The Washington Times

Rep. Paul Ryan, Sen. Rand Paul ratchet up speculation of White House runs

They didn’t say they would — but they didn’t say they wouldn’t, either.

In separate television media appearances over the weekend, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul ramped up rumors of 2016 presidential runs. First came Mr. Ryan, who was asked directly on ABC if he would try to turn his vice presidential candidate experience into a presidential campaign in 2016.

“Will I or won’t I? I don’t know,” he said, Roll Call reported. “I don’t know the answer because I am just not putting a great deal of thought into this.”

Meanwhile, on Fox News Sunday, Mr. Paul fielded his own White House questions.

The Republican Party is “doing fine in congressional seats,” he said, according to the Roll Call report, “but we’re becoming less and less of a national party.” When asked if he would run for the higher office in order to make a point about the party’s dwindling influence, he said, according to Roll Call: “I would absolutely not run unless it were to win.”

**FILE** Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, testifies before a state legislative committee on the legalization of growing hemp at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort, Ky., on Feb. 11, 2013. (Associated Press)

Enlarge Photo

**FILE** Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, testifies before a state legislative committee ... more >

Yes or no? Fox News Chris Wallace pressed Mr. Paul for an answer.

“We won’t make a decision until 2014,” Mr. Paul said, Roll Call reported.

© Copyright 2013 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

About the Author
Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus
You Might Also Like
  • Boy Scouts vote, now allow openly gay boys to join

  • IRS official Lois Lerner is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 22, 2013, before the House Oversight Committee hearing to investigate the extra scrutiny IRS gave to tea party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status. Lerner told the committee she did nothing wrong and then invoked her constitutional right to not answer lawmakers' questions. (Associated Press)

    IRS head Lois Lerner, who invoked 5th Amendment, may be compelled to testify

  • President Obama answers questions during his new conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on April 30, 2013. (Associated Press)

    Obama defends drone strikes, reignites Gitmo debate in crucial speech

  • Celebrities In The News
  • Backstreet Boys singer-songwriter Nick Carter has written the memoir "Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It." (AP Photo/Bird Street Books)

    Nick Carter: Backstreet Boy pens memoir

  • Debbie Reynolds: We all knew Liberace was gay

  • "Glee" star Lea Michele attends the Fox Network 2013 Upfront party at Wollman Rink in Central Park in New York on Monday, May 13, 2013. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

    Lea Michele: ‘Glee’ star has book scheduled for 2014