Ryun says he'll go back on campaign trail 'full time'

LJWorld.com weblogs Congressional Briefing

Posted by Joel Mathis January 30, 2007 at 6:23 a.m.

Here are today's headlines from the Kansas congressional delegation:Boyda-Ryun[(National Journal) Ryun To Run Again:][1]Former Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Kan., confirmed this afternoon he would run again for Congress next year, and picked up early encouragement for his comeback attempt but he still faces the possibility of a strong primary challenge. Ryun -- who lost a re-election bid last November to now-Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda -- said in an interview that he had been mulling another run for the House, but wanted to wait until the state GOP's annual Kansas Days gathering this past weekend to gauge support and reveal his intentions. "I needed time to reflect on the last election and see what kind of support I had," Ryun said. After holding the seat since 1996 Ryun - a onetime Olympic runner -- lost the state's 2nd District to Boyda by a 51-47 percent margin last year. Ryun said he would soon be back on the campaign trail "full time," and described his defeat as an election anomaly in a bad political year for Republicans. "There was a surge that came through," he said. "I was on the wrong corner (at) the wrong time." Ryun, a social and fiscal conservative, demurred on the question of possible primary opposition; state Treasurer Lynn Jenkins is mulling the race. Ryun instead trained his rhetorical fire on Boyda, whom he said does not represent the "Kansas values." Declared Ryun: "She's not a conservative. She's a liberal."[(LJWorld.com) GOP hopes to reclaim 2nd Congressional District seat:][2] U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, a Democrat, has been in office less than one month, but potential Republican opponents in 2008 are starting to angle for a shot at making her a one-term congresswoman. GOP festivities last weekend for Kansas Day propelled the names of two possible challengers: Jim Ryun, the five-term congressman that Boyda upset in November, and State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins, who just won a second four-year term. ... In November, Boyda defeated Ryun 51 percent to 47 percent. "That is an extremely narrow margin in a year that Democrats did exceptionally well. Ms. Boyda is not going to have much of a margin to play with," (GOP Chair Kris)Kobach said. Ryun, of Lawrence, could not be reached for comment. ... Boyda said she didn't want to speculate on the Republican jockeying. "I was just sworn into office three weeks ago, and I'm focusing on serving my constituents," she said.Rep. Jerry Moran (R) ![][3][(Hutch News) Moran visits with thousands in tele-town hall:][4] It wasn't a telemarketer making dinnertime calls Monday night, but U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays. He was ringing tens of thousands of Kansans asking their opinion on the war in Iraq and listening to their concerns on current issues. Sitting at his desk in Washington, it was Moran's second tele-town hall in several weeks. He admitted it wasn't the personal contact he preferred, but the next best thing to meeting constituents when he's out of the state. Over the phone Moran told about 30,000 households from Sabetha to Goodland to Elkhart and Liberal, all in the "Big First District," that he was in Washington, D.C., trying out new technology that would keep him in tune to what Kansans were thinking. Even if people didn't want to sound off on an issue, Moran specifically wanted to find out how they felt about President Bush's plan to send 20,000 more troops to Iraq. [1]: http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/01/ryun_to_run_aga.html [2]: http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/jan/30/gop_hopes_reclaim_2nd_congressional_district_seat/?politics [3]: http://ljworld.com/specials/kudole/bios/art/moran.jpg [4]: http://www.hutchnews.com/news/regional/stories/moran013007.shtml

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dagopman 7 years, 2 months ago

How did Boyda make a living when she campaigned fulltime for 4 years?

budwhysir 7 years, 2 months ago

So I will ask the question, if he goes on the campaign trail full time, how will he make a living

oldgranny 7 years, 2 months ago

Ryan lost in part because he was so smug that he thought he "had it made". When he found during the last few weeks that he didn't he had W come out and try to help. I think it that hurt more than it helped. I hear he is now placing a lot of the blame on the "Big Bad Media". I seen his "concession speech" if you want to call it that.....his wife did the biggest share of it...and it sounded much more like a sermon then any kind of a speech. Some how it doesn't suprise that he is going to run again. I think that is probably all he knows.

dagopman 7 years, 2 months ago

I am not trying to be cute or a wiseguy. I am trying to educate myself on the political process. At this point Congressman Ryun has been extremely kind and helpful to me.

dagopman 7 years, 2 months ago

How did he campaign at taxpayer expense? Please explain to this college student.

