Free Republic

In response to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's announcement in Copenhagen earlier today that the U.S. will join rich nations in raising $100 billion in an annual fund to help poorer nations combat climate change, Republican Whip Eric Cantor sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag asking how the government plans to fulfill that pledge. The Virginia Republican put forth a half-dozen questions about where the administration expects to get the money given the growing national debt. "Given our current deficit and the projections of future substantial deficits, where is the federal government going...

Eric Cantor (R) dodges question on Palin's qualification (He's scared of Palin)

To regain its strength, an out-of-power party like the Republicans needs ideas to fuel its recovery and leaders to promote and deliver them. In this war of ideas, those committed to presenting a sensible, philosophically grounded conservative case to Americans play a special role. Because conservatives are distrustful of concentrated power, it is awkward to select just seven Washington power players, but here are my picks...

You apologize for what Rush says. You publicly grovel for some sign somebody you didn't know was carrying at a demonstration. You tell us no Republican will vote for Pelosi's monstrosity. You tell us that Rep Cao is the "face of Republican future." You support a Marxist for NY23. I'm a Conservative who votes for Republicans and donates to them. Apologize to ME.

Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, said his party needs to be inclusive and criticized some comments by talk-show host Rush Limbaugh as inappropriate. “The Republican Party in its roots is a party of inclusion and we ought to be promoting that and making sure that voices are heard,” Cantor, of Virginia, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing today.

Watching these clips back-to-back is simply remarkable. Here we have a mainstream conservative candidate, running in a consistently center-right district, being assailed by both major parties. The Democrats, recognizing the official "Republican" candidate's slide into the abyss, have turned their fire on viable (front-running?) third-party candidate, Doug Hoffman. Well, hello, politics of personal destruction and shameless class warfare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15L_TaolOqg&feature=player_embedded Minor details like Hoffman's humble upbringing (which also shouldn't be an issue), and his lifetime of hard work, are ignored. The success he's earned is used to bludgeon him — which, ironically, reflects the prevailing Democratic position on taxation. The Republican...

A team of conservative bloggers with 73Wire.com arrived in upstate New York's 23rd District this morning and visited the headquarters of liberal Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava: Not only is the NRCC pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into the media campaign of Dede Scozzafava, they're also organizing and coordinating teams of GOTV volunteers in the district. And they're picking up the tab. Our team just finished meeting with a NRCC volunteer named "James" who works out of the Watertown office for the Scozzafava campaign. James informed us that he was sent to Watertown, NY from Washington D.C. as a volunteer...

U.S. Reps. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, and Robert C. Scott, D-3rd, will assess health-care reform at today's Richmond Times-Dispatch Public Square. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. at The Times-Dispatch's downtown offices, 300 E. Franklin St. Cantor and Scott will briefly outline their positions and then open the floor to questions and comments. While legislators statewide have been holding their own health-care town halls, this unique Times-Dispatch event will bring together two of Virginia's congressmen on the subject of health-care reform. Limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign-in starts at 9 a.m. in the front lobby...

Facing fire from his own party over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, President Obama is getting cover from an unlikely source: Republicans. Sen. John McCain of Arizona and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia are among a growing faction of congressional Republicans speaking up for the Democratic president as he faces questions of whether to escalate the U.S. troop presence in an increasingly bloody conflict. Mr. Cantor, who has helped lead the fight in the House GOP caucus against much of Mr. Obama's domestic agenda, voiced support Friday for Mr. Obama's willingness to carry the fight to the Taliban...

Video of Rep Cantor on Rep health care...

Political races are about candidates and issues. But election results, in the end, are about numbers. So now that the dust is settling on the 2008 presidential race, what do the numbers tell us?...History will favor Republicans in 2010... Boehner rose from the political dead in 2006 to become House minority leader. And he has managed to survive again, despite a major leadership shuffle after big GOP losses in the 2008 elections. Boehner arrived in the House in 1990 and has long been known as a reformer. As a top lieutenant of ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), Boehner quickly claimed...

