to stop it.”

“What’s missing is leadership in the White House. And the story that Barack Obama does tell, forever shifting blame to the last administration, is getting old. The man assumed office almost four years ago – isn’t it about time he assumed responsibility?”

“They have no answer to this simple reality: We need to stop spending money we don’t have.”

“College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life.”

“We’re a full generation apart, Governor Romney and I … my playlist starts with AC/DC, and ends with Zeppelin.”

“Mitt and I also go to different churches. But in any church, the best kind of preaching is done by example.”

“We have responsibilities, one to another – we do not each face the world alone. And the greatest of all responsibilities, is that of the strong to protect the weak. The truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves.”

“Our rights come from nature and God, not from government.”

“We will not duck the tough issues, we will lead. We will not spend four years blaming others, we will take responsibility. We will not try to replace our founding principles, we will reapply our founding principles.The work ahead will be hard. These times demand the best of us – all of us, but we can do this. Together, we can do this.”

Republican National Convention
Michael Barone: “Day three” of the Republican National Convention
Byron York: GOP wowed by Ryan speech
Phil Klein: Ryan offers masterful indictment of Obama
Tim Carney: Liberal journalists finding (i.e. making up) Republican racism everywhere

Schedule: Clint Eastwood has been added as a speaker to tonight’s primetime schedule.

Campaign 2012
Polls: A new Reuters poll shows Romney and Obama tied at 43 percent among likely voters.

In Other News
The New York Times, Book on Bin Laden Killing Contradicts U.S. Account: A new first-person account of the Navy SEALs raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan last year contradicts the Obama administration’s previous descriptions of the mission, raising questions about whether the leader of Al Qaeda posed a clear threat to the commandos who fired on him.

The Wall Street Journal, Iran’s Nuclear-Arms Guru Resurfaces: The Iranian scientist considered Tehran’s atomic-weapons guru until he was apparently sidelined several years ago is back at work, according to United Nations investigators and U.S. and Israeli officials, sparking fresh concerns about the status of I012ran’s nuclear program.

The Los Angeles Times, Mexicans see a losing battle in the war on crooked police: Despite extensive background checks and a doubling of salaries, many in Mexico believe President Felipe Calderon’s new and improved federal police force is just more of the same.

Righty Playbook
Forbes‘ Avik Roy says, “Yes, Paul Ryan Spoke the Truth About Obama’s Fiscal Record at the Republican Convention.”

The Weekly Standard‘s Michael Warren on Susana Martinez’s ‘I’ll be damned, we’re Republicans’ line.

Human Events‘ Hope Hodge on how Condi “rocked the house.”

Lefty Playbook
Talking Points Memo‘s Brian Beutler lists five “misleading claims” in Ryan’s speech.

Salon‘s Joan Walsh calls Ryan’s speech “brazen lies.”

The Washington Post‘s says Ryan “fails the truth.”