Farmboy 7 years, 2 months ago

Ryun wasn't a failure. In 10 years in Washington he acquired a million dollars worth of real estate--$700M plus in Washington and $400 plus in Lawrence--all on a salary of $100M plus a year. Maybe he should come back to Lawrence and go into real estate development.

Cait McKnelly 7 years, 2 months ago

dagopman; the objection isn't that someone campaigns fulltime for years on end. The objection is doing it at the expense of the taxpayer.

dagopman 7 years, 2 months ago

Interesting....Nancy Boyda spent the last 4 years doing nothing but campaigning.

Newell_Post 7 years, 2 months ago

Running around in circles... Running laps.... Running for public office.... So glad that a lot of people woke up in 06 and recognized these Elmer Gantrys for what they are. Hope we still remember in 08.

Richard Heckler 7 years, 2 months ago

With his nice taxpayer funded retirement complete with medical coverage which carries over to the spouse when he is gone it is no wonder he can afford to campaign full time. Plus some spare change from special interests heaven. My his disdain for big government certainly shows.

rhd99 7 years, 2 months ago

Jim Ryun & Senator Mike Ensign of Wyoming are against raising the minimum wage. Why is that? Well, they say it's all about class warfare, what a load of BS. What these two morons cannot get past their egotisitcal self-centeredness is that because they passed tax cuts for the millionaires & billionaires, they had no room to fund hundreds of billions of dollars to HELP small businesses expand. Had small businesses had that money, they could pay workers more. You want class warfare, sports fans, then it's time we go to war against the David Wittigs of this nation who SCREW honest workers because they don't like the value of their stock options.

werekoala 7 years, 2 months ago

Every indication is that Mr. Ryun is a decent human being who cares about his family and believes that he did the best he knew how to take care of our country.

None of which changes the fact that he was wrong. The policies and actions he supported have failed to make us a safer society, a more sustainable society, or a more equitable society.

Cait McKnelly 7 years, 2 months ago

I disagree with Mr. Ryun that he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time". His defeat was no aberration. The political climate is changing. The popularity of Neoconservatism is waning. Much of this has to do with the ugliness of the war in Iraq, the staggering deficit and the shrinking middle class. We have seriously become a society of "haves" and "have nots" and the "have nots" are beginning to be very much in the majority as only the upper strata of society grows. Even a segment of Christians and their churches are starting to divorce themselves from the "religious right" as they see the overwhelming egotism put forth by the current administration and its excesses. Mr. Ryun was a member and supporter of that administration. Time to wake up and smell the coffee.

drewdun 7 years, 2 months ago

"I believe it is safe to say that the majority of Kansans side with the values of Jim Ryun" - bbarden

What does this mean? I keep looking for these Republican 'values' but all I seem to find is homophobia, bizarre obsession with others sex lives and reproductive choices, anti-science religious fanaticism, hatred for those that don't 'look right' (aka white evangelical Christians), and generally just a very angry, closeminded view of the world. People that drone on about the 'sanctity of life' but who don't really seem to mind hundreds of thousands of deaths due to the choice of their political messiah. People who want to impose Christianity on the rest of us but who seem to have a very rudimentary and base understanding of it. I know I'm not looking for these 'values' in an elected representative, and I would imagine that the majority of Kansans don't want this either (see 2006 elections).

prpltoes 7 years, 2 months ago

re: bbardon 9:51am

I too have met Jim Ryun. He is an elitist snob.

