Current Executive Director for the American Majority of Texas and Oklahoma (www.AmericanMajority.org), Drew Ryun recently served as Director of Government Affairs for the American Center for Law and Justice in Washington, DC as well as Main Representative for the European Center for Law and Justice at the United Nations in New York City.
A twice-published author, Drew has appeared frequently as host and co-host of Jay Sekulow Live, a nationally syndicated radio show with 2 million listeners. A former Deputy Director in the political division at the Republican National Committee during the 2004 election cycle, Drew has played a key role in organizing grassroots activities for House, Senate and Presidential campaigns.
Currently residing in San Antonio, TX, Drew and his wife Becca direct the Jim Ryun Running Camps every summer (www.ryunrunning.com) and are the parents of two daughters, Skye and Lily.
A former scholarship runner at the University of Kansas, Drew graduated cum laude with majors in History and English in May of 2000.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those held by Drew Ryun and do not necessarily represent the views of his current or previous employers.
05 17th, 2010
Read between the lines on this one. The establishment, represented by John Cornyn and his staff, especially Rob Jesmer (the “wunderkid” running the NRSC) are worried about Jim DeMint and what he is doing with the Senate Conservative Fund. Why? Because the Republican establishment is no longer the gatekeeper to who runs and who doesn’t run. And because of this it means the establishment is losing the control it has long held over the conservative movement. Best of all, it is losing it to a conservative who is inside, who has already won and will win re-election.
And I am sorry, if any of you are under the impression that John Cornyn is inherently conservative (ie, it’s in his bones), think again. Of all years, this is the year that if he were a conservative, John Cornyn has the freedom to really take a swing at things. But he has not and he will not swing because he is part of the squishy establishment. It is, after all, his natural home.
03 23rd, 2010
I know, it comes as a shock to many to see that headline, but it was a seminal moment in American history.
It is not often that we get to see clear battlelines drawn in American politics. Members, many of whom are in the Blue Dog Democrat camp, had to put all their cards on the table Sunday night. There was no wiggle room and many of them cast the wrong vote-of that I am convinced.
So what is the battle plan going forward? Full repeal. Nothing else. Some would be pacifiers, like Mitch McConnell, refuse to say “Repeal and start over.” Others are waffling, but hats off to those Members and outside groups who are saying, “Let’s repeal this thing and start over.” I count myself amongst them.
I hear talk of impeachment, recalls and Constitutinal Conventions. Let’s dismiss with that right now. That’s crazy talk and the ultimate waste of time. Winning in the political trenches in 2010 and 2012 is all that matters now. Period.
So instead of raging against what has happened and letting the rhetoric get out of hand, look around yourself. Do you have a Blue Dog representing you? A vulnerable Democrat who cast the wrong vote on Sunday night? You are the lucky ones because the destiny of our nation is in your hands. As a guy who has been around politics and campaigns a long time, one thing is certain in 2010: a lot of races are going to be on the table. A lot. Incumbents are going to lose and we’re going to see a lot of fresh faces in Washington, DC in January of 2011. Make sure they are folks that represent you. Make sure they pledge to repeal this travesty.
But most of all, get to work today. Start working your precincts. Start engaging in the process. We still have time, but the path to victory starts today.
03 19th, 2010
There is some serious horse trading going on on Capitol Hill right now as Team Obama makes one last push for ObamaCare. Serious horse trading. Retiring Congressman Bart Gordon of Tennessee is front and center. The price tag for his conscience? According to Tom Bevan, administrator of NASA.
Folks, the system is broken and is in serious danger of being broken beyond repair. This healthcare bill, if passed, will intrinsically change who we are as a nation. Our way of life, how we operate, the role of government.
For those of you who have never read this blog, trust me, I have a dog in this fight. With a daughter who was born with a major heart defect 18 months ago, who has gone through two open heart surgeries and is looking at a third on in five weeks, I know all about the current healthcare system. I especially know the way it treats children/people with pre-existing conditions. But socializing our healthcare system is not the way to fix it.
03 18th, 2010
This week something incredible happened. CNN, considered the liberal establishment’s flagship news source (versus MSNBC, the news source of the unhinged, rabid Left) hired conservative blogger, Erick Erickson of RedState, as a political commentator.
The shock waves are still rolling through the Leftwing community, from the establishment all the way to the folks who believe the US government set bombs at the base of the World Trade Center towers. How in the world, they are asking, could CNN hire a conservative like Erick Erickson?! He doesn’t say nice things about us.
The vitrol is stunning.
Yet the fact is, CNN made a calculated decision in hiring Erick. With a rapidly growing online community at RedState, they understand that his site is capturing the essence of conservatism in America (enough, Media Matters, with the selected quotes. Any teenager can Google anyone and do that.). They understand he is an equal opportunity conservative, ie he stands on principle and should anyone, conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, commentator or elected official, stray from the principles that made this country great, he calls them on it.
Is he edgy? Absolutely. Does he call it like it is? Yep. But one thing you can always count on with Erick is an intellectual basis for his arguments. In the age of “nuanced” arguments and commentators leaving folks wondering which side of an argument they are on, his style is refreshing.
