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.
06 25th, 2009
It’s not often I take umbrage with the gang over at National Review’s The Corner, but I absolutely disagree with Andrew Stuttaford on this one, especially the line, “What voters should look for in politicians is effectiveness. . . .If they are looking for saints, they should try their luck in a church.”
We aren’t looking or hoping for saints in politics, Andrew. We simply looking for good men and women. Is that too much to ask? And what Andrew is attempting to say is that whatever you do in private does not impact what you do in public. Authentic human beings cannot be two different people. Anytime someone tries to tell me that what someone does in private does not dictate what they will do in public, red flags go up.
From NR’s The Corner:
Questions of Character [Andrew Stuttaford]
Kathryn, there may be good political reasons for Sanford to go (not least that press conference), but if Bill Bennett really believes what Chuck Colson is saying he must have forgotten all the history he once read.
Many of the great leaders of the past have had chaotic marriages, and/or, for that matter, other “behavioral issues” (let’s use the euphemistic jargon) that would not, doubtless, have delighted some more moralistic folk, but so what? For all we know it is the flaws that make the statesman. What voters should look for in a politician is effectiveness, an agenda and instincts they agree with. If they are looking for saints, they should try their luck in a church, not a governor’s mansion. Chuck Colson always deserves immense credit for his recognition of the terrible problems in this country’s prison system (and his efforts to do something about them), but remarks such as those that Bennett quotes suggest that, so far as the future of the GOP is concerned, Colson is part of the problem, not the solution.
06/25 07:38 AMShare
06 4th, 2009
First it was the non-support of Pelosi’s statements regarding the CIA’s briefing of House members. Then comes the story today that Hoyer supports an inquiry into Jack Murtha’s lobbyist connections and what he did and or did not do for the PMA Group.
This maneuvering by Hoyer is intentional and I would bet anything being done in conjunction with Rahm Emanuel. Team Obama doesn’t want a bunch of unethical crazies running the House because they do not want to lose seats in 2010.
The bad news for conservatives is that Hoyer is a much savvier political operator than Pelosi and in my mind, just as far left.
I just posted the video on our front page, but the Madison Project has endorsed both Marco Rubio (Florida Senate Race) and James Glayean (South Carolina’s 3rd House District). These are two fantastic candidates. Marco is in a tough primary against the RINO Charlie Crist and James is in an open seat primary as current Congressman Gresham Barrett has announced he will run for governor of South Carolina in 2010.
Madison donors and conservatives across the nation-open up your checkbooks and start swiping your credit cards. Let’s get behind these two guys and Pat Toomey. Give early and give often until you max out. The political landscape is shifting and I am seeing some great victories for our movement in 2010.
05 12th, 2009
So a recent poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (Arlen Specter’s old polling firm) in the Pennsylvania Senate race. It was a bald attempt to get former governor, Tom Ridge, into the primary against Pat Toomey.
According to POS, Ridge leads Toomey by almost 40 points in the hypothetical matchup. I find that very, very hard to believe for two reasons.
Ridge and Specter are the same political animal and if Toomey was leading Specter by 20 points a few weeks ago, there is no way he is losing to Ridge by 40. That’s just stupid math done by someone with an agenda.
Two, I have seen POS up close. In fact, they did the polling for my dad’s run to recapture his old House seat in 2008. A week before his primary, POS had him up by 15+ points. He lost.
So at best, POS is a polling firm driven by an agenda (or by the highest bidder). Or they are getting worse and worse at what good pollsters are supposed to do-give accurate information.
05 12th, 2009
I know there is a lot of pressure on one of my home state Senators, John Cornyn, these days. He has been tasked with gaining Republican seats in the United States Senate in 2010. First of all, I have to say, I have seen him up close and in action. The man is pretty conservative, but some of his decision making is endemic of what is wrong with those inside the Beltway. The chattering class in DC is not what I would call conservative and those are the types constantly in the ear of guys like John Cornyn, whispering, “You know, the problem is that Republicans have gotten hijacked by those crazy conservatives. We gotta moderate ourselves, make ourselves more palatable to the American voters.”
