House Speaker Paul Ryan’s congressional career has been marked by two things above all else: a fierce dedication to the battle of ideas, and a fundamental sense of decency. His decision not to run for re-election marks the end of an era when conservative intellectuals, dismayed by the excesses and failures of 1960s-era ‘Great Society’ government programs, sought to craft and implement a better path for our country, applying timeless American principles to the problems of the day. Worse, his retirement leaves one less admirable political leader in American public life, at a time when such leaders are in damned short supply.

I was Ryan’s spokesman when Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney chose him as his running mate in 2012, and traveled with him throughout that campaign. I came away with a deep and abiding respect for him, as a politician and as a man.