Madrinpoor wrote:Prince Kropotkin wrote:
NS Nation Name: Prince Kropotkin
Character Name: Ryan Gaines
Character Gender: Male
Character Age: 57
Character Height: (why?) 6' 1"
Character Weight : (why???) 176 lbs
Character Position/Role/Job: House Majority Leader (2007-present), House Minority Whip (2002-2007), House Budget Committee Ranking Member (1995-2000), House Budget Committee Chair (1993-1995), House Democratic Caucus Chair (1989-1993), House Deputy Majority Whip (1987-1989), Congressman for Oregon's 3rd Congressional District (1981-present)
Character Country/State of Birth: Oregon
Character State of Residence: Oregon
Character Party Affiliation: Democrat
Faceclaim: Gary Cole (an actor who has played political roles [The West Wing, Veep] so there are plenty of "political" looking photos)
For strengths and weaknesses, I've included some quotes about Ryan.
Main Strengths:
"An experienced, capable and dependable legislator who's been one of the most respected voices on the budget process since coming to Washington. Friendly with his caucus members: even as Whip he never bullied or threatened, but rather tried to eke out compromises and find solutions that worked for everyone. He's far more interested in getting something done than shooting for the stars and coming away with nothing. A pragmatic progressive who, to hear him speak, clearly hasn't forgotten his liberal idealism, but is just well aware of the political limits of that idealism. A warrior for the middle-class, the environment, and the Democratic Party." -- Anonymous state Democratic party chair
"A reasonable guy who doesn't have to agree with you to buy you a round of drinks or shoot 9 holes. Respectful of Congressional traditions. Established solid bipartisan credentials during the 1990s budget negotiations. Enjoys a sensibly light touch on regulation when it comes to financial services. Not obsessed with social issues: he's not some feminist crusader, gay liberation fanatic, or craven water-carrier for the radical African-American activist community. And, admittedly, a very hard working campaigner who brings in a lot of party money." -- Anonymous Republican House member on the Budget Committee
Main Weaknesses:
"We wanted a Democratic leader. Instead we got Gaines. A craven, compromising corporate sellout who spends more time drinking in the clubhouse with Republicans and lobbyists than he does ever listening to the concerns of working class voters. Treats labor as nothing more than a source of campaign funds, not political ideas. He's willing to sell out entitlements, compromise on health care, and cut estate taxes; he's voted for expensive foreign wars, financial deregulation, and immunity for telecommunications companies. A pro-Israel ultra who basically copies his talking points on the Middle East direct from the AIPAC lobbyist's cocktail napkin. Misogynist creep who freezes out women in favor of his golf buddies." -- Anonymous House Democrat with the Congressional Progressive Caucus
"Has never met a tax increase he didn't like. Make no mistake, he might be all bipartisan shucks during the session, but come election time, he's as partisan a Democrat as they come. After spending nearly half his life in Congress any trace of independence has well and truly rotted away: a guy who was once pro-gun, moderate on social issues, and for a strong national defense, is now a solid gun-grabber who votes for gay marriage and late term abortion. Has no interest in cleaning up Washington: bounced checks in the Rubbergate scandal, seems to employ a permanent legal war team to contest FEC rulings, and is distinctly unenthusiastic about lobbying reform. Appears to possess a genocidal hatred towards tobacco farmers." -- Anonymous staff writer for the National Review
Biography: Ryan was born in Portland in 1950 and grew up in Multnomah County. His father ran a feed store, raised horses, and sold agricultural insurance, and his mother taught first-grade. He became active in politics in high school with Junior Statesmen of America for the Pacific Northwest, studied for a BS in Engineering at Portland State University, and got his JD at the University of Oregon School of Law.
