It is official! Jack Ryan has dropped out of the race!

WASHINGTON - Illinois senatorial candidate Jack Ryan abruptly abandoned his bid for Congress on Friday, succumbing to a furor over sex club allegations that horrified fellow Republicans and made him a target of late-night comedy.




"It's clear to me that a vigorous debate on the issues most likely could not take place if I remain in the race," said the 44-year-old Ryan, who won his party's nomination in a multi-candidate primary earlier this year.


"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."


Illinois GOP leaders expressed relief. "Jack Ryan made the right decision. I know it must have been a difficult one," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who made his feelings known by canceling a fund-raising event scheduled for Thursday with the senatorial hopeful.


Top Illinois Republicans held a teleconference to begin the work of selecting a successor to Ryan on the ballot this fall. Their choice will become an instant underdog in a campaign against Democratic State Sen. Barack Obama.


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040625/ap_on_el_se/senate_scandal_26


It is a shame this had to happen. Too bad Americans are so fixated on politician's sex lives. I don't care if he is a Republican or a Democrat, I don't like politicians dropping out of races for things that happen in their own bedroom.

I don't think a politician's sex life is an issue either, but when the Repukes have demonstrated time and again that they WANT it to be an issue, fine, so be it.

It wasnt on the front page, yet there was a post saying Jack Ryan was considering dropping, so I assumed no one posted it yet. Sorry about that