Eric Cantor downplays Donald Trump's birther-centric proto-candidacy

The Los Angeles Times ^ | April 13, 2011 | Michael Muskal

[2ndDivisionVet]

In a sign that Donald Trump’s self-promotion tour and possible run for president continues to make the Republican establishment nervous, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on Wednesday minimized the wealthy developer’s run because he was focusing on President Obama’s birthplace.

“I don't think he is really serious when we … see a campaign launched on the birther issue,” said Cantor (R- Va.) speaking on CNN’s “American Morning.”

Trump has become almost a fixture on cable television shows in recent weeks as he has resurrected the issue of where the president was born. The Obama campaign long ago released documents showing Obama was born in Hawaii, but Trump has increasingly challenged that and has even said he has sent investigators to seek out details.

Trump’s comments and the publicity he has drawn has played to some of the more conservative parts of the GOP electorate and his popularity has soared in recent polls of Republican voters. Trump was running second in a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll and in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Tuesday, Trump tied with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for first among those answering whom they would support for the GOP nomination.

Trump’s rise is being viewed as a signal of the weakness of the GOP field, with about half a dozen candidates swapping the top position depending on who is doing the poll and another dozen candidates forming a second tier....

[Georgia Girl 2]

The RINO herd snorted nervously.

[mel]

yes, Trump is a real MAVERICK

[john mirse]

Have we no conservatives in the Republican Party anymore? Governors Romney, Pawlenty, Huckabee and now Rep. Cantor blow-off the people who want to know if Mr. Obama is truly eligible. Then Gov. Huckabee comes out for in-state tuition for illegals. Except for Gov. Palin, are there any serious candidates? No wonder Mr. Trump looks good to so many people.

******

I have no respect for the LATIMES if they are the newspaper that I came to loathe during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Why did I come to loathe that newspaper? I did so for this reason: LATIMES, if I have the right newspaper, would not release a videotape of presidential candidate Obama severely criticizing Jews before a crowd in LA of Arabs and Muslims.

As far as I know, LATIMES still has that video, and it still won't release it.

So until the LATIMES releases that videotape that is damaging to Obama, I have only loathing for them, because they forfeited their right to be called journalists when they refused to release the Obama videotape.

I hope that the American public will put tremendous pressue on LATIMES to release the Obama videotape during the upcoming 2012 presidential campaign.

[circumbendibus]

Another Republican carrying Obama’s water. F#@k Cantor. I hope he goes to jail for being part of this mega fraud in the WH.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Palin’s spineless, eh, troll?

[freedommom]

I don’t trust Rep.Paul Ryan either ....How do you accidentally vote with the dems..... http://theunionlabelblog.com/2011/03/10/why-did-rep-paul-ryan-vote-for-destructive-union-giveaway/

[ResisTyr]

Unfortunately...How long before Trump gets a family threat, to drop the birther issue, by some evil element of the New World Order elite at the UN, CFR, IMF and/or the Bilderbergers? And the SCOTUS will not allow the chaos that would ensue from an Obama removal...period, IMHO.