A former presidential writer for George W. Bush and son of former
U.S. Congressman Jim Ryun, Ned Ryun is currently the head of American
Majority (www.americanmajority.org), a national organization committed to identifying and
training liberty‐minded leaders. Ned was the co‐founder and former director of the Generation Joshua
program. Ned earned degrees in English and History from the University of Kansas and has co‐authored
Heroes Among Us and The Courage to Run with his father and
his twin brother, Drew. Ned and his wife, Becca, reside in Northern
Virginia with their sons, Nathaniel and James. The views expressed on this blog are solely those held by Ned Ryun and do not necessarily represent the views of his current or previous employers.
Archive for August, 2009
08 20th, 2009
I’m sorry, but the Congressional request for health care executives’ compensation packages and other pieces of information is politically motivated. I hope that the companies will tell Congress to shove off, but that would take guts and a comittment to potentially spending millions in legal fees, but I’m hoping some do. I don’t have any friends who are health care executives, and I actually have some issues with the health care industry, but this is absurd. I hope the American people will continue to make their voices heard, not just over health care, but next year in November when some of the people repsonsible for this will have to stand before the people at the ballot box.
08 13th, 2009
As most people know, the townhalls taking place across the country are becoming very interesting events. People, better informed than their elected officials, are showing up and letting their voices be heard. But what I’m hoping is that people will show up en masse on August 22nd to the Recess Rally and make a definitive statement that it’s not just some people here or there that are put out, that it’s not an astroturfed happening, but a real, genuine grassroots movement. I have a feeling it could be bigger than the April 15th Tea Parties, where over a million people showed up and protested. There won’t be as many rallies this time around, simply because there are much fewer elected officials, but I have a feeling that the crowds at the various events could be pretty significant. It is amusing to watch the left come after those of us who are in the Recess Rally Coalition, accusing us of being creatures of corporate interests, or millionaire operatives, fronts for the GOP, or crooks and liars, none of which are true. But what I resent if that the left doesn’t think we want health care reform. I had a daughter born four months premature last fall; we spent over four months in the NICU. My brother’s youngest daughter has already had two heart surgeries and will have a third. Please do not tell me that the Ryuns aren’t intimately acquainted with some of the problems within the health care industry. Where I disagree strongly with the left is that we need a single-payer, government-funded, and run, health care system. It’s like trying to treat cancer by eviscerating the patient: kills the cancer and the patient. Hardly a positive solution.
08 12th, 2009
An activist in Florida decided to hop on a recent Organizing for America conference call. The notes of the call are below. Some interesting thoughts, based on what I read below: WH is encouraging OFA members to avoid townhalls and simply go door-to-door to lobby on behalf of ObamaCare. It would appear that Axelrod and Co. are trying to make it appear that the townhall protests are not legitimate: “others are there to counter the violence.” Violence? Really? And by others he obviously means union members. What I’m seeing at the townhalls is very frustrated citizens finally getting a shot at communicating directly with their elected officials; Camille Paglia actually has a nice piece on the absurd White House and Democrat response to the townhalls.
MITCH STEWART (OFA’s new ED)—
The President has accomplished a lot this last six months! He is in middle of a long fight and needs your help. Conservative groups are out to disrupt and stop debate on health care issue. The President asks that we get involved and redouble efforts in the next few months.
SARA from Ohio
A public school teacher. Her husband has lost her job in stock crash, cannot buy affordable health care because he had small skin cancer three years ago. No preventative care in his policy. Her 22 year old college student will not have insurance. Says cannot get it for her. She wants public option. Shameful that U.S. does not offer public option. She will be at town hall tomorrow. She is going to Teaberry’s office tomorrow as well. She is going to do webinar training tomorrow night to learn how to log in data.
DAVID AXLEROD
Insurance companies make money and it works well for them, but not for the people. Public health insurance is important for those who do not have health insurance but equally important for the hundreds of millions who do. Consumer guarantee: Children must be allowed to stay on family insurance until age 26. Out of pocket cost would be capped. Do away with life time caps. Thinks Obama town hall today was constructive in dispelling right-wing myths. Businesses cannot supply insurance. Preventive care is so important that insurance companies must be forced to cover without additional charge.
Questions to Axlerod:
Autumn from Ohio: How to stop the shouting at town hall meetings?
Axelrod Answer: Media loves conflict. Clare McCaskil had good meetings. President had a great one today. We encourage constructive dialogue. DO NOT try and exclude or shout down protesters; others are working to counter the violence. We REALLY encourage you to go door to door.
Bethany from Indiana: How insurance will impact the young voters.
Axelrod Answer: Requirement up to 26. Health care exchange. Go into exchange (public) and look into what they could afford for preventive care. Which includes check ups etc.
Jack, Community Organizer from California: Unions showed up to support the President’s plan at a townhall he attended. They are handing out facts vs. myth flyers. There are “a few” opponents. One sign said, “What’s the rush?” Jack tells story about father who died of cancer. Good story about how he “worked” his way up to be a doctor but died of brain cancer. Tells about whitehouse.gov/realitycheck. Talks a lot about knocking on doors and making phone calls. “We can change our cities, we can change our states, we can change or nation and dare I say it, we can change the world.”
