Archive for the ‘News Item’ Category

Will Cantor denounce Rush’s remarks?

Saturday, August 8th, 2009

Cantor has saidI’m a firm believer there is a big place for the American Jewish Community in the Republican Party,

Now,

From the Huffington Post Thursday,

Rush Limbaugh continues to put the Republican Party’s leaders in very awkward situations with his controversial, often explosive, remarks. Only a week ago Republican Rep. Eric Cantor, a leader of his party in the House, said that the GOP “needs the Rush Limbaughs” — now the conservative host is putting that statement to the test.

Today on his radio show Limbaugh compared President Obama to Hitler: “Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, ruled by dictate.”

Now from the Huffingtonpost yesterday,

On Friday, National Jewish Democratic Council David Harris called on House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to denounce Limbaugh’s remarks. Pointing out that the Virginia Republican had said more “Limbaughs” were needed in the GOP just last week, Harris called on “Cantor and the Republican Party to condemn Limbaugh and these utterly contemptible tactics.”

“Mr. Cantor, after Rush’s website antics today and comments yesterday, do you really still think you ‘need’ Limbaugh?” his statement read.

The question wasn’t immediately answered, with Cantor currently traveling in Israel. But Harris’ statement got to a larger point: to what extent should the GOP — and, in particular, its Jewish members — be held accountable for the recent bout of Obama-Nazi comparisons?

How will Cantor react now?

Cantor’s Foreign Policy?

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

GOP Delegation In Israel Contradicts U.S. Policy

JEN THOMAS | 08/ 6/09 05:13 AM |
JERUSALEM ? The Obama administration’s policy on Israel is misguided, puts too much emphasis on the issue of settlements and ignores the bigger threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, a U.S. delegation of Republican congressmen visiting Israel said Thursday.

Led by minority whip Eric Cantor from Virginia, the only Jewish Republican in Congress, the delegation of 25 Republicans say their weeklong mission to Israel is designed to show solidarity with the Jewish state and promote Mideast peace. A group of Democratic congressmen are expected to visit next week.

Cantor said that instead of focusing on issues such as Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, Obama should concentrate on “the primary issue of import … and that is the existential threat that Iran poses not only to the state of Israel but to the United States.”

The congressman said he is “concerned about what the White House has been signaling of late.”

Israel believes Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons that could one day be used against the Jewish state. Iran says its nuclear program is meant only for energy production.

Cantor and others supported Israel’s handling of the eviction of two Arab families from a house in east Jerusalem earlier this week, a move criticized by the European Union and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“I don’t think we, in America, would want another country telling us how to implement and execute our laws,” Cantor said.

The Obama administration is pressuring Israel to freeze all settlement activity on lands the Palestinians claim for a future state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to hold peace talks with Israel until such a freeze is implemented.

The congressmen have been meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders and their tour has included visits to West Bank settlements.

Cantor says “Too much emphasis on settlements?” Really? Settlements along with security has been the big issues dividing the Palestinians and Israel. Iran is a separate issue and what does Cantor want to do about Iran, attack? This is re-fried Bush 43 saber rattling, ineffective if not outright risky. Comments Anyone?

Cantor’$ true $trength

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

This item was in politico:

On Tuesday, Cantor hosted a $1.1 million fundraiser at the Capitol Hill Club benefiting his 50 or so Republican lawmakers who make up the House GOP whip team ? a major haul that left members wide-eyed. That?s about $20,000 in lobbyist and political action committee dough for each of Cantor?s deputies.

It seems Cantor is at the pinnacle of all the interests trying to bust up attempts at health care reform.
Also, this was buried in another article on politico. Cantor is a top recipient of money from the health care industry:

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) got even more from insurers: $560,000 over a two-cycle span, $116,000 in the first two quarters of 2009, according to opensecrets.org.

Cantor doesn’t criticize birthers, he blames MSNBC!

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

This was from the plum line

“Mr. Cantor doesn?t question the President?s citizenship, but he has serious questions about the President?s push for government controlled healthcare, taxes on small business job creators, and a huge energy tax on middle class families. He finds it ironic that those most eager to talk about the President?s citizenship are in fact some of his biggest cheerleaders?whether it?s Chris Matthews or others on MSNBC, the Huffington Post, or camera toting liberal bloggers chasing people through the streets of Washington.”

It is interesting that Cantor doesn’t dare question the birthers but tries to blame the “liberal media.”

