Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) now pro-choice

[nclib]

"Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), a longtime opponent of abortion, announced in an op-ed on Tuesday that he now supports abortion rights after having talked to women in difficult circumstances throughout his home state."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/28/tim-ryan-abortion_n_6563314.html

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Good for him. He is extremely popular in his district, but it will be interesting to see how/if his popularity changes.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Running for Senate, right?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Looks like he's creating contrast to prepare for a run against Portman.

[Türkisblau]

HP move but understandable considering how far left the national party has gone on this issue.

And Tim Ryan used to be my favorite rep...

[Gass3268]

Excellent, FF!

[memphis]

Does anybody think this anything but a cynical stunt. I support reproductive choices, but it's hard not to roll your eyes when they act like it's a principled decision rather than blatent opportunism.

[TJ in Oregon]

Does anybody think this anything but a cynical stunt. I support reproductive choices, but it's hard not to roll your eyes when they act like it's a principled decision rather than blatent opportunism.

He has effectively been pro-choice for the last five years now. Pretending otherwise over that period was the opportunistic stunt.

Also: this is already in the Ohio Senate thread.

[Mister Mets]

It helps him with Democrats.

This would help him with the party in the Senate nomination. If he doesn't go for that, he has a shot at  being Hillary's running mate (young guy from swing state with poor Democratic bench.)

And then there's the Governor's race in 2018.

[LeBron]

It's awesome that he made this conversion. Though to be honest this has always been his position since 2009 or so when his voting record on abortion began to become more progressive on things like contraceptives and allowing federal funding for abortion coverage.

However, just because this is what Kucinich did before he ran for President doesn't mean Ryan's running for Senate. I still think he's ultimately going to decline. He understands the risk and time it would take as a member of the House to take on Portman. Ryan's going to sit this one out just as he always has and hand the torch off to Sittenfeld.

Besides, he did this for mostly personal reasons. He had a son born last year, and when his wife was pregnant he emphasized he didn't want the government intruding on her rightful decision on whether or not she wanted an abortion.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Kucinch became pro-choice relatively recently.

[H. Ross Peron]

Sad to hear this, although I never heard of Ryan being a pro-life Congressman.

[Del Tachi]

Sad to hear this, although I never heard of Ryan being a pro-life Congressman.

Yeah, I had no idea Ryan was anything other than Generic D

[Grumpier Than Thou]

He was featured in a documentary called Death By China that I was watching in my AP Comparative Government class. Certainly less interesting than Paul Ryan.

[TNF]

Lol what an opportunist

[Mr. Reactionary]

Awaiting Corey Gardner attacks in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

[Oak Hills]

Sad to hear this, although I never heard of Ryan being a pro-life Congressman.

Yeah, I had no idea Ryan was anything other than Generic D

I had no idea there was a US representative named Tim Ryan.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Emily's List fanatics are the scum of the earth.

[Mr. Illini]

He's definitely in for the Senate, which is good. He's been a pretty dynamic and outspoken voice in the house.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

It's awesome that he made this conversion. Though to be honest this has always been his position since 2009 or so when his voting record on abortion began to become more progressive on things like contraceptives and allowing federal funding for abortion coverage.

However, just because this is what Kucinich did before he ran for President doesn't mean Ryan's running for Senate. I still think he's ultimately going to decline. He understands the risk and time it would take as a member of the House to take on Portman. Ryan's going to sit this one out just as he always has and hand the torch off to Sittenfeld.

Besides, he did this for mostly personal reasons. He had a son born last year, and when his wife was pregnant he emphasized he didn't want the government intruding on her rightful decision on whether or not she wanted an abortion.

Actually, this is a clear sign Ryan is probably running.  If so, either Sittenfield will drop out or Ryan will crush him in the primary without ever acknowledging him.

[IceSpear]

It's also plausible that Ryan is just stating this now so he doesn't look like an opportunist by announcing it the same year he decides to run for a statewide office.

[rpryor03]

Speaking as the self-appointed Tim Ryan expert, (I live in his district), he's a boring Generic D. He hasn't done much except for one big pork thing in the stimulus bill. The district is D+12, so he doesn't do anything. He won in 2014 by close to 40%. Way over 40% in 2012. He's pretty boring. I don't get the hype. However, I hope he runs just so that we can get a competent Republican in our district.

[Mr. Illini]

Speaking as the self-appointed Tim Ryan expert, (I live in his district), he's a boring Generic D. He hasn't done much except for one big pork thing in the stimulus bill. The district is D+12, so he doesn't do anything. He won in 2014 by close to 40%. Way over 40% in 2012. He's pretty boring. I don't get the hype. However, I hope he runs just so that we can get a competent Republican in our district.

I think the hype has to do with his style. See:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePHJ5fWUgFQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDuXyRQR28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xawl_R0rhrg

[Badger]

Running for Senate, right?

Natch, though possibly governor too.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Getting increasingly difficult to take a public stand against abortion and win a Democratic primary these days. Even in Ohio, apparently.

[Indy Texas]

It's also plausible that Ryan is just stating this now so he doesn't look like an opportunist by announcing it the same year he decides to run for a statewide office.

It probably won't help. Susan Combs (Comptroller, R-TX) tried this in 2013 (in reverse: going from pro-choice to pro-life) to make herself more electable in the 2014 Republican lieutenant governor primary. Nobody really seemed to believe her and as it became increasingly obvious that she wasn't very good at her job and had no natural base, she ended up not running anyway.