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) generated the kind of buzz other politicians covet when he launched his bid to help rebrand the Republican Party last spring. Television crews and reporters wedged themselves among the crowd of party faithful to cover the National Council for a New America's first event at a packed pizza parlor in an Arlington, Va., strip mall. The resulting coverage dominated cable news chatter for the next week. Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney were also on board. But the council has since flamed out – at least publicly. Since its launch, the National Council hasn’t held a single...

The Democrats just can’t get their talking points right on Eric Cantor (R-VA). It was only last year when Cantor’s name was mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential pick that the Democrats wanted everyone to know he’s a Jew. They didn’t mention the religion of any of the other potential candidates. Now, however, they are accusing Eric Cantor, who is Jewish, of fostering Nazism in the United States. Hari Sevugan of the Democratic National Committee sent out an email earlier today with this: It’s disgusting that rather than condemning this hate filled symbolism and mob activity, the highest echelons of...

As relations between Washington and Jerusalem veer onto unusually rocky terrain, two separate delegations of Congressional Democrats and Republicans will visit Israel in the next couple of weeks bearing a crucial message to the Israeli people: Congress' commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship remains steadfast. America stands with Israel for both moral and strategic reasons. Israel is not only a democratic ally and our only true friend in the Middle East; it is also a vital pillar of U.S. national security strategy. When it is strong - its borders secure, its people free from the threat of Iran and its terrorist...

Though American Jews make up around 2 percent of the population, they have always enjoyed ample representation in Congress, where they account for around 8 percent of legislators. Only one of them is a Republican, but Rep. Eric Cantor, who will visit Israel this month, says Jews belong in the Republican Party. "I'm a firm believer there is a big place for the American Jewish Community in the Republican Party," says Cantor, 46, a Virginian seen as one of his party's great promises. He says he decided to head the delegation of congressmen to visit Israel this month to counteract...

Here is video of GOP Rep. Eric Cantor and Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd on The Today Show this morning where they gave their reactions to President Obama's Press Conference last night. Cantor said he saw a president who is "frustrated" because of his inability so far to sell his Government Health Care Plan. Dodd was his usual evasive, long-winded self as he defended Obama. . . . . (Watch Video)

Marxist political coalition Was active from 1992-1998 Endorsed Barack Obama for Illinois state senate seat in 1996 Co-founded in 1992 by Daniel Cantor (a former staffer for Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential campaign) and Joel Rogers (a sociology and law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison), the New Party was a Marxist political coalition whose objective was to endorse and elect leftist public officials -- most often Democrats. The New Party's short-term objective was to move the Democratic Party leftward, thereby setting the stage for the eventual rise of new Marxist third party. Most New Party members hailed from the Democratic...

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) continued his assault on President Obama's stimulus package on Sunday, calling the economic legislation a "flop." Cantor, appearing on Fox News Sunday, said the $787 billion legislation is not working. In particular, he said small businesses aren't hiring. The Virginia Republican has been a leading critic of Obama and the stimulus package in the last week. He delivered the Republican weekly radio and internet address on Saturday, saying that Obama's economic policies aren't working. Obama has stepped up his defense of the stimulus and his economic policies. He dedicated his Saturday radio and internet...

Talking to Chris Wallace.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today delivered the weekly Republican address on the economy, the Obama Administration’s trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill that isn’t working, and Republican efforts to offer better solutions.

