I've been thinking lately about the prominent rise of Barack Obama and the 2004 Illinois Senate race against Jack Ryan, in which Ryan crashed and burned when his divorce records were unsealed and the Republicans subsequently ran Alan Keyes, as a carpetbagger who “moved” to Illinois to run for the seat late in the race. Keyes ran a disastrous and doomed campaign that launched Obama's rise. Ryan dropped out of the race in late June. Obama gave the keynote speech at the Democratic convention in late July.
I was thinking about this after reading the What Happens to Presidents thread, and so I did an RI search for a prior thread that touched on the subject, which led me to doing some general searching of newspaper archives to get back to the original material.
I had to wade through a lot of right-wing crap, including a top link from Ann Coulter's blog, since apparently this topic became one of interest among those circles in the 2012 election in relation to Romney's tax records. Some of them had some interesting tidbits, but there were enough obvious factual errors and spurious assertions I couldn't stand to put much time in checking out the reliability of said interesting tidbits.
That said, I'm trying to put together a data dump of info related to this specific part of Obama's political career in order to illuminate the circumstances of his rise to the presidency.
What happens to presidents thread
http://www.rigorousintuition.ca/board2/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36764
Chicago Tribune: Court sets release date of Ryan's divorce file
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0406180364jun18,0,169467.story
By Michael Martinez and Rick Pearson Tribune staff reporters
June 18, 2004
LOS ANGELES—
Dealing a blow to the U.S. Senate candidacy of Republican Jack Ryan, a California judge ruled that several sealed divorce records likely to embarrass the candidate and his ex-wife should be opened to the public.
Ruling on a request brought by attorneys for the Tribune and WLS-TV, Superior Court Judge Robert Schnider acknowledged that the resulting publicity from the disclosure would be harmful to the couple's son, a key argument Ryan had raised in seeking to keep the documents from public view.
Related
Jeri Ryan Jeri Ryan
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But Schnider said he had weighed the public interest of disclosure against the private interests of the Ryans and their child. "In the end," Schnider found, "the balance tips slightly to the public.
"They were aware they were in a public court system and protection from embarrassment cannot be a basis for keeping from the public what's put in public courts," said Schnider, referring to Ryan and his ex-wife, actress Jeri Lynn Ryan. Additionally, Schnider said, "the openness of court files must be maintained, so that the public ... can be assured that there is no favoritism shown to the rich and the powerful."
Schnider ruled that allegations the Ryans made against each other in their 1999 divorce would be released, though documents directly pertaining to the welfare of the couple's 9-year-old son would remain under seal. He acknowledged that in approving the release of the documents, "the nature of publicity generated will become known to the child and have a deleterious effect on the child."
The judge did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.
The case files are to be publicly released on June 29, Schnider ruled. Attorneys for Ryan, the wealthy investment banker turned teacher who won the March Republican Senate primary, and for his former wife said they had to consult with their clients before commenting on whether they would appeal. Jeri Ryan has starred in such television shows as "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Boston Public."
....
Chicago Tribune: Ryan file a bombshell
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0406220247jun22,0,3744432.story
By John Chase and Liam Ford Tribune staff reporters
June 22, 2004
Republican U.S. Senate nominee Jack Ryan's ex-wife, TV actress Jeri Ryan, accused him of taking her to sex clubs in New York and Paris, where he tried to coerce her into having sex with him in front of strangers, according to records released Monday from the couple's California divorce file.
Jack Ryan denied the allegations when they were made in 2000, when the couple was engaged in a bitter child custody battle a year after their divorce.
Related
His honesty questioned, Ryan vows to stay in race His honesty questioned, Ryan vows to stay in race
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The papers were released by California Judge Robert Schnider following his decision last week to unseal portions of the Ryans' divorce file.
Attorneys for the Tribune and WLS-Ch. 7 sought release of the records, but the Ryans had fought disclosure because they said it could harm their son. The Ryans decided not to appeal Schnider's ruling.
