It was back in Dec., 2017 that U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D) told a Dayton Daily News journalist he didn’t know if he would run for president. Ryan represents the 13th congressional district in Ohio, pocked with high unemployment and ‘rusty’ cities, like Youngstown. His district also includes Boardman Township.
      Ryan has served in Congress since 2003, where he holds no committee leadership positions and is ranked as the third most liberal congressman of the 16 member Ohio delegation.
      If Tim Ryan is presidential timber, consider these snapshots of his record.
      According to the Center for Responsive Politics---
       •Ryan introduced 22 bills and resolutions in 2017. Most of any legislator in the 16-member Ohio Delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives.
       •Ryan introduced zero bills in 2017 that got past committee and to the floor for consideration. One bill or resolution did have a co-chair who was a ranking member of a committee that the bill was referred to. That bill, the Hot Cars Act, would require the Transportation Department to mandate all new motor vehicles have a child alert system. It failed to get out of committee. [Getting support from committee members on relevant committees is a crucial step in moving legislation forward].
       •Ryan was third most-absent member of the House in missing votes, missing 9.2 per cent of votes in 2017 (65 out of 710 votes). Compare that with Rep. Bill Johnson, who is ranked 10th on the list, missing 1.3 per cent of votes. From Jan., 2003 to July, 2018, Ryan missed 436 of 11,190 roll call votes, which is 3.9%. This is worse than the median of 2.4% among the lifetime records of representatives currently serving.
       •As of June 30, 2018, Ryan’s campaign committee fund raising totals $1.279 million, of which $1.03 million has been spent, leaving some $415,900 on hand.
       •Among his top contributors are transportation unions, $58,500; special trade contractors, $48,170; and public sector unions, $48,000; and Simon Roofing, $21,800. Lawyers/law firms have contributed $85,485; real estate-related concerns have contributed $80,291.
       •All totaled 53.31 per cent, or $683,141 of Ryan’s total contributions come from large, individual contributions; and 39.82 per cent, or $510,203 come from PACs. Smaller contributions, $200 of less, total $88,009, or 6.97 per cent of all sources of campaign funds.
       •In 2010, Ryan sponsored, or cosponsored 39 earmarks totaling $35.4 million, ranking him 111th out of 435 representatives.
       •According to financial disclosure report filed with Legislative Resource Center in Washington, D.C., Ryan accepted a ticket in 2015 to the Michigan-OSU football game, and private plane travel from Sam Covelli valued at $1,500.
      Locally, Rep Ryan might best be remembered in 2017 for his failed efforts to prevent an illegal alien from being deported.
      As The Dayton Daily News journalist observed, “Ryan has served in Congress since 2003, when he replaced his former boss, the bombastic and legally troubled Rep. Jim Traficant.
      “Once thought to be a bright young light in the party, Ryan has turned into something else: A veteran politician.”
      Presidential timber?