Cantor Rejects Rush Limbaugh Rhetoric

ABC News ^ | 03/01/09

[cc2k]

During our exclusive interview on "This Week," Republican Whip Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., rejected comments made by Rush Limbaugh at the CPAC conference.

<Snip> Limbaugh said Saturday to the conservative conference, "What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundations?"

Cantor today rejected Limbaugh's rhetoric.

"So the Rush Limbaugh approach of hoping the president fails is not the Eric Cantor, House Republican approach?" I asked.

"Absolutely not," Cantor said. "And I don't -- I don't think anyone wants anything to fail right now. We have such challenges. What we need to do is we need to put forth solutions to the problems that real families are facing today."

[itsahoot]

I wonder what Cantor thought he was doing.

Silly he wants the MSM to love him. Rush warned the incoming freshmen, that the MSM would never love them, but they didn't listen then, they probably won't listen this time either, Cantor has revealed himself, now what do we do?

[itsahoot]

I doubt he truly understands what Rush ACTUALLY said with regard to this.

Matters not, he understood what he himself said, and it was clearly not in line with conservative feelings on the issue.

[itsahoot]

Bob Hope Says

[MamaDearest]

This was a made-for-TV statement made for consumption by the dimbulbs who watch MSM “news” shows.

These MSM Sunday morning shows are nothing more than political informercials.

[dforest]

These wimpy, spineless republicans are so afraid of the MSM and try so hard to make those inclined not to like them, like them.

What they do is make the people who are inclined to want to like them, despise them for their lack of courage and principle. They cannot even defend their own. RATs do that, they rarely if ever, crap on their own.

What people like about the speech Rush gave was that he was brave enough to speak the truth and take the heat when the MSM and the scurrilous democrats attack.

It is hard to speak the truth when you know you will be flamed. It also gains a person respect.

Problem with Cantor and his fellow pubbies is that they are not respected and do not deserve respect for being too weak to really stand up.

Or else, the truth may be that they agree with Obama on most issues. Now that is a very ugly thought.

[M Kehoe]

Is there such a term as "de-RINOing" the Republican party?

Arlan, if you (and educated Pennsylvanians) are reading this, you have got to go, period.

5.56mm

[Huck]

Yeah, I know. Sigh.

[fiodora]

“I formerly believed that he has the Right Stuff.”

I heard him speak several times during the Stimulus-Scam and thought he had the right stuff, too.

[justiceseeker93]

Surprised they would even invite Cantor on their show. I never though he was their kind of Republican.

Leave it to Stephanopoulos to make a big deal out of a minor disagreement between conservatives.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I’m not surprised, he was very tepid on with Hannity after Obama’s speech Tuesday night. I commented on it at the time on the SOTU thread and people were quick to remind me that Cantor is a great conservative. It seems to me ALL Republican’s but Limbaugh are afraid of Obama.

[Arizona Carolyn]

If people would listen to the complete Limbaugh paragraph then the choice is clear — support Obama’s determination to turn us into a liberal, one world, nation or fight him every step of the way. I vote for #2 and Rush.

[cc2k]

Click your handle to go directly to your reply:

• Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
• SumProVita
• SoCalPol
• SuziQ
• mono
• MeanWestTexan

Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus wrote:

One bad vote does not automatically turn everybody into a RINO. The same Republicans who went spineless in that vote also held the line on Porkulus, and appear to be holding the line on the subsequent stuff as well.

It wasn't his only bad vote. And he's not alone making bad votes.

The Republican leaders, Boehner, Cantor, or whoever steps up to the plate, need to figure out what they stand for. Then they need to consistently speak and vote in line with their principles. They can't complain about secrecy and rushed legislation and then vote to rush the second biggest spending bill of the year to a vote. They can't say they think they have better solutions and then say they hope Obama's solutions work.

SumProVita wrote:

At present he has his hands full with this omnibus bill and the new proposed budget....all geared to redistribute wealth....which he mentioned in the interview more than once.

The Omnibus Spending bill is done in the house. Cantor was one of the Republicans that voted to rush it through.

Still, he was ill prepared for this interview. With Rush on Fox and CSPAN last night, Cantor had to know there would be an attempt to discuss Rush and his remarks.

SoCalPol wrote:

It is the usual third party anti GOP loons who always look for a chance to divide Conservative Republicans on FR They are the Democrat’s best friend

Yeah, I'm beginning to realize that not only did Cantor fall for George's traps in the interview. It looks like I fell for George's second trap with the article that started this thread.

The Disney division of the Party Propaganda Ministry has had a good day today. And I feel like I've been played.

SuziQ wrote:

The proof is in the pudding. How has Rep. Cantor voted? He joined ALL of the House Republicans in voting against the Porkulus bill.

And he voted to rush the Omnibus Spending Bill through before anyone had time to read it.

