he showed an early interest in politics working as a staffer for senator bob kasten while he was still in college at miami university in ohio. after graduation our guest was a speech writer for jack kemp and worked for kemp's empower america think tank. kemp later told washingtonian magazine that ryan's strength is that he is "an activist conservative, not a stick in the mud conservative." according to the almanac of american politics, while representative ryan worked on capitol hill, as a legislative director for sam brownback, he also moonlighted as a waiter and fitness trainer. in 199 , at the ripe old age of 28, he was elected to congress and became chairman of the budget committee in 2011. has all but -- all but the terminally obtuse will recall he was the republican party's vice-presidential nominee in 2012. so ends the buy graphingal portion of the program and now the ever so compelling recitation of ground rules. we're on the record here. please no live blogging or tweeting and no filing of any kind while the breakfast is under way to give us time to actually listen to what our