The political impact of the revelations on Jack Ryan's candidacy will play out over the next several days. One prominent Illinois Republican, U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of Peoria, said he was "shocked" that Ryan would run for public office carrying such baggage and called on him to get out of the race.
Reaction from other Republicans ranged from caution to outright defense of Ryan.
"We're not looking at trying to replace Jack Ryan. He's an excellent candidate," said Dan Allen, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "We feel this race will be decided on the issues."
Still, other Republicans acknowleged that Ryan's political future was in doubt. An adviser to President Bush said the revelation made it more likely the Bush-Cheney campaign would steer clear of Illinois.
Ryan is facing Democrat Barack Obama in the November general election to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Illinois). Obama said it would not be "appropriate" for him to comment on the revelations. "Obviously Mr. Ryan and his supporters will be discussing this and I don't think that's my role," Obama said.
Among the hundreds of pages of documents released was a legal filing dated June 9, 2000, in which Jeri Ryan said she knew her marriage was over by the spring of 1998. She went on to contend that her then-husband--whom she repeatedly refers to as "respondent" in the filing--surprised her with trips to the cities but didn't tell her he planned to bring her to sex clubs while there.
"They were long weekends, supposed `romantic' getaways," Jeri Ryan said in the filing. "The clubs in New York and Paris were explicit sex clubs. Respondent had done research. Respondent took me to two clubs in New York during the day. One club I refused to go in. It had mattresses in cubicles. The other club he insisted I go to."
In releasing the files, Schnider allowed many passages to be blacked out. In the portions that were released, Jeri Ryan gave details of the trips she says she was taken on to clubs in New York and Paris. She also alleged that Jack Ryan took her to a sex club in New Orleans, but no elaboration on that trip was included in the released portion of the file.
In responding to Jeri Ryan's charges, Jack Ryan six days later described the accusations as "ridiculous" and accused her of trying to "libel" him with what he called "smut." He implied that his ex-wife had made them to ruin his reputation as he contemplated a political career.
"I was faithful and loyal to my wife throughout our marriage," Jack Ryan said in the filing. "I did arrange romantic getaways for us but that did not include the type of activities she describes. We did go to one avant-garde nightclub in Paris, which was more than either one of us felt comfortable with. We left and vowed never to return," Jack Ryan said.
He also accused Jeri Ryan of hiding a love affair from him while they were married.
On Monday, following the release of the documents, Ryan was asked several times by reporters if he stuck by his claim in the divorce file that the charges from his ex-wife were untrue. He declined to answer directly, referring repeatedly to his statement in the divorce file.
Ryan said he fought release of the files not to avoid personal and political embarrassment but to protect his son.
"A lot of people were saying to me the last three months it's politically damaging to keep these files sealed, just release the files," Ryan said. "But what dad wouldn't do the same thing I did? What dad wouldn't try to keep information about your child, that might be detrimental to the world knowing, private? Even the things moms and dads say to each other, about each other, should be kept away from children."
Ryan's campaign on Monday released a statement attributed to Jeri Ryan in which she did not retract the allegations about the sex clubs but also went on to declare that her ex-husband had never been abusive or unfaithful during their marriage.
....
Chicago Tribune: Ryan quits race
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0406260116jun26,0,5023725.story
aff reporters. Tribune staff reporters Christi Parsons, Ray Long, John Chase, David Mendell and Rick Pearson contributed to this report
June 26, 2004
Beleaguered Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Jack Ryan ended his campaign Friday, leaving his party scrambling to find a replacement with enough money and magnetism to mount a serious challenge against Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
Ryan had been under attack by a wide range of party leaders for a lack of candor following the release this week of previously sealed records from his divorce from TV actress Jeri Ryan, giving rise to what one prominent Republican called "buyer's remorse."
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Jack Ryan had fought the release, insisting he was trying only to protect his son and not to hide embarrassing information. But the files showed Jeri Ryan had accused her ex-husband of taking her to sex clubs and trying to pressure her into having sex in front of others.
Ryan met with staff Friday morning to inform them of his decision to quit the race. Later, he issued a statement explaining he was stepping down because a fixation on the divorce charges meant that a "debate between competing visions and philosophies" could not take place in the Senate race.