Eric criticizes the Democratic health care proposals

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

Check out this Washington Post interview of Eric published on July 17th. With the collapse of his GOP colleagues, Cantore has become a contender on the national stage.

Virginia's Cantor on Front Line In GOP Anti-Obama Campaignn

Cantor’s “town halls” this Spring resulted in ethics complaint

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Remember the “Town Halls” that Cantor and other Republican leaders were promoting. I think there was one in Arlington?

This just appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch:

Group files ethics complaint against Cantor

By Tyler Whitley

Published: July 23, 2009

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington-based organization, has filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, with the House Office of Congressional Ethics.

The complaint requests an investigation into a new organization, the National Council for a New America, that Cantor, the House Minority Whip, set up to promote the Republican Party.

Press reports said Cantor’s staff organized the group and its initial town hall event and created its Web site. This may be in violation of House rules that prohibit House resources from being used for campaign or political purposes, said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the ethics organization, called CREW.

House rules allow members to hold town hall meetings only in their own districts, she said. The first meeting was in Arlington County, which is not in Cantor’s district.

“NCNA looks political and Representative Cantor and the group’s other members talk about it in political terms, so it must be a political organization,” she said.

“We are 100 percent compliant with the ethics rules,” said Stacey Johnson, press aide to Cantor. She noted that there are hundreds of caucuses in the House that operate in similar fashion.

CREW’s Web site says it “targets government officials — regardless of party affiliation — who sacrifice the common good to special interests.”

It recently filed a Freedom of Information Act request for information on White House visits by 18 health-care executives.

Eric recommends more tax cuts as an alternative.

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

This excerpt is from the LA Times today,

“But that doesn’t mean we are out of options. Together, we can bring about a strong and real recovery. We can create an environment that empowers small businesses and American workers to thrive. We must focus on job creation and restoring the financial and retirement security lost by millions.

Republican Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia

And for the sake of our children and our long-term fiscal viability, Washington must stop spending money that it doesn?t have.

That’s why every day, my Republican colleagues are fighting to enact policies that will stabilize our economy, create jobs and ignite prosperity. You and your family deserve no less.

Since January, we have offered alternatives to the out-of-control, big government, Democrat agenda that unfortunately became law and has completely failed to create jobs. Our plan is simple and smart — and its strength is that it doesn?t invest in Washington, it invests in the American people.

We believe Washington should stop its war on the middle class and reduce tax rates so every hardworking, taxpaying family in America will see an immediate increase in their income. A prosperous middle class is critical for our entire nation?s well-being.

We believe Washington must stop targeting America’s small businesses and instead should empower them by allowing employers to take a tax deduction to free up funds to retain and hire new employees.”

Before this quote, he gives us the Republican rhetoric about the stimulus plan not working but what is Eric recommending? As we can see in this quote, only tax cuts apparently, but isn’t that a cost too? Didn’t Bush’s tax cuts get us in this fiscal mess?

Also notice that the word Democrat is missing the “ic”? I guess he wants to disassociate the Democratic party from Democratic principles but it just makes him look inarticulate.

Is Cantor hoping Obama fails?

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

We found this on MSNBC.com yesterday:

GOP hammers Obama on job losses

Posted: Thursday, July 02, 2009 11:24 AM by Mark Murray

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor: “House Republicans laid out a serious and substantive agenda that put jobs first. House Democrats, along with the White House, instead took an unfocused, go it alone approach that has fallen well short of its goals and has failed to create jobs.”

Could Eric or an articulate spokesperson for the House GOP please give us the details of this “serious and substantive agenda?” Is it more obstructionism or is there something more?

Cantor’s solution to joblessness and lack of healthcare?

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

An email he sent to the press this morning in response to the high jobless rate:

5. Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), 8:51 a.m.:

“The American people do not support a government healthcare plan that will increase costs, reduce patient choice and flexibility, and lower the quality of care available in our country. The American people do not support the radical Cap & Tax plan which will impose a hard-hitting tax upon families and small businesses costing our struggling economy thousands of jobs…At some point, even the Speaker must realize that enough is enough. Republicans will continue to offer innovative solutions that put job creation first, and we hope that fair minded, centrist Democrats concerned about the direction this Congress has taken will work together with us.”

Eric’s answer is an innovative Solution?:

  • No to to government plan to compete with private insurance.
  • No to Cap & Trade plan as a free market solution to carbon and global warming.