So it is no surprise to me that when faced with backing a conservative over a moderate in Republican Senate primaries, Cornyn has gone with the latter. His recent endorsement of Charlie Crist is yet another example of Cornyn’s inside the Beltway mentality.
I know I have said this in the past, but let me be clear-the American people like clear cut differences in the arena. Unfortunately for the Republicans over the last 6-8 years, they seem to think they can out Democrat the Democrats. It’s never going to happen. Ever. And Republicans have not been losing the last few election cycles because of conservatism (which, truth be known, is THE foundation of their party platform). No, they’ve been losing because they’ve been giving the American people two choices-vote for the real deal (the Democrats) or vote for the knock offs (the Republicans). As a consumer, I always go with the real deal.
So when the American voter is faced with a party that does big government really well or one that wants to be like the one that does it well, the American voter will go with the former. It’s simple math.
Which is why John Cornyn’s inside the Beltway thinking is setting him up for a big goose egg on Election Day 2010.
05 7th, 2009
Check out my video on the front page of MadisonProject.com. There are no doubts about this one, folks. Pat Toomey would have won in 2004 had it not been for the White House and Rick Santorum swooping in to save Specter in the Republican primary. He’s going to get another shot and I like his odds. Even if Tom Ridge ends up getting into the primary, I still think Toomey wins that and wins a rubber match against Specter in the general.
04 29th, 2009
There is a lot of handwringing among the so-called Republican establishment in Washington, DC over the departure of Arlen Specter from Republican ranks. They are blaming some factions of the party for being “too conservative” and pushing Specter out (read Hogan’s thoughts at RedState for more on this).
To those pointing the fingers and making the accusations I have one response: check the party platform. It is the conservative principles contained in it that define the party, not the people who run with an “R” behind their names. For too long the Republicans in Washington, DC (and across the nation) have been content with party for party’s sake. There has been no accountability, no adherence to principle. Thankfully we are seeing a sea change in that mentality.
So I say, good riddance to Arlen Specter-and don’t let the door hit you on the way out. I am cheering for Pat Toomey.
BTW-does anyone else wonder what in the world Rick Santorum is thinking these days? But for his efforts in 2004, it is very likely Toomey would have not only knocked off Specter in the Republican primary but won the general as well. I fully believe his efforts on behalf of Specter cost him his Senate seat in 2006 and what now does he have to show for it?
04 17th, 2009
This is just a partial list, from just over 250 events (out of 750+ events). This is very impressive and shows that something is going on out there that the media is trying to ignore.
AK Anchorage 1200
AL Auburn 500
AL Birmingham 5000
AL Fairhope 400
AL Fort Payne 250
AL Hoover 7000
AL Huntsville 3000
AL Mobile 3000
AL Montgomery 500
AL Tuscaloosa 500
AL Wetumpka 200
AR Fort Smith 300
AR Little Rock 700
AR Rogers 500
AZ Cottonwood 300
AZ Lake Havasu City 500
AZ Phoenix 8000
AZ Sierra Vista 350
AZ Tucson 7000
CA AL/Dockwiler Beach 2500
CA Carmel Ranch 1000
CA Escondido 2200
CA Fresno 6000
CA Modesto 5000
CA Napa 50
CA Oceanside 1000
CA Palm Desert 2000
