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Another Perspective
Knowing Congressman Ryan
The thrill, by one who knew the young Paul.
With all the people who have known and worked with Paul Ryan during his years in Washington, there are surely hundreds of stories to go with Governor Romney’s choice for vice president in 2012. Here’s mine.
It was very early on a Saturday morning down by the Chesapeake Bay and the local ospreys were already up, hunting and making those ridiculous chirps which are so unworthy of such a majestic bird. There was the first bare sign of light from the bedroom window overlooking the fields, but not yet enough to see if the deer were out for breakfast. For some reason I decided to get up and as usual turned on TV for the latest news, then headed for the kitchen — and heard….
…reaction…Romney…surprise…secret…Paul Ryan… (WHAT??! TURN IT UP! ) selection…running mate…PAUL RYAN….
OMG!!!! IT’S PAUL WHO HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR VICE PRESIDENT!! I grabbed the phone and called the friend who I knew would be as wildly excited as I was. Though it was not yet 6:00 a.m. she was lying in bed holding the phone and answered “Can you believe it?”
That friend and I worked with Paul at Empower America, a think tank founded in 1993 to study and develop serious conservative policy. The Clintons were in the White House, the conservatives were out and there was much work to do.
The enterprise started out in an unfinished office with the usual construction mess and with a staff that had to make do with whatever they could find. One of these was a very young Paul Ryan who I found sitting on a crate and working on an old computer that rested on some plastic drums. He was working on economic policy.
Paul came to Empower America as a policy analyst to work for and with some serious thinkers and doers: Jack Kemp on economic and monetary policy, Bill Bennett on social and cultural issues, Jeane Kirkpatrick on foreign policy, and Vin Weber on politics and strategy. Paul was incredibly dedicated to his work with a knowledge of issues that was more than impressive and the bosses knew it. But along with that the staff knew how kind, how unpretentious, how helpful — and how good Paul was to work with. I think every staff member — high or low — counted Paul as a friend. And as for work ethic, one evening when I was anxious to call it a day, Paul told me he had to hurry to his next job waiting tables at Cactus Cantina. And now the policy wonk by day and waiter by night is on his party’s Presidential Ticket!
From Empower America Paul headed to Capitol Hill as a staffer and when the chance came, as an elected member of the House of Representatives. One day as he was moving into his new office, a few of us stopped by to say hi. By nature congressional staffers are quite protective, and we were not expected nor particularly welcome for just barging in and saying we are his old colleagues here to wish him well. But a voice came from the inner office “I hear you, Manon, come on in!” Happy day.
I last saw Paul at his mentor Jack Kemp’s funeral. As he entered the National Cathedral he was met by officials to escort him to a place of honor on the front row. Heading down the aisle Paul spotted the old Empower America staff sitting together and stopped — as his escorts kept going. He said, “Oh, look! It’s the whole gang!” and then called everybody by name. When Paul Ryan ascends to the vice presidency and spots a bunch of old friends somewhere, I think he’ll let the Secret Service keep going and do the same thing — greet his pals. Go, Paul and go America’s Comeback Team!
Letter to the Editor View all comments (27) | Leave a comment
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TinaB| 8.20.12 @ 7:00AM
Sweet relief! A firsthand story of sincerity, tenaciousness and humility. Shhhhh. Don't tell the enemy, they'll crucify him. Oh, that's right, they're already starting to try. Lord, please bless Paul Ryan.
TLP| 8.20.12 @ 8:48AM
Is this Phone It In Day, or something?
Paul Ryan's Abs? Thomas Jefferson's food preferences? Some guy who knew Ryan as a Kid?
Why do I think that Ben Stein has taken over TAS, and has all the other guys tied up in another room, while he puts out one Drivel Story after another, about nothing?
Is it just Me?
Otis, my man!| 8.20.12 @ 10:30AM
It isn't AmSpec who is focused on his Abs. It's the MSM.
They write about his Abs because they are scared to death of his intellect.
Bushiite| 8.21.12 @ 1:07AM
It takes a real genius to vote tow-to-tow with the Bush administration.
Simon Templar| 8.20.12 @ 10:32AM
No. It is just not you.
