Posted on 06/23/2004 8:09:26 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
June 23, 2004 — The future of Jack Ryan's campaign for U.S. senate seems more in doubt. ABC 7 has learned about several signs that the republican's campaign events will be scaled back but publicly Ryan is still saying he's staying in the race. Two days ago the release of his divorce records rocked the Ryan campaign. The documents included allegations about visits to sex clubs.
"If he asked me today, I would say, Jack, you need to assess whether you can wage a reasonable campaign and my view would be you probably can't," said Gary Skoien, Cook County GOP chairman.
The Cook County Republican party is bailing on Jack Ryan. Two major newspapers, including the Sun-Times, want him out of the race. The Tribune is questioning his credibility and the Herald is comparing him to former Governor George Ryan. And one of the Illinois Republican party's key fundraisers is accusing Ryan of a cover-up.
"I was told by Jack that there was nothing in the records that would be of concern. It was solely related to issues surrounding his child. And that turns out not to be the case," said Ron Gidwitz, IL Republican party.
Ryan apparently failed to fully explain the allegation by his ex-wife -- Hollywood actress Jeri Ryan -- in the now unsealed divorce file that he forced her to visit sex clubs in three different cities and tried to pressure her into having sex in front of strangers.
Ryan is apologizing for any misunderstanding but downplaying his ex-wife's allegation.
"The worst that can be said is I propositioned my wife in an inappropriate place. We had people elected to office who have done things that are much worse than that," said Jack Ryan, U.S. senate candidate.
Illinois republican leaders are conducting a poll to assess the political damage. And they're expected to make a final decision on what to recommend in a conference call on Friday.
"I think he can survive. I don't think he can win. I think when you lose the trust of the people you work with and the trust of the public, which I believe has now happened, it's very hard to come back from that," said Gidwitz.
"If former Governor Edgar and speaker Hastert say, Jack, we'd like you to get out of the race, what do you do? I am in the race to win in November and on our issues and theme, we win the race. Once voters know the difference between me and my opponent, we are going to win," said Ryan.
The Bush campaign is watching the controversy on the sidelines. But the most of the republicans in the congressional delegation led by speaker Denny Hastert believe the Ryan candidacy is dead. Senate republicans are a different story. The leaders are still backing Ryan and they're holding a fundraiser for him in Washington D.C. Thursday.
Jack Ryan may be pledging to stay in the race, but some of his supporters say they're being told to begin winding down their campaign efforts.
Even though Labor Day is considered the official kickoff of the fall political campaign season, the fourth of July always attracts candidates to Independence Day parades. Apparently, Jack Ryan will not be among them.
Wednesday, Ryan campaign sources say they were told to halt planning for his appearances in July fourth parades. Ryan precinct workers in republican heavy DuPage County were also told to stop putting up yard signs and posting placards on behalf of the candidate.
That, on the heels of the July fourth pullback, indicates that the campaign is on it's last legs, according to one precinct captain.
The GOP candidate's ex-wife, actress Jeri Lynn Ryan, has not backed off accusations she leveled during their divorce that Mr. Ryan compelled her to visit hard core sex clubs in the U.S. and France.
At the well-fortified Los Angeles mansion where Ms. Ryan lives with the couple's 9-year-old son, she has declined to answer questions from reporters about the case. The Ryan campaign claims she supports his continued candidacy.
In Washington Wednesday, House speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois was not offering such a commitment.
"Had a personal discussion with Mr. Ryan in the last day or so. I intend to do that and then I will make a further statement. I am reserving my comments until I have a personal discussion with him," said Hastert.
DuPage County republican chairman senator Kirk Dillard told the I-Team that he is deeply troubled by the possibility that Mr. Ryan's candidacy could spell doom for other republicans and impact the Bush campaign in Illinois.
Dillard cites Tuesday night's Jay Leno show in which Jack Ryan was the punch line to a joke. Leno said that "See, democrats, they cheat on their wives. Republicans cheat, too, but they bring their wife along. They make it a family event."
this election is going to be nip and tuck, when it should have been a run away.
Looks like it is going to bush I all over again.
Doesn't have the fire and doesn't want to fight for the job.
You know what I don't blame him.
Will all the s**t he has to put up with why would anybody want that job?
The corrupt former Governor that commuted every death sentence in Illinois?
Semper Fi
Two responses
I think what did him in with the party is lying to them....
He knew darn well what the docs contained and their impact.
Second, We should be able to consider our elected officials as respected individuals. Call me old fashioned, but thats my opinion.
Ya can't tell me the Great state of Illinois is only capable of finding guys like Obama and Ryan as representatives of the people there.
To put it in perspective, in 1776 the Colonial population was around 2.5 million. They produced Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin, Madison to name but a few.
Chicago alone has round 3 million people and the best Illinois can do is a drunk/druggie who beats his wife running against a lying public sex party kinky freak?
Criminy...
And it's not just Illinois, it's everywhere, we have become so used to bad, sleazy, low-rent behavior that we can't even define it anymore......
"Well, candidate A shoots heroin for breakfast, beats his wife for lunch, and steals from nuns after dinner, but that's his private life, and we should respect that and be tolerant of his alternative lifestyle.....
There's no relation between the Ryans except they'll both be remembered for helping to deep six the GOP in Illinois for a generation.