"What would take place, rather, is a brutal, scorched-earth campaign--the kind of campaign that has turned off so many voters, the kind of politics I refuse to play," Ryan said.
Republican pressure on Ryan to step aside began Monday with the release of the files, including one document in which Ryan vigorously denied the allegations of his ex-wife.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Schnider released the information as the result of motions filed by the Chicago Tribune and WLS-Ch. 7.
Calls for Ryan's withdrawal intensified throughout the week as party officials--saying Ryan misled them about the extent of his ex-wife's allegations--warned of the damage he could do to an already struggling party's chances in November.
On Thursday, U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Plano and state GOP chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka called U.S. Sen. George Allen, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. They asked him to pull the plug on Ryan's campaign, according to a GOP source who spoke frequently with top Ryan campaign staffers.
Ryan held out until Friday, as U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, whom Ryan was seeking to replace, and some other GOP senators urged him to fight on. Even before the release of the court files, Ryan had trailed Obama by a wide margin in public opinion polls, and his decision to quit came after his campaign commissioned yet another poll to gauge public response to the growing divorce file controversy, the Republican source said.
The results arrived Friday morning and convinced Ryan that he had been too damaged by the revelations to recover, the source said.
On Friday, Topinka said Ryan's "decision was a personal one." She denied that the state Republican Party pressured Ryan to drop out, saying state leaders recently backed off to ensure Ryan felt it was his decision alone.
"He had a lot of great ideas, but they probably would have been overshadowed by this controversy," Topinka said. "We appreciate what he did for the greater good of the party."
Meanwhile, Obama, a Democratic state senator, praised the work Ryan has "done as a teacher and as a civic leader throughout the state."
"What happened to him over the last three days was unfortunate," Obama said. "It's not something I certainly would wish on anybody. And having said that, from this point forward, I think we will be continuing to talk about the issues."
....
The Smoking Gun: Senate Race Sex Scandal
Actress says Illinois pol sought liaisons in kinky clubs
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/senate-race-sex-scandal
JUNE 22--In what may prove a crippling blow to his U.S. Senate campaign, divorce records reveal that Illinois Republican Jack Ryan was accused by his former wife, actress Jeri Ryan, of pressuring her to have sex at swinger's clubs in New York, Paris, and New Orleans while other patrons watched.
The bombshell allegation is contained amidst nearly 400 pages of records ordered released yesterday by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge who ruled on media requests to unseal documents from the Ryan case. The salacious charge leveled at the politician was made by Jeri Ryan, who has starred in TV's "Star Trek: Voyager" and "Boston Public," in a court filing in connection with child custody proceedings.
You'll find a portion of that heavily redacted September 2000 document here.
The performer alleged that she refused Ryan's requests for public sex during the excursions, which included a trip to a New York club "with cages, whips and other apparatus hanging from the ceiling." While Ryan, a former Goldman Sachs executive, confirmed the trips with the actress, he described them simply as "romantic getaways," denying her claims that he sought public sex.
The politician has repeatedly claimed that his divorce file--portions of which were sealed in 2000 and 2001--contained no embarrassing information that would harm his chances against Democratic nominee Barack Obama. The Ryans were married in 1991 and, in November 1998, Jeri Ryan filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences."
Another unsealed document reveals that Jeri Ryan, as part of the divorce settlement, received about $20 million in Goldman Sachs stock, while Jack Ryan retained a $40 million stake in the investment giant. (8 pages)
Fox News: Ryan Drops Out of Ill. Senate Race
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/06/25/ryan-drops-out-ill-senate-race/
Published June 25, 2004
FoxNews.com
CHICAGO – Republican Jack Ryan (search) dropped out of the Illinois Senate race Friday, saying he wanted to avoid a "brutal, scorched-earth campaign" that was likely to follow the recently-revealed disclosure of sex club allegations made in his divorce records.
Ryan's 1999 divorce from "Boston Public" actress Jeri Ryan (search) made news four days ago when unsealed court papers showed she alleged that he asked her to have sex with him in nightclubs while others watched.