Read this article. For those truly interested in knowing the whole story, read it.
http://washingtonexaminer.com/.....DJHb6PSik0
There is no doubt we will vote for this ticket but the work to turn this nation around to its founding principle is far from done after that and as conservatives we should be cautious and not fooled again! They need to be held accountable and the Tea Party needs to keep them honest.
aware| 8.20.12 @ 7:52PM
It isn't just you. All you have to know is, in 2011 for every dollar in GDP increase we incurred $2.08 in debt. Federal, state, and local "government" accounted for 40% of GDP. The rise in debt exceeded the rise in GDP in 6 of the last 10 years with the housing bubble "saving" the other 4 from being the same(but that was sure worth goosing the #s so they looked like "prosperity", right?).
People do not understand how serious this is. It's just a bunch of numbers right now. Many think an election if it goes "right" will save them from what this adds up to, but it won't.
Alan Obama Fan Brooks | 8.20.12 @ 6:08PM
Ryan is a pro-life wingnut.
"oh them po' little unborn chilluns."
sob sob sniff sob
Lyneuss Fields | 8.20.12 @ 6:13PM
Ryan's classmates in High School said he had a first rate brown tint to his nose. It make sense now that we know he's also a two-timing hypocrite with respect to hooking for the government dole. Good luck with this one in the General Election.
ElGordo| 8.20.12 @ 7:15AM
Ryan has made Medicare and ObamaCare front & center issues.
.
No matter how Axelrod, Gibbs, Juan Williams or anyone on this board try to spin it , the $716 Billion Dollars is coming from Medicare to subsidize ObamaCare. Obama is on videotape saying it.
.
It’s a 2009 tv interview between ABC’s Jake Tapper & Obama, where Obama freely admits that 1/3 of the money ( $ 716 Billion Dollars ) to subsidize ObamaCare comes from Medicare without qualifications or spin.
.
Google, "Obama, Tapper, Medicare Cuts, Youtube" and click
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....e=youtu.be
.
There are no excuses that the money comes from decreasing the rate of Medicare growth or reductions in inefficiencies as the dems are trying to spin now.
.
Further, Obama threatens to veto any attempt to stop this money transfer out of Medicare to ObamaCare.
.
In addition Obama wants to set up Death Panels of 15 non elected persons to ration health care beginning next year.
.
Romney/Ryan are not changing Medicare for anyone over 55.
Von Mises Jr| 8.20.12 @ 9:42AM
The GOP actually impresses me that they can keep on message. Obama stole $716 BILLION from seniors and working American's contributions and diverted it into a socialist plan.
The seniors and hard working Americans must understand that their health care has been redistributed in Marxist style "from each according to his ability (the people who paid 2.9% of their income for health care during retirement), to each according to his need (illegal and legal immigrants and young who have not paid into the system).
For the young voters, they must understand that if Obama stole some $45K-$55K per contributor from Medicare, he will steal your Social Security contributions next. The average man contributes about $240K in forty years and women about $185K. Social Security is going broke in 25 years or less and your contributions are going to be used for buying votes.
fmm| 8.20.12 @ 10:40AM
They also have plans in the works to confiscate IRA and 401k monies by transferring them to government run plans which they will use for other programs. There is no end to the thievery of this administration.
Von Mises Jr| 8.20.12 @ 11:12AM
This happened in the 1990's in Argentina. When the currency collapsed, the new currency was pegged 1 to 3. So if your non-pension net worth was $150K, it was now $50K. Pensions were nationalized.
It is beyond my pay grade to figure out what happens when we are the reserve currency of the world. Nothing good I am sure. Ann Barnhardt has closed her hedge fund and cashed out of the LIBOR manipulated market.
I figured this out a few years ago and liquidated almost all debt. Leveraged individuals are screwed if the worst happens.
Bushiite| 8.21.12 @ 1:09AM
Isn't it just the opposite? If you are super levered, then you pay off the nominal debt in inflated currency. You sound like one of those Bush conservatives.
nathan| 8.20.12 @ 12:29PM
Sir:
You stated that "Obama stole $716 billion from the seniors and working Americans . . . ." You wouldn't care to explain to all of us here exactly how he managed to do that would you? Open up your copy of the Constitution. Dust it off since I'm sure you've looked at it for quite some time. What does it say? All spending bills orginate where sir? In the White House? No. In the Senate? No.
In the House. From there they go to the Senate. Only upon passage in both chambers do they arrive on the president's desk to sign or veto. That sir is exactly the process that ACA went through. So given that process how sir did OBAMA steal all that money from all those people?
Now Congressman Ryan during the Bush years actually did vote for budget busting legislation like Plan D which added what 2 trillion to the deficit? He voted for the car bailouts. He voted for the wall street bailouts. He voted for TARP. It's far more accurate given the wording of the Constitution to say taht HE sir with HIS votes stole money from future generations of this country, especially with his Plan D vote.
