Some respect for Paul Ryan

A couple of days ago, Paul Ryan announced that he is not running for re-election. Much ink has been spilled, many pixels have been darkened, and unending TV time has been spent talking about the "real reasons" that he is stepping down. Retiring to "spend more time with my family" is such a cliched cover for other motivations that perhaps it's hard to imagine that it could be real.

Ryan has three teenage children, and in his announcement, he said "I know if I spend another term, they will only know me as a weekend father," and he didn't want to look back at having missed that time. As a father of three children looking at the trailing end of teenage years, I am grateful for the time I have had to spend with them during that time. I wouldn't have missed it for anything, not even a powerful job in Washington (not that such a job has ever been in my career plans).

Are there other reasons? Perhaps. In reality, there always are. The job doesn't seem to be much fun now. It seems impossible to get anything done in Congress. But does that mean we can't (or shouldn't) take his statement at face value?

Many have questioned his timing as well. He spoke to that in his announcement: that running for another term, then resigning, would not be honest with the people of his district. He is, after all, a Congressional representative from a particular district. I think we all expect our representatives (and senators) to remember where they are from, and who they represent, even as they conduct the business of the nation.

In other words, Ryan has told us about two central values: his family and his responsibility to his constituents. Living up to those values deserves respect, even if we disagree with his actions as a Representative and as Speaker.

And, if they aren't the real reasons, aren't they at least values that we would want our political leaders to live by?