Earle Mack, a Brooklyn-born businessman and former ambassador under President George W. Bush, is the major force behind a “super PAC” that is attempting to draft the Representative Paul D. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin and speaker of the House, as the party’s presidential nominee.
Mr. Mack said in an interview that he would spend up to $1 million on “The Committee to Draft Speaker Ryan,” which was formed last week, but has kept its backers secret until now. Mr. Ryan has disavowed the group, which is plowing ahead anyway.
Mr. Mack will serve as the honorary chairman of the group. He said he had no animus toward Donald J. Trump, the front-runner for the party’s nomination.
“I’ve never had any fights with him,” Mr. Mack said. “Our parents were friendly. Fred Trump used my father’s contractors to build his house.” But he added, “It all comes down to winning the election, not dividing our party, and I think that this presidential election has descended into more of a schoolyard scuffle.”
Mr. Mack, who was the ambassador to Finland, said he believed the tone of the campaign had touched “them all with the finger of pollution.” Winning a general election would be a struggle for all of the candidates after so much mud has been flung, he added. Mr. Mack said that Mr. Ryan was not aware of the effort while the group was being put into place.
The push is expected to include digital ads and other measures. The group’s chairman and senior adviser is Rob Cole, who was the top adviser to the presidential campaign of George E. Pataki, the former governor of New York. Susan Del Percio, a Republican strategist in New York, will be another senior adviser. David Catalfamo, a former spokesman for Mr. Pataki, is also working with the group.
Talking about throwing bad money after worse. Look, Republicans, if you're trying to get Paul Ryan in your race after Super Tuesday, something has gone horribly wrong.
And that's good for the Dems for once.
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