The editors of HUMAN EVENTS are proud to name Rep. Paul Ryan as "Conservative of the Year" for 2011, and many conservative leaders have stepped forward to congratulate Rep. Ryan and add their own special words of recognition, which we present below.
"Paul Ryan has three qualities that make him central to the definition of conservatism in America today. He’s not afraid to speak the truth. He has the gift of marrying conservative principles to practical solutions. He has the leadership abilities that turn thought into action. His success in gaining bipartisan support for his latest Medicare reform proposals exemplifies exactly what I am talking about. With the country facing a slow-motion entitlement crisis that will eventually bankrupt us, we are extraordinarily fortunate that someone with his combination of courage, probity, and wisdom has come to the fore." – Mitt Romney, 2012
“Paul Ryan is the most important conservative intellectual-activist on budget and entitlement issues in our lifetime. He is charting a new and better course for America's future.” – Newt Gingrich, 2012 Republican presidential candidate and former Speaker of the House of Representatives
“Paul Ryan has led the charge for reining in out of control government spending, putting forth the boldest plan for dealing with the deficit - one I was proud to unequivocally support. If we are going to restore trust in Washington we need more leaders like Paul Ryan who are willing to offer serious proposals for tackling our economic deficit and getting our economy back on track.” – Jon Huntsman, 2012 Republican presidential candidate and former Governor of Utah
"Paul Ryan thinks big and acts bold. If we had more people like him in Congress the nation would be much better off." – Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator from Florida
“Paul Ryan has powerfully articulated the choice before our nation: prosperity through freedom versus decline caused by state-imposed collectivism. He has gone further, offering thoughtful reforms that will enable us to restore fiscal balance and achieve our national potential. I cannot think of a better person to receive the Conservative of the Year Award.” – Pat Toomey, U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.
"Paul Ryan has shown needed leadership in addressing America's crucial need for entitlement reform. I was an unapologetic early supporter of the Ryan Roadmap and still hold out hope that many of his ideas won't get derailed by the Left's 'politics-as-usual' antics." – Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee
“Paul Ryan has accomplished a rare feat in American politics: he has managed to change the national conversation in a serious and substantive way. For that alone, he deserves our thanks.” – Pat Sajak, Eagle Publishing Board Member and host of Wheel of Fortune
"Paul Ryan is our domestic Churchill today. He has alerted the American people of the gathering economic storm longer than most, even at the young age of 41. If enacted, his House budget plan, along with his Ryan-Wyden Medicare proposal, may save America from continuing down its current path to economic disaster." – Bill Bennett, Radio show host and former Reagan administration official
“Paul Ryan’s budget and the “path to prosperity” are the roadmap for an America that works. Ryan has designed the U turn on our present road to Serfdom.” – Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform
“Best known for his expertise on the federal budget, Paul Ryan has also been a conservative stalwart on social issues. With a 100% pro-life voting record during his 13 years in Congress, Ryan contributed an essay entitled The Cause of Life Can’t be Severed from the Cause of Freedom to a book published by the Heritage Foundation.” -Phyllis Schlafly, Founder of Eagle Forum
“Paul Ryan is a statesman. He not only has big ideas but focused, workable, and crucial ideas. He also has the personal credibility and professional savvy to explain and promote them. If America is to remain free and prosperous, Paul Ryan and his principled ideas will require more prominence.” – Mark Levin, conservative radio host and author of the forthcoming book Ameritopia
“In a profession filled with unseemly egomaniacs aspiring to positions beyond their natural station, Paul Ryan is the exception. Is there any doubt that the fresh-faced six-term congressman from Wisconsin wouldn't be the ideal, enthusiastic GOP presidential pick-appeasing both the seemingly incompatible DC establishment and the Tea Party with his wonk-pedigree, stoic leadership to go along with his dramatic, bold and necessary plan to confront America's apocalyptic debt crisis? Alas, Rep. Ryan has chosen to tend to his young family-and to his responsibilities as House budget chair-instead of putting them through the surreal, never-ending spectacle of trying to dethrone the mainstream media's secular Dalai Lama, the narcissist-in-chief, President Barack Obama.” – Andrew Breitbart, Publisher of Breitbart.com and Breitbart.tv
“Paul Ryan cogently explains why every person in my generation should embrace conservative ideas: choice and competition, limited government, economic liberty, and a future not saddled with mind-boggling debt. Put it this way: Paul Ryan offers my generation the iPad 2 while liberals in Congress keep trying to sell us eight-track tapes.” – Jason Mattera, HUMAN EVENTS editor-at-large
“I have had the honor of calling Paul a friend since before he was my Congressman. Since serving as his congressional chairman, I have watched Paul lead at the forefront of the conservative movement in Congress and as the head of the Presidential Trust here at the RNC. His values and conservative voice will continue to be a strong influence as we head into a Presidential election year and the Republican Party is better for it.” – Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee
“Congressman Ryan is the conservative movement’s conscience on Capitol Hill. He has consistently pursued a principled, limited government agenda and courageously taken on our nation’s toughest policy issues.” – Al Cardenas, Chairman of the American Conservative Union
“Very few Washington leaders acknowledge the challenges facing America’s young people and offer real solutions. Paul Ryan does. America’s youth are being suffocated by big government policies, and Ryan is courageously leading the effort to maximize our freedoms.” – Patrick X. Coyle, Vice President of Young America’s Foundation