KUDB99 7 years, 2 months ago

I don't have a problem with Ryun as a moral person, I think he is sincere in his beliefs, and that is to be admired.

He just doesn't appear to be too bright. I'm just tired of political leaders being elected because of the pliability of their political will. Either Ryun lacked a backbone or was just too much of a push over for the national political interests.

Remember that old saying, not all conservatives are stupid, but most stupid people are conservative.

userid 7 years, 2 months ago

Amen sourpuss

dagopman 7 years, 2 months ago

I am a registered Democrat and my father is a precinct chairperson in Douglas County. I am not defending Congressman Ryun but he deserves credit for assisting me.

rhd99 7 years, 2 months ago

Ryun, you ran your last mile last November. Give it up, pal, it's over!

nugget 7 years, 2 months ago

Why can't Ryun and his supporters, some who have posted above face the truth? The truth is that for him to lose by such a great margin, an enormous number of Republican voters had to desert him at the polls. Sure, the Democrats voted for Boyda, but so did a ton of Republicans. Come on folks, live up to it. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by an enormous number in that district. If Ryun so represents the Kansans he said he did, then why didn't they vote for him? Ryun doesn't need to worry about Boyda, he needs to worry about another Republican that will challenge him to run against her.

staff04 7 years, 2 months ago

Notoriously bad constituent service is the word on the street.

dagopman--I'm glad you had a good experience. I'm trying to think of the best analogy...

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then.

I think that about does it.

bbarden 7 years, 2 months ago

I have had the honor of meeting former Congressman Ryun and his family. I have met very few people who are as committed to their family and their country. While Nancy Boyda may represent a few of the readers of this article, I believe it is safe to say that the majority of Kansans side with the values of Jim Ryun, as is evidenced by his five terms in office.

For the record, this is one Kansan who was proud to be represented by Congressman Ryun and his values.

dagopman 7 years, 2 months ago

I had an entirely different experience with the Ryun constituent services. I required help with a federal student loan problem. I really didn't know what to do. My aunt from the Parsons area put me in touch with the director of the Pittsburg constituent services office. I was treated kindly, respectfully, and they handled my problem promptly,professionally and got it straightened out quickly. Maybe it was simply the difference in constituent services offices.
I've eaten at several Taco Bell's and none of them are the same.

KEITHMILES05 7 years, 2 months ago

He's a sore loser. That is not what Kansans are about.

50YearResident 7 years, 2 months ago

My guess is that he couldn't get a job outside of politics.

DaREEKKU 7 years, 2 months ago

Ryan also never formally conceded to Nancy Boyda, something that every losing candidate ALWAYS does. Do we really want somebody this childish back in office? Run Ryan Run......far far away.

JohnBrown 7 years, 2 months ago

Ryun's constituent services were, in my experience, non-existant. "Kansas values" include hospitality, the definition of which Ryun should look up. We have seen what this so-called 'conservative' has done to the US debt. And we have seen him let Bush run OUR military into the ground.

Ryun may feel 'proud' of his time in office, but none of these represent 'Kansas values'.

truthhurts 7 years, 2 months ago

Ron Freeman and/or Kris Kobach need to sit down and explain to Mr. Ryun that his congressional career is over. They should use simple words and speak very slowly. Perhaps they could devise a ruse to trick Ryun into thinking he actually is running. It would involve an audience of cardboard cutouts and a computer animated image of Boyda (he might win that debate).

sourpuss 7 years, 2 months ago

Doesn't Ryun know how to do something else other than "run"? I guess if he wants to spend down his retirement this way, I don't care, but you'd think, with his congressional perks for life, that he'd go be a lobbyist and make a lot more money. I mean, that is why people get into Congress - to be lobbyists later.

Oh, and Jim... if the problem is that Boyda doesn't represent Kansas because she isn't conservative, then perhaps you should count those ballots again. It seems you and your conservative policies are the ones that don't represent Kansas - or at least that part of it which is all that matters when you're a congressman.

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