IMHO when there is a custody and assets fight either or both parties throw lies at each other in an effort to prevail. Thus far his X claims he took her to sex clubs and asked her for sex. We also know before the divorce she was having sexual relations with another man. No interne. No lies in a federal court. Bad personal relationships and judgement are quite common.
Run Ryan run and don't forget Obama (by his own admission) used both cocaine and marijuana. I would be surprised if more does not turn up. Sometimes a symbolic safe does fall out of the window eliminating your opponent.
If the Pubbies can't stand sin in their leaders they are in for a tough time.
"If the Pubbies can't stand sin in their leaders they are in for a tough time."
It's not that we can't stand sin, we do.
We just don't like to promote it and reward it.
We don't want to clap and cheer and assume our kneepads like the Congressional. Black Caucus on the White House Lawn everytime one of our guys makes an @ss of himself.
Jack Ryan - Ain't he Tom Clancy's James Bond???
I agree, but the question is whether everytime a RAT judge makes private a Pubbie's child custody records public do we denounce and renounce that candidate. Further, if we are going to judge a man let us look at the whole man--Ryan is an observant Catholic, a teacher by choice who has made a difference to countless many by his refusing to singularly pursue wealth.
A DUI almost destroyed Bush 43. We, on the right, IMHO are not nuanced when our candidate has a moral blemish. This in spite of the fact that, as in the case of Ryan and the President, the whole gestalt of the man is quite positive and overwhelmingly so.
Chairman, Illinois Republican Party
Dear Ms. Topinka,
I have heard the news reports about Mr. Ryan's strange behavior. We sure don't need another Bill Clinton with all his indiscretion's. Get rid of this guy now. Before he hurts the GOP. I am in Missouri, moving back to South Elgin.
I want to see George Bush in for a second term and congress to stay in the hold of the GOP. But Ryan is too hot a potato to have on the ticket.
Hope you understand.
Sincerely,
O'Fallon, MO
C: Rep. Dennis Hastert
Sen. Bill Frist
You knew Jack Ryan was a sure loser when he hired Bill Pascoe to be his Communications Director. Pascoe, who directed Douglas Forrester's stunning and pathetic collapse against Torricelli and then Lautenberg, is an incompetant hack who ought to be shunned by all GOP candidates. Last time Pascoe won a major election there was still a Soviet Union.
I just keep thinking these guys have to know better...
You mentioned the Bush DUI story, and then theres the Clinton Lewinsky thing, etc.
In this day and age if there is anything, anything that might embarass you or your friends if it shows up on the front page, just ASSUME IT WILL.
A person has 2 choices.
1. immunize yourself.
Simply say early on, troubles in marriage, smoked a lotta dope in college, yada yada...., see if you an get through a primary with the shots and attacks. (Thats one reason we have 'em)
Then when it comes to the general, say it's all been dealt with.
It's the democrat MO, but it actually makes some sense. get it out there, quick, and on your own terms. TELL PARTY LEADERS the TRUTH....and if it doesn't kill you in the primary, you can probably survive it....
that leads us to 2
2. Consider if you are really the right man or woman for this campaign. Is is really about the issues you believe in or is it about getting your name in the papers.
If you are getting in the way of your message, maybe you aren't helping the cause.......
We've all done dumb things. Some dumber than others. It is common sense and decency that prevents most of us from deliberately putting it in the newspaper for our kids to see...
I don't know what they will say, but I can assure you that every ex-wife/girfriend, boss, business partner will be contacted by media or your opponents if you run for Senate.
Why politicians today haven't figured this out I have no idea.....
Yep, and I'll never run for U.S. Senate.....
Because I can't even remember some of the dumb@ss stuff I did! but someone else will.....
Like someone said above, WHY IS THIS SUCH A BIG DEAL? It's not like he did anything illegal. It's not like he did anything that would demonstrate an inability to govern.
Moreover, just b/c it was alleged in a court document does not mean it actually happened.
He is only running cause the pubbies didn't want to spend any money on a losing campaign.
So he is a scape goat and a loser, wonder what all those little black boys think about their lilly white teacher now.
What is the big deal, at least he wanted sex from his own wife here?
He didn't force the issue and at best showed he is a somewhat perverted, but at least directed to the wife who should have known the bag of goods she married.
This arrogant pr**k doesn't have a clue. Yo, jerkwed you're not running in the RAT party. Character does count.
Well, our politicians might be corrupt but they have scruples. Once they're bought, they STAY bought!
:-)
However in reality it's irrelevant. The Ryan name is POISON and will always be confused by the sheeple with George Ryan.
A Jim Ryan ran for Gov and got trounced because the idiots couldn't distinguish between the two.
I swear the collective IQ of the 'urban areas' here in IL couldn't match that of a sack of rocks.
I'm failing to see the scandal here, he's been accused of going to sex clubs with his wife and asking her to perform sex acts with him while others watched... which didn't happen...
So, even if everything in the allegations are true, what's the scandal here? He, unlike many politicians, actually wanted to have sex with HIS wife instead of somebody elses?
Someone please explain to me how this is a scandal?
And Jack told them say story to Judy Baar Topinka, chairman of the Ill GOP, former Gov. Edgar, Speaker Hastert.
Jack lied, and he has no credibility. And he's angered the people who are supposed to help him in this race.
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