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In Brookfield Stop, Paul Ryan Steers Clear of Drama, Pushes Congressional GOP Agenda

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) speaks with business and community leaders at the Waukesha County Business Alliance luncheon on October 13, 2016 in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has been in Donald Trump's crosshairs this week. That's because Ryan said that although he'll vote for Trump, he’ll focus these remaining weeks leading up to November's election on keeping GOP control of the House, not on helping Trump campaign. Ryan made his comments after the video surfaced last week, showing Trump making lewd, predatory comments about women.

With the Trump-Ryan rift grabbing headlines, the media packed into a speech Ryan had scheduled in Brookfield on Thursday. But he had other issues on his agenda.

"Guess what? We are actually running on ideas in this election," Ryan said. Ryan spoke to several hundred people from a Waukesha County business group. "There is an actual choice between two different schools of thought, two different philosophies, two different agendas before us in the country. But you wouldn't know it if you turned on the computer or TV, would you?"

Ryan told the crowd he wanted to take a break from the drama on TV and twitter. He spent about 20 minutes outlining the house GOP agenda, never referring to Trump by name. The audience seemed relieved. Jodi Fabbri says she was pleased the speech stayed above the fray.

"It was refreshing that he talked about something other than the mudslinging of the day. It was nice to hear about real issues and offering real solutions," Fabbri said.

Fabbri agrees with Ryan that few people, including her, know much about the issues at play in the Congressional elections, because the drama in the presidential race is getting so much attention. Mike Ziegler is glad he didn’t have to hear about it Thursday.

"I appreciated the way he handled it and I appreciated (that) he focused on what his message is and really didn't get into any of the mudslinging," Ziegler said.

Ziegler says people in the business community are eager to turn their attention to substantive matters.

"Getting people working, getting people out of poverty by providing a method and means for them to work," Ziegler said.

Doug Yeager also was pleased Ryan balked at the opportunity to comment on the presidential race.

"I don't think anyone was disappointed, and I don't know exactly what he could have said. That is a circus act into itself," Yeager said.

Yeager says he hopes voters turn their attention to House and Senate races, to ensure there are "grownups" in the nation's capital, come January.

By the way, House Speaker Ryan's challenger believes he can benefit because of the rift between the congressman and Donald Trump. Democrat Ryan Solen is boasting that he’s hearing from disappointed Republicans, that they're now planning to support him, instead of Ryan.

Ann-Elise is WUWM's news director.
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