Helping small businesses.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said that Republicans would work with President Obama on a second stimulus bill, as long as it's like the tax cut-heavy package the GOP proposed earlier. Cantor told reporters Monday that Obama made a mistake by pushing through a $787 billion stimulus bill in February that had too much government spending. With the economy still scuffling and unemployment approaching 10 percent, Cantor said that Republicans could back new stimulus legislation that focuses on help for small businesses. "We stand ready and willing to work with the president to produce a bill that will actually...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The No. 2 Republican in the House is comparing some of President Barack Obama's economic policies to those of Russia's prime minister and former president, Vladimir Putin. The House Republican whip, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, tells The Associated Press that Obama is micromanaging the auto industry to win points with Democratic allies and labor unions. Cantor said Thursday that Obama's plans for the auto industry are, in his words, "almost like looking at Putin's Russia." Cantor says the normal rights of secured creditors have been taken away and given to political cronies and the auto workers...

WASHINGTON (AP) — House members and their families suffered through investment losses like millions of Americans last year, a sampling of financial disclosure statements showed Wednesday. The economic downturn also sparked some cautionary moves. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, reported capital losses between $100,001 and $1 million when he sold stock in American International Group, the insurance giant given a hefty federal bailout. ~snip~ Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., known for dispensing pet projects to his western Pennsylvania district, lists his largest asset as $50,001 to $100,000 in Wesbanco, a bank holding company.

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) says he has requested to meet privately with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) this year, but has been repeatedly rebuffed. In an interview with The Hill, the minority whip said, “I have been told that Speaker Pelosi doesn’t like to meet with Republicans … I would say that is the case in my instance. I have put in requests to meet with her and have yet to be responded to.” Hours later, Cantor would be on the House floor, questioning whether the Speaker should continue to receive intelligence briefings. In his floor comments, Cantor grilled Majority Leader...

(snip) "John McCain is an American hero," Zak said of the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. "We're honored and humbled to have his endorsement. We're looking forward to working with him to improve California." (snip) Whitman served as national co-chair of McCain's presidential campaign. She received another endorsement Thursday when House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, announced that he was backing her. "The state needs a leader with a creative vision, with a formula for success that can address the fiscal challenges that you face and there is no one better than Meg Whitman," Cantor said in a statement posted on...

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has signed on to the latest high-profile effort to re-brand the Republican Party — but don't expect to see him take a major leadership role for the National Council for a New America, or make a starring appearance at any of the events on the group's national tour. Organizers of the effort, spearheaded by House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, originally told reporters that Gingrich had not been included in the newly-launched group because his 527, American Solutions, was a partisan entity. (The organization describes itself as a "tri-partisan" network.) Gingrich supporters dismissed...

Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, has come under fire from a watchdog group and Democrats for using taxpayer-funded staff to work on a new policy organization he has set up. A spokesman for Cantor said the House minority whip has done nothing wrong and that policy organizations are common in Congress. The complaints center around the National Council for a New America, which Cantor helped establish recently. It is designed to develop policy through a series of town-hall meetings. When it was announced, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, said it would be bipartisan, but the initial...

Former – and perhaps future – Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants to make one thing clear, he’s not sniping at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, another likely presidential candidate. Earlier this month when Romney and Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., were interviewed on CNN, they were asked about radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh and Palin’s inclusion in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people. Romney quipped, “Was that the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people? I'm not sure. If it's the most beautiful, I understand. We're not real cute.” Some pundits took that...

The Republican Party is not an endangered species but can do a better job of outreach, recruiting candidates and getting the message out, Sen. John McCain said Sunday. In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” McCain responded to a question referring to a story in Time magazine, describing the party as “in distress.” “I probably would not go that length,” McCain said. “We all work in cycles for many years. We have seen parties down and parties up. That’s a great thing about American politics. “But having said that, do we have to do a better job of getting our...

Social conservatives are blasting the National Council for a New America, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) nascent effort to rebrand the Republican Party, as a misguided and weak-kneed initiative that is out of touch with the GOP rank and file. The council, unveiled last week by Cantor and Sen. John McCain, is designed to be a “forward-looking, grass-roots caucus” that formulates policy prescriptions and communicates with voters in a way that could expand the Republican ranks. In announcing the formation of the group, McCain said he hoped the group would attract moderates and “like-minded Democrats” to a series of...