There are really two problems here:

• Republicans haven't defined what their core principles are. They need to figure out what it is they stand for. This is something that online forums like this might help to develop or tune.
• Once they figure that out, they need to speak and vote consistently in line with their principles.
• They need to go into every interview with the Party Propaganda Ministry with the understanding that they are talking to enemy propagandists. The interviewer is not your friend! Don't give them any material that can be used to grandstand against you. And don't give them anything that can be used to anger your base.
• Use youtube, the web, and whatever other means necessary (including buying ad time on the networks) to get the Republican principles and solutions in front of the people. The Party Propaganda Ministry will never allow the debate to put Republican Principles and Solutions in a positive light.

mono wrote:

That is RNC Chairman Steele and now Representative Cantor(R) that have panned the Limbaugh speech at CPAC. Good weekend for Obama as GOP circular firing squad assembles!

Part of the problem is that these Republicans aren't being careful.

The other part is that the Party Propaganda Ministry is reporting dishonestly, specifically to drive a wedge through the base. The headline of this story isn't an honest statement of the interview. They took a couple of quotes out of context. I'll admit that Cantor was saying things he shouldn't have been. He was ill prepared. He should have recognized the traps and avoided them.

He gave them the material, but the Disney division of the Party Propaganda Ministry exaggerated it to start arguments like this thread. This article was another trap. And I fell for it.

MeanWestTexan wrote:

Cantor does need to learn he is dealing with evil people.

So do we. Before we post these articles and start these fights, we should all have considered the possibility that the Party Propaganda Ministry overstated the headline, and misrepresented much of what Cantor said. I know I've learned something today.

But Cantor would have been better off if he were prepared better. He shouldn't have given them the material to start this squabble.

[MeanWestTexan]

That’s a really stout post, and I am proud of you.

The media is our enemy. They are the master of propaganda.

[bvw]

A stout post? Get boch! Ale’s well that ends well.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Just sent a FAX to Cantor AND Boehner!

[johnthebaptistmoore]

What we got here is failure to communicate.

[randog]

i>"There is no question the Republican Party has to return to be one of inclusion, not exclusion," Cantor said when I asked him if he was willing to move the party to the middle on issues like the environment and gay rights.

This from a guy with a 100 ACU rating. Either the ACU has it all wrong or this guy Cantor is going RINO.

[Carling]

As that reads, Stephanie didn't put Rush's comments into perspective before asking Cantor that question.

That said, if Cantor really wants Obama to eliminate the capitalistic system and hopes he succeeds, kiss his ass goodbye as far as I am concerned. Good riddance.

[WaterBoard]

It’s not a ‘minor’ disagreement among Republicans.

You either support the socialization of the US economy of Obama (Cantor) or you hope Obama fails (Rush).

This is a core ideological firewall for Republicans. Small government.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

It wasn't his only bad vote. And he's not alone making bad votes.

The Republican leaders, Boehner, Cantor, or whoever steps up to the plate, need to figure out what they stand for. Then they need to consistently speak and vote in line with their principles. They can't complain about secrecy and rushed legislation and then vote to rush the second biggest spending bill of the year to a vote. They can't say they think they have better solutions and then say they hope Obama's solutions work.

So he's a RINO because of one bad final vote and one procedural vote? I'd have to guess....there's not a politician alive who "deserves" your vote, is there?

No. Cantor has a 100% pro-life record, he has a 100% pro-gun record, he has a 100% from the ACU, and despite the two votes you cite, he has a good record on fiscal conservatism, too.

Look, I realise that no amount of facts or figures thrown at you are going to change your mind. Cantor's a stinkin' RINO, and by gum, that's all there is to it. Who cares if he's practically the most conservative member of the Congress.

Seriously though, my advice (take it, or two nickels, whichever is worth more) is that maybe you start looking at the bigger picture here. You are not in a position of power. You don't have to balance the pressures being felt on every side by people in elected office. You probably don't even have any idea how heavy those pressures are. It's easy for you - Mr. Joe-Blow sitting in your Barkalounger behind the screen of your Dell laptop - to cast stones because you don't have any idea what it's like to be in office, to field constituent calls, to have to face hostile interviews from annoying yet tricky twerps like George Stefanieopolis. Plus, there's just the simple matter of decorum (my next post) - I'm sorry, but no elected official in their right mind is just going to come out on national television and say they want the President to fail. They just aren't, and not doing so doesn't make them a RINO, either. You know what I wish? I wish that conservatives such as yourself would decide that they want to help to persuade Republican elected officials to listen to us, instead of driving them off. If I were a Cantor staffer (and I'm not, just for the record), and I was seeing posts like your own appearing on a conservative site like Free Republic, my response would not be "well hey, maybe we'd better try to pander to those guys!" It would be, "Oh yeah? Well, why should we bother with you anywise if you're 'never votin' Republican AGAIN EVER!!!!!'?" If anything, posts like yours will probably have a net effect of moving Republican politicians to the left - since they'll feel the need to make up votes from the centre - instead of to the right, which is where they'd move if they felt that their natural constituency was firm and solid.