Bob Franken: Ryan Gets Out While the Getting's Good

In Washington politics, rarely does anybody fully mean what he or she says. But few who know Paul Ryan doubt that he's sincere when he explains that he's abandoning his all-consuming job as House Speaker to spend much more time with his wife, Janna, and their three kids. Believe it when he says he's not running for re-election to Congress because he's longing to be more than a "Saturday dad." So, he'll be going home to Janesville, Wisconsin, as a private citizen next year. However, another reality in Washington is that there usually is more to the story.

The speaker is immensely powerful on pa...