So for those of you on the Left, get used to seeing Erick on CNN a lot. Expect to wail and gnash your teeth as he runs circles around those who champion socialism.
For those of you on the Right, celebrate how seminal this event is. A brilliant young lawyer who just a few years ago was running a start-up blog is now championing what you believe in on CNN.
03 4th, 2010
Great to see Jim DeMint defend Jim Bunning’s rights as a Senator. Something that Mitch McConnell refused to do. I know there is bad blood between McConnell and Bunning, but let’s reflect on this for a moment. What is one of the key duties of a minority leader in the United States Senate? Oh, yeah-it’s to defend the right of other minority members to put holds on bills until things are resolved.
Again, it is not going to be good enough to elect a new crop of good conservatives and send them to Washington, DC to be co-opted by the system. We as a movement must demand that the folks we help get elected throw out the old leadership in Washington, DC. At the top of the list is Mitch McConnell.
03 2nd, 2010
I am thrilled to announce that the Madison Project has endorsed Marlin Stutzman in the Indiana Senate race. There are quite a few races out there in 2010 that will be the Republican establishment versus the conservative movement.
This is one that rises to the top of that category. It’s time for fresh faces and fresh blood in Washington, DC.
Marlin has a proven track record in the Indiana state House and state Senate. There is no better proving ground that seeing an elected official in action and Marlin has passed that test.
Great to see conservative stalwarts like Erick Erickson at RedState have already endorsed Marlin. I am sure there will be more.
02 16th, 2010
On January 19th, the political landscape changed dramatically with Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts and ever since then we seem to have hit fast forward, especially with Evan Bayh’s retirement yesterday. Let me be clear on one thing: 2010 is not going to be a good year for incumbents, especially Democrats. But even as someone who has been around politics for quite some time, seeing all kinds of Democrat incumbents in safe seats jumping ship this early is amazing. It means their pollsters are telling them something that we’re not privy to.
Yet in spite of the shifting dynamic amongst the Democrats, the Republican establishment keeps whistling past the graveyard, assuring themselves the current political climate favors them and that the tea party movement is solidly behind the Republican Party. Republicans are thinking, “We can field whomever we want to and they will win.”
While I won’t reject that notion completely out of hand (I was recently having dinner with another politico and he leaned over to me and said, “In this climate, there are going to be a lot of folks winning in November that have no business doing so.” He’s right. We’re looking at a tidal wave.), I have a problem with Republicans fielding DC insiders like Dan Coats in the Republican Senate primary in Indiana. A man who voted for the Brady Bill (gun control) and retired in 1998 to become a lobbyist. I love that Dan was solidly pro-life during his time in the House and Senate, but it’s time for new blood, not re-treads. It’s time for young, solid conservatives like Marlin Stutzman to head to Washington, DC to represent us, not folks who will get to Washington, DC and simply vote for Mitch McConnell to take over as Majority Leader. Yes, I think Republicans will win that many seats. I am with Erick Erickson over at Red State: let’s get behind Marlin and push him over the top. But I want to add another layer to it: let’s hold the folks we get elected accountable and the biggest first vote they will cast is one for leadership.
If any of you conservative voters out there think that you will see anything different with Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader of the United States Senate, think again. Just winning in November will not be enough for conservatives. That have to demand whole scale change and inside the Beltway, that starts with new leadership.
02 11th, 2010
I just have to say how thrilled I am to see Marco Rubio starting to pound Charlie Crist in the Republican primary for the Florida Senate seat. It is far from over, but what a distant cry from the double digits that Crist once enjoyed in this race.
02 11th, 2010
I apologize I have been away for so long. New tasks and new adventures have a way of absorbing those who undertake them and I am unapologetically in that camp.
But I have missed this blog and interacting with the folks that read it. From most of the comments, I assume most of you are with me on 90% of the issues and that’s fine. Even while preaching to the choir, my hope is to spur you to action.
I woke up January 1st and said to my wife, “2010 is going to be a fantastic year.” I want to add to that. I think it’s going to be one of the best that I, and many of you, will ever experience. I think it is going to be one of the best ever because of the questions and challenges each one of us will face this year. The question I ask of you is: Will you rise to the occasion?
Something incredible is happening right now in our great nation, an awakening if you will. I often say to people when I speak at various grassroots functions, “The three steps to change are when people awaken to what is going on around them, then they protest and then they spring into action.”
People are springing into action, but will we see the sea change our country needs in 2010? No. I think it is going to take longer than that. But I think we will see the beginning of it. In fact, we already are. I am under no illusions that Scott Brown is my kind of conservative. But he won in Massachusetts when the tea parties from inside Massachusetts and surrounding states swept in to help him. I don’t care who spins it, who claims that they engineered what. The fact is a lot of campaigns are won with a thousands of small dollar donors and grassroots activism, components too often swept under the rug by consultants looking for their cut of TV ad buys.
So here’s to more of the taxpaying citizenry in the United States engaging in the process. It’s our country after all.
09 6th, 2009
All you need to do is sit there for one minute watching the US Debt Clock and you’ll realize something: we’re in serious trouble as a nation. Check out the Debt Per Citizen. You own $38, 421. Right now.
