Cantor won't join House Tea Party Caucus

http://www.politico.com ^ | July 20, 2010 | Jake Sherman

[Maelstorm]

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is taking a pass on the House Tea Party Caucus.

The second-ranking House Republican told POLITICO on Tuesday that he's not joining the group started by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) because he sees it as more of an organic, grass-roots movement rather than a Washington entity.

Cantor praised Bachmann for providing “another avenue for people to have their voices heard" but said he thinks the tea party is better left outside Washington.

“I met with several of groups that operated under that moniker in Virginia; they’re not all uniform,” Cantor said in his third-floor Capitol office. “That’s part of the beauty of the tea party movement; it’s organic. And it’s certainly not Washington. So I think it’s better left with the people.”

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence of Indiana is the highest-ranking and only GOP leader to join the caucus thus far. Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) also declined to join the Tea Party Caucus.

The group's first meeting is Wednesday morning.

The tea party of late has been plagued with its own problems, such as allegations of racism and anti-Semitism. Cantor, the only Jewish Republican in Congress, said he doesn’t condone billboards like the one in Iowa that compared President Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

“I think that certainly those in your profession, not you but some, who certainly want to portray individuals in the tea party as extreme or fringe, but if you look, anecdotally through my experience having met with several, if you look at the public polling about who is involved with the tea party, it’s not,” Cantor said. “The tea party is born out of this deep-rooted frustration of lack of leadership in Washington and two a real anger at the fiscal mismanagement here.”

[cc2k]

J Edgar wrote:

I must plead ignorance on Cantor. Can anyone post a quick summary of Cantor’s voting and position record over he last 2 years?

He seems like a solid conservative on the surface, but deep down, he's a closet RINO.

Follow his money. His "Leadership PAC" was a big contributor to Scozzafava last year ($5,000), also supported Trey Grayson against Rand Paul, again a $5,000 contribution.

And he's one of Sheriff Rich Nugent's supporters down in Florida's 5th district.

Party matters more to him than principles. It shows in some of his votes, and it shows a lot in his contributions to candidates.

---

I stand with Jason Sager in Florida's 5th Congressional District.

[klva]

I think it was Cantor that went to a Britney Spears concert while the Dems were trying to push something terrible through last year. And he wasn’t taking his daughter or anything like that. He actually admitted this! This is who we have representing the GOP!! God help this country!!!

[Theodore R.]

Forget Eric Cantor. We need the old entertainer Eddie Cantor, was that his name?

[J Edgar]

Thanks for this important information.

Death to RINOs (politically speaking, of course)

Cantor is now on my RINO kill list!

[J Edgar]

Mike Pence of Indiana is now on my Must Support list.

[wardaddy]

I used to really like him

his bris musta gotten more than just the foreskin

[Gene Eric]

Looks like Cantor picked the wrong day of the week to make that point...

C’mon folks - we were just bitch’n about Congressional entanglement in the affairs of the Tea Party.

[Paradox]

because he sees it as more of an organic, grass-roots movement rather than a Washington entity.

I TOTALLY agree with him. The Tea Party movement should be non-partisan. If you are a Libertarian or even a Democrat who is afraid of excessive government intrusion into our lives and spending, then you can be a part of it. I know Bachman only means the best, but I think the "Tea Party" as we know it, should be of the People, not the Congress.

[Republic_of_Secession.]

Good point. The tea party movement should remain as independent as possible from politicians.

[mojitojoe]

I agree, there’s something about Cantor in the past year that just doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t trust him, I think he’s a phony and I don’t like him at all anymore.

[stilloftyhenight]

I agree, Leni. The very power of the tea party is that it is the anger and voting power of everyday Americans without a leader. I like Bachmann, but I’m always wary when someone tries to take control and claim a leadership position. It’s a very bad idea, imho.

[org.whodat]

The jerk cantor made his rino position clear when he pushed the bailout, that he now claims he did not do, and his wife received money from the bailout. The SOS needs to be voted out of office.

[Maelstorm]

I am beginning to agree. I met him once and he was nice enough. I really was impressed that he was helping Jim Gilmore out but I don’t know what happened to him. After the bailout mess and the Obama election he is just different.

[maggief]

I’m shocked!

FLASHBACK:

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/newsroom/2009/04/national-council-for-a-new-america-formed.html

Our National Panel of Experts:

Governor Haley Barbour
Governor Jeb Bush
Governor Bobby Jindal
Senator John McCain
Governor Mitt Romney

(snip)

Sincerely,

John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, John Carter, Pete Sessions, David Dreier, Kevin McCarthy, Roy Blunt

Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander, John Ensign, John Cornyn, John Thune, Kay Bailey Hutchison

//

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/republican-party/gingrich-to-be-a-public-face-of-cantors-effort-to-remake-gop/

Gingrich Joins Cantor’s Effort To Remake GOP

[org.whodat]

http://www.mgwashington.com/index.php/news/article/virginians-in-house-split-on-bailout/1810/

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

RINO is all you need to know.His ilk are the main problem with the republican party.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

That should tell everyone just what he is and what he is not.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

You’re so funny.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

OUCH!LOL