Tuesday, January 20, 2015YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- New York magazine Monday published a story on what it calls Tim Ryan’s “holistic congressional practice,” detailing his advocacy of the meditative practice of mindfulness and more recently food policy.
The story quickly drew the notice of the Breitbart website, which called it a “fawning” profile that failed to note that “Ryan has spent over a decade presiding over one of the Buckeye State’s poorest districts.”
Ryan's work has been reported by numerous national news organizations including the CBS program 60 Minutes. As his national and statewide recognition grows, so does the potential for higher office (READ STORY) -- putting him on the radar screens of conservative opinion-makers who would oppose him.
In its flattering profile, New York magazine's headline describes Ryan as “The Congressman on a Quest to Make America More Zen."Writes Marin Cogan, “Think Deepak Chopra meets Michael Pollan, in the body of a former high-school football player turned Democratic congressman from the Rust Belt.” (READ STORY).
Pollan is the author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” a best-selling book that outlines the “treacherous food landscape” presented by American supermarkets and fast-foot restaurants. Chopra also is a best-selling author and is described on his website as a “legendary meditation guru.”
Ryan, D-13 Ohio, and Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), invited Chopra to come to Capitol Hill Thursday and conduct a meditation session and news conference. “His talk will explore an integrative lifestyle approach to health and wellness, [and] provide much needed techniques for reducing stress,” states a news advisory from Ryan’s press office.
In his response to the New York magazine story, Breitbart’s Huston diminishes Ryan’s work bringing mindfulness and social emotional learning to elementary schools in Youngstown and Warren. “Readers are regaled about his efforts to secure funding for schools to teach his ethereal mindfulness, which appears to be a PC-sort of conflict resolution,” Huston states (READ STORY).
“Perhaps Ryan’s voters are somewhat used to a congressman from the whackier side of politics. After all, he did replace the extremely whacky James Traficant back in 2002.”
Pictured: Ryan with students at Williamson Elementary Schol in Youngstown, where he secured funding for the Skills for Life program (READ 2012 STORY).
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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