Ryan denied the allegations, and his ex-wife issued a statement of support for her former spouse.
Click here to view Ryan's divorce records.
"It's clear to me that a vigorous debate on the issues most likely could not take place if I remain in the race," Ryan said in a statement on Friday.
"What would take place, rather, is a brutal, scorched-earth campaign — the kind of campaign that has turned off so many voters, the kind of politics I refuse to play. Accordingly, I am today withdrawing from the race."
Ryan decided to bow out of the race to replace Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (search) after Illinois GOP leaders urged him to quit.
Before Ryan's departure from the race, U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (search) said the candidate had "very little support" in the Illinois congressional delegation. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., who had publicly called on Ryan to step down, went farther, saying: "I don't think there's any support."
At a news conference shortly after Ryan's announcement Friday, state Republican leaders said that Ryan was not forced out of the race and that national GOP officials still believe the state is winnable.
Illinois Republican Party chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka said the party hoped to have a new candidate with in three weeks to replace Ryan.
After Ryan's announcement, Hastert said Ryan "made the right decision" and added that he is confident the Illinois Republican Party "will select a candidate who will unite Republicans throughout this state and quickly launch a winning campaign."
Among the candidates who could replace Ryan are dairy owner James Oberweis and state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, both of whom lost to Ryan in the primary. Also mentioned as possible replacements have been former state Board of Education Chairman Ron Gidwitz, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and former Gov. Jim Edgar, who said he wasn't interested. Rauschenberger suggested the party might also ask Sen. Fitzgerald to reconsider his decision to resign.
Aides to the candidate had concluded that he could not have succeeded in his contest against Democratic state Sen. Barack Obama (search) unless he redoubled his campaign efforts with a massive infusion of cash from his personal fortune and a negative turn. That decision followed overnight polling to gauge his support in the wake of the allegations.
Ryan was said to have refused to take that route.
Republicans are now at a definite disadvantage as they try to come up with an alternative to take on Obama. Illinois Republican Party leaders were planning to meet Friday afternoon to discuss the next step.
Obama, who had been leading polls since the March primary, avoided getting in the way of Ryan's fall, and said Friday he didn't care to talk about the allegations.
"I feel for him actually," Obama said on WLS-AM. "What he's gone through over the last three days I think is something you wouldn't wish on anybody. Unfortunately, I think our politics has gotten so personalized and cut-throat that it's very difficult for people to want to get in the business."
Ryan's dropping out had little to do with winning the seat, but rather was motivated more about concern that he would pull down Republican candidates for other seats, said several party strategists.
But not everyone had wanted to see Ryan drop out. Fitzgerald — who is resigning after one term in the Senate — and the National Republican Senatorial Committee stood by him.
Fitzgerald said Friday that he had encouraged Ryan to stay in the race, calling the response to the scandal "grotesque."
"I told him that it troubled me greatly that so many party leaders who had no trouble stomaching years and years of corruption and insider deals and scandals under George Ryan [no relation to Jack Ryan] were now lining up to throw stones at Jack," Fitzgerald said.
"I think the public stoning of Jack Ryan is one of the most grotesque things I've seen in politics," he said. He said he talked to Ryan on Thursday but hadn't spoken with him since then.
After the records were disclosed on Monday, Jeri Ryan did not comment on the allegations, but said her ex-husband would make a good senator. The two fought the unsealing, saying it would harm their 9-year-old son. The Chicago Tribune and Chicago TV station WLS sued to have the records released.
Ryan, 44, was a political neophyte when he got into the race, a millionaire investment banker who had left business four years ago to teach at an all-boys parochial school in Chicago. He spent $3 million of his own money to win the Republican primary.
With his telegenic looks and Harvard background, Ryan was seen by many as the party's best hope of revitalization in Illinois after a devastating 2002 election, in which state Republicans lost control of the governor's office and nearly every statewide office, and an ongoing corruption scandal involving former Gov. Ryan, who has since been indicted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/06/25 ... z2ZGHbOwNx
