At USSA event in Columbus, Paul Ryan tells hunters thought of second Obama term makes him ‘shudder’

by Chad D. Baus

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan was the keynote speaker at the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance 16th Annual "Save Our Heritage" Rally in Columbus on Saturday, and made national news when he told attendees that he "shudder(s)" to think what President Obama would do "if he never has to face the voters ever again."

From ABC News:

"You see the federal government already infringing upon the First Amendment right to religious liberty," Ryan said, referring to the federal mandate that all employers include insurance coverage for birth control.

"I see the president put these kind of regulations out there in a tough election year that could cost him votes, I wonder, I shudder as a gun owner, seeing his record when he was in the Illinois State Senate, what would he do if he never has to face the voters ever again?" Ryan said. "These are the kinds of questions we think about.

"The next president will appoint a lot of different judges and these are lifetime appointments," he said. "If you want to make sure that judges respect our Second Amendment rights, you need a president who respects those rights as well."

According to the article, Ryan stressed that his ticket would "respect the Second Amendment."

Again, from the article:

Ryan is an avid hunter and an accomplished bow hunter and this state's season for bow hunting kicked off today. He was welcomed into the group of fellow sportsmen with a gift of a 20 gauge shot gun.

Ryan grabbed the gun and held it, but then gave it back citing congressional ethics rules. He donated it to the silent auction, which already had a hunting hog decoy, South African safari, and Alaska fishing trip up for grabs.

He told the group to "remember one thing: we are all taxpayers."

"That means we as taxpayers own our public land," Ryan said. "Hunters are the original conservationists. Bureaucrats more and more these days think that public lands have to be protected from hunters. I myself see it another way; I think hunters need to be protected by the bureaucrats."

The House Budget chairman was clearly comfortable talking to the group, mentioning that he takes his family hunting and telling the crowd that his 10-year-old daughter, Liza — for whom he bought a hunting outfit last week — would begin hunting this year.

To cheers from the crowd, he warned the audience "to remember…there are people, some of whom work in the federal government, that don't believe in open access to our public lands, who don't agree with this heritage" and the "right to keep and bear arms" is an "individual right."

The article went on to report that before Ryan took to the stage, Rob Keck, a supporter and director of conservation at Bass Pro Shops as well as the host of a television outdoors show, sung the praises of Ryan's running mate, Mitt Romney, as a leader, giving him a strong endorsement and pitching him to the audience, but also as a hunter, while still admitting that "Mitt did not grow up hunting."

"The fall a year ago I had the opportunity to share three days of elk and pheasant hunting with Governor Romney," Keck told the audience while photos of that hunt flashed on screens above the stage. "Well let me tell you, Mitt's a fun guy in camp, and he's a fun guy out in the field. But more importantly, what I experienced was that he was tough, rugged, decisive and has a clear mind and vision and shares the same strong family and God-fearing values of life that I do and I think many of you do.

"Admittedly, Mitt did not grow up hunting. He doesn't claim to be an avid hunter," Keck said. "But I can tell you in those days that I spent with him in a hunting camp, and believe me as I'm sure you know you get to know an awful lot about a person when you get time in the field and in a camp, he doesn't claim anything more than he understands hunting and angling's economic and political engine — that powers America — and I might mention he's one heck of a shot on ring-neck pheasants, too."

Several Buckeye Firearms Association leaders were in attendance, and in a separate article forthcoming, our own Larry Moore will write about his interview with Ryan.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.