CANTOR CAN'T RECANT
It you want to view a political train wreck, watch a video of House Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor's interview with Leslie Stahl that aired on "60 Minutes" New Years Day.
Cantor has been taking a lot of heat from fellow Republicans for being the highest profile, non-compromising obstructionist in Congress, and is being given much of the blame for the abysmal 9% public approval rating for Congress. The nearest fictional character Americans think of when Cantor's name is mentioned is the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. What to do?
In Cantor's case, its to appear on 60 Minutes and show his human side. We see Cantor in a sweater beaming as his son says he's "pretty cool" because he likes rap music. You get the picture.
Turning to politics, Ms Stahl grilled Cantor on his championing the GOP Tea Party freshman class mantra of not compromising one bit with the President's job creation and tax initiatives.
Cantor said he'd never compromise his principles like his idol Ronald Reagan. When Stahl corrected him, asserting Reagan raised taxes, compromising that very Reaganesque principle, a voice off camera, Cantor's press secretary, boomed out: "That just isn't true... I don't want to let that stand". Cantor was both stunned and embarrassed.
To drive home the utter falsity of Cantor's position on compromising, Stahl showed the Gipper himself, asserting in a budget speech that he had to raise taxes "in the spirit of compromise".
The interview showed Cantor for what he is: a phony, insatiably ambitious partisan, utterly captive to the Tea Party faction he's using to take over John Boehner's Speakership position in the next Congress. His major legislative focus is on maintaining, if not increasing, tax cuts for his rich base to the detriment of real job creation and sensible deficit reduction.
Memo to Congressman Cantor: If you want to appear more human, ditch the sweater and the rap music and do the work of the 99% instead of that of the Tea Party and the wealthiest 1%. You will not only appear human....you'll be human.
Originally published in USA Today, January 4, 2012; also published in the Daily Herald, January 8, 2012
Cantor has been taking a lot of heat from fellow Republicans for being the highest profile, non-compromising obstructionist in Congress, and is being given much of the blame for the abysmal 9% public approval rating for Congress. The nearest fictional character Americans think of when Cantor's name is mentioned is the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. What to do?
In Cantor's case, its to appear on 60 Minutes and show his human side. We see Cantor in a sweater beaming as his son says he's "pretty cool" because he likes rap music. You get the picture.
Turning to politics, Ms Stahl grilled Cantor on his championing the GOP Tea Party freshman class mantra of not compromising one bit with the President's job creation and tax initiatives.
Cantor said he'd never compromise his principles like his idol Ronald Reagan. When Stahl corrected him, asserting Reagan raised taxes, compromising that very Reaganesque principle, a voice off camera, Cantor's press secretary, boomed out: "That just isn't true... I don't want to let that stand". Cantor was both stunned and embarrassed.
To drive home the utter falsity of Cantor's position on compromising, Stahl showed the Gipper himself, asserting in a budget speech that he had to raise taxes "in the spirit of compromise".
The interview showed Cantor for what he is: a phony, insatiably ambitious partisan, utterly captive to the Tea Party faction he's using to take over John Boehner's Speakership position in the next Congress. His major legislative focus is on maintaining, if not increasing, tax cuts for his rich base to the detriment of real job creation and sensible deficit reduction.
Memo to Congressman Cantor: If you want to appear more human, ditch the sweater and the rap music and do the work of the 99% instead of that of the Tea Party and the wealthiest 1%. You will not only appear human....you'll be human.
Originally published in USA Today, January 4, 2012; also published in the Daily Herald, January 8, 2012
posted by Walt Zlotow at 8:52 PM
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