CA Palm Srpings 200
CA Riverside 300
CA Sacramento 15000
CA San Diego 300
CA San Francisco 500
CA San Jose 2200
CA Santa Ana 2000
CA Santa Rosa 250
CA Seal Beach 1500
CA Temecula 1000
CA Valencia 500
CA Ventura 2500
CA Walnut Creek 270
CO Colorado Springs 1500
CO Denver 5500
CO Durango 250
CO Estes Park 300
CO Fort Collins 2000
CO Grand Junction 2000
CO Loveland 700
CT Hartford 5000
DC Washington 3500
DE Georgetown 200
FL Deland 750
FL Eustis 1500
FL Ft. Lauderdale 3000
FL Jacksonville 1500
FL Lake City 550
FL Lakeland 3000
FL Live Oak 650
FL Melbourne 1000
FL Naples 2000
FL Ocala 1000
FL Orlando 2000
FL Panama City 2000
FL Pensacola 3000
FL Port Richey 1200
FL Port St. Lucie 600
FL St. Augustine 1000
FL Tampa 2000
FL Vero Beach 2000
GA Augusta 2000
GA Atlanta 20000
GA Cumming 200
GA Gainesville 500
GA Roswell 300
IA Cedar Rapids 600
IA Davenport 500
IA Des Moines 1000
ID Boise 2500
ID Moscow 400
IL Algonquin 5
IL Chicago/Fed PI 10000
IL Elk Grove Village 7
IL Indianapolis 8000
IL Lisle 2000
IL Peoria 3000
IL Nauvoo 65
IN Anderson 100
IN Angola 100
IN Bloomington 200
IN Columbus 1000
IN Elkhart 400
IN Evansville 500
IN Goshen 400
IN Hammond 100
IN Huntington 400
IN Indianapolis 2500
IN Jasper 150
IN Kokomo 500
IN Lafayette 300
IN Plymouth 100
IN South Bend 400
IN Terre Haute 200
IN Tipton 150
KS Manhattan 500
KS Ottawa 70
KS Overland Park 10000
KS Wichita 1000
KY Elizabethton 400
KY Louisville 1500
KY Paducah 2000
LA Alexandria 500
LA Baton Rouge 3000
LA Covington 500
LA Monroe 600
LA Shreveport 5000
MA Bangor 400
MA Boston 1700
MA Cape Cod 300
MA Springfield 600
MA Worcerster 700
MD Annapolis 4000
MD Bel Air 500
MD Westminister 500
ME Augusta 200
MI Grand Rapids 3000
MI Holland 400
MI Houghton 250
MI Lansing 5000
MI Marquette 100
MI Plymouth 3000
MO Camdenton 300
MO Grand Rapids 3000
MO Jefferson City 200
MO Kansas City/Downtown 4000
MO Kansas City/Lees 300
MO Springfield 1500
MO St. Louis 12000
MO Popar Bluff 250
MN Duluth 1000
MN St. Paul 10000
MS Gulfport 2000
MS Jackson 2000
NC Asheville 2500
NC Charlotte 2000
NC Currituck 200
NC Davidson 150
NC Edenton 400
NC Fayetteville 400
NC Gastonia 100
NC Goldsboro 300
NC Greensboro 1500
NC Greenville 200
NC Hickory 1000 maybe
NC Hillsborough 500
NC Lincolnton 300
NC Mooresville 150
NC Morehead City 1200
NC Pasquotank Co. 200
NC Raleigh 1000 plus
NC Statesville 250
NC Winston-Salem 3900
NE Omaha 1000
NH Concord 500
NH Victory Park 900
NH Manchland 500
NH Plymouth 200
NJ Flemington 750
NJ Morristown 1500
NM Farmington 1000
NV Carson City 3000
NV Elko 100
NV Las Vegas 2200
NY Albany 3000
NY Buffalo 400
NY Endicott 300
NY Fishkill 4100
NY Jamestown 120
NY Nanuet 100
NY New York City 6000
NY Rochester 1000
OH Dairy Hut? 50
OH Ashland 600
OH Canton 1500
OH Cincinnati 5000
OH Cleveland 5000
OH Columbus 7000
OH Dayton 3000
OH Eastlake 40
OH Jefferson 500
OH Lisbon 200
OH Mansfield 1500
OH Wiloughby 75
OK Batrtlesville 250
OK Oklahoma City 6500
OK Tulsa/2 loc 7000
OR Astoria 300
OR Beaverton 1000
OR Eugene 1500
OR Salem 3500
PA Greensburg 800
PA Harrisburg 3000
PA Philadelphia 600
PA Sugar Grove 200
RI Providence 2500
SC Columbia 3000
SC Greenville 1500
SC Greenwood 400
SC Myrtle Beach 1000
TN Bristol 200
TN Chattanooga 2000
TN Hendersonville 1500
TN Kingsport 1000
TN Knoxville 2000
TN Memphis 3000
TN Nashville 10000
TX Abilene 1050
TX Alamo 15000
TX Allen 200
TX Amarillo 750
TX Austin 3000
TX Baytown 600
TX Beaumont 750
TX Belton 2000
TX Browsville 600
TX Caldwell 100
TX Carrollton 300
TX Conroe 800
TX Dallas 5000
TX Decatur 200
TX Fort Hood 500
TX Fort Worth 5500
TX Houston 10000
TX Longview 1500
TX Lubbock 2000
