Mitt Romney and newly minted running mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) hit back hard against the Obama campaign Saturday afternoon during an appearance in Manassas, Va.

The duo slammed the President for deifying government and for making it the center of the universe, and for trivializing hard work and individual effort.

The campaign stop marked the third of the day since Ryan was announced as Romney’s running mate in front of the appropriately named USS Wisconsin in Norfolk Saturday morning.

“Our rights come from our creator and not from government,” an uncharacteristically fiery Romney said. “The President is changing it into something that is government-dominated and government-centric; it will not work in America. It will not work anywhere.

“What works is free people pursuing their dreams,” Romney continued. “We can accomplish our dreams.”

The presumptive GOP nominee continued on his recent line of attack against Obama’s “you didn’t build that" gaffe, saying that people don’t get promotions at work because of the person they received their driver’s license from at the DMV and bus drivers are not responsible when kids do well in school.

“Looking at that record the president has and contrasting it with that optimism we have of bringing back a dynamic and powerful economy with more jobs and more take-home pay, the President has undoubtedly resorted to a very unusual campaign,” Romney said. “I think in some way he disrespects the office by taking the campaign down to the very lowest point I can recall in my lifetime.”

Romney then channeled Obama’s 2008 message of hope, saying that he and Ryan would lay out a vision of “hope and opportunity” and that achievement and individual accomplishment would be rewarded again if he wins.

Ryan similarly sought to draw a clear contrast between the vision he shares with Romney and that of President Obama.

“The choice could not be more clear,” Ryan said.

The GOP vice presidential candidate attacked Obama, noting that he failed to moderate his positions throughout the course of his term unlike Bill Clinton and prior Democratic presidents to get the job done. Instead, Obama has chosen to take a “hard-left” agenda that elevates government at the expense of the people, Ryan said.

“He’s going to divide the country to distract the country to try to win this election by default, “ Ryan said. “Hope and change has now become attack and blame. We are not going to fall for it.

“We are not going to settle for this rhetoric that says that people are stuck in life because of situations beyond their control, and only the government is here to help them cope with it,” Ryan continued. “That’s not who we are, and that’s not the American ideal.”