"Cantor angered conservatives recently by voting "present" on legislation related to limiting executive bonuses. He claimed that he did so not because he didn't want to vote against the bill, but because his wife is an executive of a bank that received TARP bailout money."

Though it was reported three days ago that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would officially join the national Republican re-branding effort, the National Council for a New America, House GOP Whip Rep. Eric Cantor wanted to make it really official today. "I am pleased to announce that Governor Palin has joined the panel of experts," Cantor said. "When NCNA was announced last week, we spoke about a dynamic organization that worked to constantly bring in new people and innovative ideas. The launch of the National Council was just the first step in a growing effort to engage the American people in...

The Republican Party is in big trouble and needs to find a way to move back to the middle of the country, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday. Powell said the GOP is "getting smaller and smaller" and "that's not good for the nation." He also said he hopes that emerging GOP leaders, such as House Minority Whip Cantor, will not keep repeating mantras of the far right. "The Republican Party is in deep trouble," Powell told corporate security executives at a conference in Washington sponsored by Fortify Software Inc. The party must realize that the country has...

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will be part of the National Council for a New America, an attempt by leaders in Congress and potential 2012 presidential candidates to rebrand the struggling party. "I am pleased to announce that Governor Palin has joined the National Council for a New America's panel of experts," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) today. "When NCNA was announced last week, we spoke about a dynamic organization that worked to constantly bring in new people and innovative ideas." . . . . . Palin's involvement in the group will help rebut the idea that the National...

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), the 2008 vice presidential nominee, will join a new Republican policy group aimed at reshaping and promoting the party brand. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.)announced Palin’s decision to join the National Council for a New America on Monday night. The group launched late last week and held its first town hall-style forum on Saturday in Virginia. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the 2008 presidential nominee, indicated during a conference call last week that his former running mate had been invited to join the policy panel. The group, which is made up of prominent Republican leaders,...

Yeah. I'm as mad at the GOP as you are -- then again I have been for a long time, not just lately. So, in the hope that something good could come of our losses, I listened in on Eric Cantor's conference call launching the National Council for a New America (NCNA) project and you all saw my immediate report. I patiently listened to Representative Eric Cantor and Senator John McCain and heard the vague overview, I took note of the names that were attached to the project, and I realized the import of the five basic issues that they...

KING: Since the last election, a number of states have moved ahead with same-sex marriage proposals. Some have done it legislatively. Some have done it in other ways. Some has happened through the courts, which I know both of you think is the wrong way to do anything, whether it's same-sex marriage or anything else. But, if, at the end of this conversation, you come to the conclusion that the consensus of the people you're talking to is to agree what Steve Schmidt, John McCain's campaign manager, said, you know, the Republicans are viewed as intolerant because we want constitutional...

It’s supposed to be a listening tour to accompany their launch of the National Council for a New America. So, where do they launch it? With the party at its lowest standing in several decades, Republicans on Saturday launched a listening tour in the heart of the Democratic suburbs, where several of the party’s leading voices steered clear of hot-button issues and instead emphasized the need to advance new policy ideas to revive the party’s prospects. There’s a great idea. Let’s listen to Democrats. That should get the Conservative base involved! House Minority Whip Eric Cantor and former Republican governors...

In the latest instance of a high-profile GOP member taking a passing swipe at the party's 2008 vice-presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney jokingly dismissed Sarah Palin’s inclusion on TIME’s list of influential people in an interview broadcast Sunday. He asked, was “the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people?” . . . . . Romney, who was appearing with House Minority Whip Eric Cantor as part of a party re-launch the two are organizing with other prominent Republicans under the banner of the National Council for a New America, was...

(CNN) – House Minority Whip Eric Cantor and former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said in an interview airing on CNN's State of the Union Sunday morning that the GOP wasn't directly responsible for much of the party's electoral misfortune in 2008. "I frankly believe that much of what happened in the last election revolved around the fact that the economy fell apart at the time we were, if you will, holding the hot potato. Republicans and Democrats have been playing this game, passing the hot the potato, spending money like there was no tomorrow," Romney told John King. "And...