TX Odessa 500
TX McAllen 1000
TX McKinney 600
TX Paris 400
TX Richardson 300
TX San Antonio 15000
TX Tyler 1400
TX Weatherford 500
TX Woodlands 6500
UT Salt Lake City 3000
VA Harrisoburg 300
VA Lynchburg 2000
VA Newport News 700
VA Reston 500
VA Richmond 5000
VA Roanoke 750
VA Winchester 350
VA Virginia Beach 2000
WA Bellevue 1000
WA Bellingham 3000
WA Colville 200
WA Everett 550
WA Issaquah 200
WA Olympia 5000
WA Renton 100
WI Appleton 2000
WI Madison 8000
WI Wausau 175
WV Clarksburg 300
WV Huntington 100
WV Wheeling 1200
04 14th, 2009
I confess, I am continually mystified by guys like Doug Kmiec and Jim Wallis who attempt to justify their support of President Obama’s radical views on abortion with the pithy response, “But he wants to reduce abortions by taking care of the social ills that create the unwanted pregnancies.” Well, one, no he doesn’t and two, their version of taking care of the “social ills” is by growing government welfare programs, which is just an awful idea.
In my mind, there are a few settled things for people of faith in politics. One of them is we’re against the killing of babies. Yet Kmiec and Wallis attempt to have it both ways-trying to count themselves among the faithful yet denying some of the core principles essential to that faith.
At Politico.com today, Kmiec gives it another shot. It is fraught with errors (one that particularly stood out to me was his statement that Bush “hastily” put together new conscience clause regs and installed them at HHS. That is not true. I know the guy responsible for writing those regs-he had them written and ready to go years ago. The logjam was Karl Rove, but that’s a whole different story.).
The spin is always the same, much like that of the Wizard of Oz’s statement-”Ignore the man behind the curtain.” In this case, it’s, “Ignore the elephant in the room.” Facts cannot be changed, no matter how much spin is applied to them. There was a little man behind the curtain and there is an elephant in the room.
Fact #1-President Obama is a staunch supporter of abortion on demand. His agenda, voting record in the Illinois state Senate and official statements on the record attest to this reality.
Fact #2-President Obama’s first items on his agenda were restoring international funding to the abortion on demand groups by Executive Order.
Fact #3-President Obama is taking away the legal first line of defense for people in the medical industry whose consciences demand they do not play a part in the killing of babies.
I would go on and on, but you get the point.
04 14th, 2009
First it was her taxes. Now it’s the amount of money she took from one of the only late term abortion doctors in the nation, Dr. Tiller out of Wichita. I love how it is called an “omission” in the story. Omission (and trust me, this was a calculated omission) versus lie-is there really a difference?
If a Republican President’s nominees were caught lying like this, or if evidence came forward that they had not paid their taxes, the media would have already eviscerated them. Why is it that the mainstream media is turning a blind eye to Obama’s nominees and their legion of problems? I have two guesses. The first is obvious-the media shares the same ideology as Obama, Sebelius and others and want to see this ideology advanced no matter what. The second is that some in the media probably share the same problems as these noms.
As a side note, as I was traveling recently, a person I had just met was talking politics with me. Spontaneously, she exclaimed, “Of course the Democrats have no problems raising taxes-they don’t pay them!”
