Tim Ryan takes a jab from Fallon on Tonight Show

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan was in bed with the TV off, responding to a couple of text messages when his cellphone went a little crazy.

That’s because “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon had a little fun during Tuesday night’s monologue at Ryan’s expense.

“Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan is making news by saying that if John McCain were president, we’d currently be in seven different wars [pause] as opposed to now when it’s only like [pause] six wars. Good point though, good point,” Fallon said.

Ryan, who wasn’t watching, but is a Fallon fan — “he’s as cool as it gets,” the congressman said — started getting more text messages and saw mentions of the joke on his Twitter feed.

“I said, ‘Holy cow, that’s hilarious,’” said Ryan of Howland, D-13th.

Then his phone nearly blew up as Ryan has set up a web search every time his name is mentioned on television.

“It started with every NBC affiliate on the East Coast at midnight,” a half hour after the show started, he said. “Then it happened again at 3 a.m. from affiliates on the West Coast.”

The 15-second clip can be seen online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoRJp28GiQ8 — Ryan’s official YouTube channel.

“Pretty good, huh?” Ryan said. “It was funny. I called my wife and said, ‘Man, I made it. It’s all downhill from here.’”

Read more on how the national mention came about in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.