http://dancingczars.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/%E2%80%9Cour-churchillian-moment%E2%80%9D-by-paul-ryan-chairman-on-the-house-of-representatives-committee-on-the-budget/
“Our Churchillian Moment” by Paul Ryan, Chairman on the House of Representatives Committee on the Budget.
I feel honored tonight for a special reason. Twenty-one years ago my mentor, the late Jack Kemp, was given the very first of these awards. And he loved receiving it. He loved to quote “Sir Winston,” along with his other political heroes, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.
He admired these men because of their dedication to the power of ideas – especially the idea that human freedom and equality of opportunity were the greatest forces for good the world has ever known.
Twenty-one years ago – receiving this very honor – Jack spoke of Churchill’s attachment to the Declaration of Independence – especially its moral defense of the ideas he loved.
People jokingly called Jack a bleeding-heart conservative, but he was effective precisely because he insisted on making the moral, humanitarian case for the economics of freedom.