Posted on 02/10/2014 7:18:10 AM PST by xzins
Once thought of as a possibly more conservative alternative to establishment Republican Speaker John Boehner, establishment Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA-7) long ago proved he is fully invested in Boehners lobbyist-driven legislative agenda.
The Murray-Ryan budget and Amnesty for illegal aliens are just the latest in a long list of betrayals conservatives have suffered at the hands of Eric Cantor.
From breaking the spending caps in the sequester, to voting for the Wall Street bailout through the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), when faced with a choice between business -as -usual and fighting for limited- government constitutional conservative principles, Cantor always sides with Big Business, Big Government and the Capitol Hill establishment.
Due to the fact Cantor occupies the number two leadership position in the House Republican Conference and can use that position to use the legal extortion Capitol Hill politics have become to raise a vast campaign war chest, it has been long-assumed (especially by the Republican elite) that his position is unassailable.
Enter Dave Brat, chairman of the department of economics and business at Randolph-Macon College, whom Amanda Chase, Cantors former political director, told National Review Online is probably the first time that Eric has had a credible opponent with a comparable education and background.
He had two CRs at the end, one in favor of the shutdown and one opposed to the shutdown at the same time, Brat told National Review Onlines Betsy Woodruff. And thats fairly symbolic of unprincipled leadership. I mean, thats not a leadership position, where youre on Side A and Side B at the same time and youve got your finger up in the air, checking which way the wind is blowing.
In addition to chairing the colleges economics department Brat also heads Randolph-Macons BB&T Moral Foundations of Capitalism program. The funding for the program came from John Allison, the former CEO of BB&T (a financial-services company) who now heads the Cato Institute.
According to reporting by Woodruff, Brat and Allison share an affinity for Ayn Rand: Allison is a major supporter of the Ayn Rand Institute, and Brat co-authored a paper titled An Analysis of the Moral Foundations in Ayn Rand. Brat says that while he isnt a Randian, he has been influenced by Atlas Shrugged and appreciates Rands case for human freedom and free markets.
While we like Dave Brats intellectual background (got a business degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, then went to Princeton seminary) and especially the way his religious background informs his views on economics: Ive always found it amazing how we have the grand swath of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and we lost moral arguments on (fiscal-policy issues) the major issue of our day, he told NROs Woodruff, Dave Brat isnt some egghead professor hes the candidate of the grassroots limited government constitutional conservatives and Tea Party movement activists.
Its a big decision to fire your congressman and replace him with somebody else, Larry Nordvig, head of the Richmond Tea Party told NRO, but I think people are tired of hearing the rhetoric and seeing the opposite of what theyre looking for in a conservative leader.
We couldnt have put it better Larry.
As we keep reminding ourselves and our friends and readers: It's the Primaries, stupid!
Eric Cantor long ago abandoned whatever principles he may have had when first elected and, we should emphasize, any pretense of serving in Congress to advance conservative governance. Eric Cantor is all about maintaining the power of the Republican establishment and that is indeed the opposite of what we are looking for in a conservative leader.
The Virginia Republican primary election is June 10, 2014. To learn more about Dave Brat or volunteer or contribute to his campaign go to www.davebratforcongress.com or contact:
Friends of Dave Brat P.O. Box 5094 Glen Allen, VA 23058-5094 Phone: 804-496-8214 Email: campaign@davebratforcongress.com
The Virginia Republican primary election is June 10, 2014. To learn more about Dave Brat or volunteer or contribute to his campaign go to www.davebratforcongress.com or contact:
Cantor primaried
McConnell primaried
Boehner primaried
Graham primaried
Is PAUL RYAN, backstabbing, anti-veteran pseudo-conservative being primaried?
I wish Mr. Brat all the good wishes that I can!
Yes. By one of our own,
Support FReeper Eric Gurr to oust John Boehner in OH-8
Also, press your Representative to NOT support Boehner for Speaker - or Cantor, either!
Me, too. We need to remove all the cinos.
Some might say that rinos are the traitors and cowards, but a cino pretends to be in favor of preserving those things that have produced America’s greatness, they get involved with those doing this vital mission, and they stab them in the back.
I don’t care about the republican party.
But I care about preserving the greatness and exceptionalism of America.
If Eric Gurr is opposing John Boehner, who is opposing PAUL RYAN.
I can’t vote against Cantor but I can contribute to his opponent.
I tried to make a contribution but was unable to. There was no way to contribute by credit card......checks only....
That is EXACTLY what is wrong with the GOP Establishment and the RAT Party, in general. Everything that they care about is the advancement of The Party even if that means that the Constitution and the Country suffers.
I am NOT a “Party First” kind of guy. What matters to me is to return our government to what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they laid it all on the line. Anybody that can’t agree with this philosophy has no business at all in being in any Public Office in my humble opinion.
He betrayed conservatives totally.
I just tested it. CCs work fine. Click on the $15 button on the right - you can change the amount on the next screen.
Enter Dave Brat, chairman of the department of economics and business at Randolph-Macon College, whom Amanda Chase, Cantors former political director, told National Review Online is probably the first time that Eric has had a credible opponent with a comparable education and background.
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That sentence is so poorly constructed that I had to read it more than once. Why is Cantor’s former political director making a favorable statement about this guy? Context would have been helpful.
On a positive note, this guy sounds like a godsend if all of this info about him is true. I would imagine he can take it in the political ring, too; with a name like Brat, he had to develop a thick skin growing up.
All sorts of great campaign slogans/signs could be played off the name Brat.
Well said!
I wonder if the former campaign director has decided Eric is a phony and has left the reservation?
Good! Take out the weasel.
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