After practising law (with a specialism in natural resources law) in the Portland area for several years, the 30 year old Ryan won an upset victory in the Democratic primary for the 3rd Congressional district over controversial incumbent Robert Duncan. National press (to the extent they covered it at all) portrayed the race as a young radical upsetting a Congressman with a history of staunch support for the Vietnam War, but local press felt that Duncan had been vulnerable in general and Ryan had simply seized on a weak primary field. In the 3rd, winning the Democratic primary was tantamount to winning the general, and Ryan has been elected every time since with at least 60% of the vote.
In any event, Ryan staked out a reliable Democratic voting record. He was a trenchant opponent of Reagan's tax-cuts and supply-side economics, and voiced concerns about mounting deficits, establishing a voice on the budget that became a theme of his career to date. He opposed Reagan doctrine foreign policy in Latin America, supported normalization of relations with China, and opposed the MX missile. He defended entitlements, advocated for health care and education spending, and was an early defender of gay rights (though he voted the Defense of Marriage Act in the 1990s, a position he has since recanted). He was a strong advocate of environmental protection and introduced some of the earliest legislation to reference climate change. He served on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Early leadership positions included Deputy Majority Whip (1987-1989) and Chair of the Democratic Caucus (1989-1993).
Sometimes described in the media as an "Atari Democrat", Ryan advocated technological innovation and science funding, and was a major voice on telecommunications regulation and reform. On fiscal issues, he increasingly came to be associated with the New Democrats around the Democratic Leadership Council, and fellow members supported his rise on the Budget Committee (he had previously chaired an oversight subcommittee on small business). An early supporter of the not-Clinton campaign, he served as the Oregon party chair for the 1992 and 1996 campaigns. In 1993 he was Chair of the Budget Committee when President not-Clinton was inaugurated, the first Democratic President of Ryan's tenure. After the 1994 Republican Revolution he became Ranking Member. Through the 90s he worked on every budget and was a leading Democratic voice in favor of balancing the budget. In 2000, he was tipped a possible OMB Director should not-Gore win.
Like some other Western Democrats, Ryan had a pro-gun rights record in the 1980s, and was at one point rated "A" by the NRA. In the 1990s he began to favor regulation, voting for the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act and the 1994 Crime Bill which contained the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and against giving gun manufacturers immunity. He has now consistently been rated "F" by the NRA. His NARAL rating reflects "generally pro-choice" votes, another position on which his voting has become more in line with Democratic orthodoxy. Strongly pro-trade, he has voted in favor of NAFTA, CAFTA-DR, and Trade Promotion Authority.
He left the Budget Committee in 2001 to run for House Minority Whip, but had reckoned without the rapid ascent of labor darling Abilene Wilson-Carter. However, Dick Gephardt's retirement meant Wilson-Carter moved up to become House Minority Leader, and Ryan replaced her as House Minority Whip, where he soon faced the difficult task of keeping the Democratic Caucus together over the thorny issue of Iraq. Ryan personally voted for the AUMF, but has since turned against the handling of the war and supports a withdrawal. His style as Whip received some criticism for being too soft, more concerned with party unity than actually winning votes: the Republicans won several votes by 1 in the 108th and 109th Congresses (including CAFTA on which Ryan himself proved, embarrassingly, the deciding vote) and his conciliatory style was contrasted unfavorably with Republican discipline.
Nonetheless, he has proved a relentless campaigner. In the 2006 election cycle he could justifiably claim that no one had stumped more, traveled more, and in particular raised more than him. Hammering the economic message and trying to downplay divisions over Iraq, he helped the Democrats win their first House majority since 1995. Some on the left wondered at what cost: Ryan was seen to favor moderate candidates in candidate selection. Privately, he voiced doubts about the Fighting Dems strategy of picking candidates with military backgrounds; the strategy produced mixed results.
Expecting to become House Majority Leader in the new Congress, he faced down an unexpected progressive challenge from an anti-war Democrat, but won fairly comfortably.
Other Info: Ryan is married to Katie Morris, a former cheerleader. During the 1990s an affair with a health care lobbyist briefly damaged his reputation, but he and his wife reconciled. They have no children. Their dinner parties are considered staples of the Washington social scene.
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