(CNN) — House Minority Whip Eric Cantor tells CNN's John King that the GOP still has a lot to learn from President Obama. "President Obama is a great communicator. We understand that," he said in an interview that aired on CNN's State of the Union Sunday. "He's also been very adept at adopting the technology of today to access the youth vote and the younger population of this country. That's the future, and I believe we've got a lot to learn. The Republican Party can't keep doing things the way it always has in terms of technology." Cantor, along with...

From the description: The NCNA will bring together citizens from across the country to begin a dialogue with the American people through a series of forums, town halls, and an online effort that will engage people in a discussion to meet our common challenges and build a stronger country through common-sense ideas. The NCNA will be a dynamic, forward-looking organization that will amplify the common-sense and wisdom of our fellow citizens through a grassroots dialogue with Republican leaders.

Former governors Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush joined Congressman Eric Cantor to talk health care, the economy and national security at the first town hall meeting for the National Council for a New America on Saturday. But the group steered clear of abortion and same-sex marriage -- wedge issues that have led to the defection of moderates and independents. "Listening to people can make a difference. We've got ideas on how we can help people get health insurance, how we can improve our schools, how we can make our economy strong today as well as down the road, how we...

(snip) On the subject of education, one attendee declared that “people learn more from listening to Rush Limbaugh than they do in high school or college.” And while the leaders said they're willing to embrace the thoughts of the concerned voters, a group of conservative activists who were protesting in the parking lot complained that they were not allowed through the doors. “We’re demonstrating against the fact that this organization set up by RINOs [Republicans in Name Only] have taken immigration off the agenda,” said Michael McLaughlin, a member of the American Council for Immigration Reform, a group seeking to...

(NECN: Washington, D.C.) - Former governors Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush joined Congressman Eric Cantor to talk health care, the economy and national security at the first town hall meeting for the National Council for a New America on Saturday. But the group steered clear of abortion and same-sex marriage -- wedge issues that have led to the defection of moderates and independents. "Listening to people can make a difference. We've got ideas on how we can help people get health insurance, how we can improve our schools, how we can make our economy strong today as well as down...

Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, has helped start an organization that he says will assist in developing policy to confront problems facing the U.S. In a conference call with reporters yesterday, Cantor said the National Council for a New America will solicit ideas across party boundaries from a wide spectrum of national leaders. The founding members are all Republicans, as are the 14 current House and Senate members. Cantor was joined on the call yesterday by Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee in 2008, who is listed as one of the group's "national panel of experts." Cantor and McCain...

This morning I listened in on Eric Cantor's conference call concerning the launch of the National Council for a New America (NCNA) hosted by Congressman Cantor and Senator John McCain. One of the main points that the two men stressed is that this is "not a contract with America," but a "conversation" with her. The GOP leaders also stressed that this is an "inclusive" effort with which they want to hear from all manner of Americans adhering to a variety opinions on today's most pressing Issues. The two also said that this is not an attempt to "re-brand" the GOP....

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said ahead of a meeting at the White House Thursday that Obama and Republicans ... ... on Capitol Hill have gotten off on the wrong foot. "The first 100 days have not been the best days for bipartisanship," Cantor said during an interview on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We've got some very serious issues, and I do think now that we can come together," he said. "We can do better." Cantor added that he wants to tell the president later today that "we want to work with you."

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Republican National Chairman Michael Steele says Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is one of the GOP's current standard bearers. Steele and Palin were in Evansville, Ind., to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life fundraising dinner Thursday night. Organizers say the dinner has drawn an overflow crowd of 3,000 people. Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, has not ruled out a presidential run in 2012. Steele says it's too early to talk about 2012. His list of the party's current leaders, however, also includes former governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York,...