BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: After the State of the Union address by the president, the staffs of various

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: After the State of the Union address by the president, the staffs of various politicians — primarily members of Congress and statewide officeholders — send responses to the media via e-mail.

The Vindicator received plenty of them. But there was one glaring omission.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, who could be seen on TV at the State of the Union address, didn’t have a statement sent on his behalf.

The reason given by his office is Heather McMahon, his communications director, was sick the day of the address.

She’s back on her feet and at the office. Here’s Ryan’s reaction to President Barack Obama’s address:

“The president has clearly turned the national dialogue to jobs. By transferring $30 billion from the Wall Street banks and giving it to community banks, eliminating capital gains for small businesses, and giving tax credits for hiring more workers or increasing wages are bold steps to encourage companies to hire more workers. That is the key: getting our people back to work. Congress, especially the Senate, needs to act quickly to make these plans come to fruition.”

skolnick@vindy.com