Consitutional law lesson is over. Questions?
Von Mises Jr| 8.20.12 @ 12:50PM
I already explained it. But apparently you are too stupid to understand.
Can you explain this: Newsweek: Obama Must Go
http://www.businessinsider.com.....-go-2012-8
Von Mises Jr| 8.20.12 @ 1:29PM
Actually Perp, the ObamaCare scam that passed originated in the Senate. So much for your constitutional lesson.
Here is what I wrote for AT that has 76 likes. One could go to "The Defiant One for the chain:
Anyone on or near Medicare should have their head examined if the vote for Obama. ObamaCare redistributes their Medicare Premiums.
Average income for men in 2010 was $47,715 and for women it was $36,931. Assuming a 40 year career, men paid premiums of $55,350 and women $42,840.
What ObamaCare does when it stole $716 billion from Medicare to fund ObamaCare is that it bankrupts Medicare in eleven years. So if you live more than another decade or so, your lifetime premiums are not yours any longer, but belong to the elites to buy votes.
If you are an illegal alien or if you do not plan on working a respectable career, then you should vote for Obama. Otherwise your lifetime contributions are redistributed. This is what Marx meant by redistribution of wealth. From each according to his ability (workers that contributed); to each according to his needs (young and illegal that did not contribute).
If you think this is bad, wait until Social Security goes bankrupt in 25 years or less. All the young male workers will have paid in $237K and young women a total of $183K that will be distributed as the elites feel fit. The Supreme Court ruled that the contributions do not belong to you, and they will also be used to buy votes.
nathan| 8.20.12 @ 3:27PM
Fine in this case it wasn't viewed as a spending bill. Either way, he can't act until both houses pass the bill and give it to him to sign. More accurate and precise to say that "Congress" took 716 billion from Medicare. BHO like any other president had two options sign or veto. That's it.
St. Paul (Ryan) here actually VOTED for budget busting bills. Plan D which took one to two trillion dollars from future generations, he was one of about six republicans that voted for every bailout, cars/wall street during the Bush years, how much did that take from future generations? He voted for TARP. How much did that add to the deficit and rob from future generations?
During the Bush years did you yell this loud at them? At republicans like Ryan for voting like this? When Bush came up for re-election were you this admamant that he should be defeated based on economic issues like no child left behind, Plan D and the rest? Or were you silent?
Based on the VOTES he cast Ryan should not have been re-elected in Wisconsin and therefore should be MR's running mate now.
nathan| 8.20.12 @ 3:29PM
Should not be MR's running mate is what I meant to say.
Von Mises Jr| 8.20.12 @ 8:29PM
Forget the bullchips. Why is even Newsweek throwing him to the wolves? Explain that dipstick.
Bushiite| 8.21.12 @ 1:13AM
Yes, pointing out Ryan's votes during the reign of The Decider is clear BS. We all know Bush was the paragon of conservatism. Expansion of welfare state under Republicans is conservatism. That's the real "bullchip" that you are peddling.
Bushiite| 8.21.12 @ 1:15AM
Please don't point out inconvenient truths to the Fabians. It hurts their fragile ego. It is their turn for "hope and change," even though the last "hope and change" (The Decider) turned out to be Wilsonian socialist.
Appleby| 8.20.12 @ 7:31AM
You know what's the most interesting thing about these type of stories? These are being told by people who actually MET Paul Ryan at a time when Obama claims to have been doing all kinds of things that nobody has come forward to corroborate! Paul Ryan has a PAST. Obama has none; he sprang full blown from the head of Zeus as far as anybody can tell -- and Obama is spending millions to suppress the people who Knew Him When.
The very best argument against Obama now is the parade of people who can document Ryan's past, and sooner or later start asking "Where are the people who Knew Obama When?"
TLP| 8.20.12 @ 8:43AM
The old bag's got a point.
Von Mises Jr| 8.20.12 @ 11:14AM
I met someone who knew him at Harvard. The person was not overly interested in talking too much. It could be detrimental to one's health.
Minuteman78| 8.20.12 @ 2:58PM
Yeah, Breitbart found that out.
spike59| 8.20.12 @ 4:22PM
appleby, i'm pretty sure The One didn't spring from the head of Zeus; more likely, it was from the other end
Rhoetus| 8.20.12 @ 4:33PM
The national debt is mega-grand-theft, SS & Medicare is only petty larceny.