Identify the Brat ...
Posted on 08/01/2014 7:28:09 PM PDT by Din Maker
Now-former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) will resign from Congress on Aug. 18, nearly two months after his surprise GOP primary defeat.
Cantor announced his plans in an interview with his hometown newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the same day he officially stepped down from GOP leadership.
According to Cantor, his decision is timed so that Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) can call a special election to coincide with the regular Nov. 4 general election. “I want to make sure that the constituents in the 7th District will have a voice in what will be a very consequential lame-duck session,” he told the Times-Dispatch.
Long seen as the Speaker-in-waiting, the 14-year incumbent was dealt a surprising defeat at the hands of Randolph-Macon College economics professor Dave Brat (R) on June 10. Cantor has since endorsed Brat, who faces another Randolph-Macon professor, Democrat Jack Trammell, in November in the heavily Republican district.
"I hope he will win," Cantor reiterated in support of Brat.
Earlier Thursday, Cantor bid his colleagues farewell one last time in an emotional speech before he passed the torch to incoming Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
"This is a privilege of a lifetime," he told a packed House chamber.
It looks like in VA, the parties nominate candidates for a special election. If the Republicans nominated Brat and he won he’d have seniority over other freshmen.
Would his seniority over the other freshman just apply until the Jan 2015 term begins?
This immigration debacle is going to put the stink on everyone in Congress.
It is about Cantor being an Asshole!
I'm almost positive he doesn't forfeit his pension, although it might be reduced. He has 14+ years as a congress critter, plus about 9 years in the VA House of Delegates. He won't be hurting.
They should be required to disclose all the benefits they leave with...including the fact that that they can set up a private non-profit and transfer all of their campaign funds into that non-profit under their total control and live off the earnings forever without paying one cent in income tax...
I think Cantor is angling for a job with an investment bank. He’ll make several million a year for doing little work.
I don’t agree that they should have to disclose all that info, but I do disagree with their being able to keep their campaign funds.
He will be set for life if he just retires- I believe that if he just serves one term, he gets an exorbitant amount of “retirement”- AFTER TWO YEARS!
How much do you get after just 2 years? I thought you had to serve more than that to get a “retirement” from Congress.
Assuming all goes as planned and Brat runs/wins the special session vote then he’ll have a
couple of months seniority on all the newly elected candidates taking office in Jan. 2015.
I have no idea how much. I remember when Gabby Gifford got shot (disabled) she needed more time than she had for medical benefits, that’s why she stayed on. I think that she had about six years, but I’m not sure. But I’m almost positive that one term congress critters are very well off, after two years, but I don’t know details.
Here’s the real story, I was wrong. It’s not as unrealistic as I thought.
I think he’s going to ask (or maybe it will have to be done) McAuliffe, as gov, to have a special election in November. Presumably the same person wins both the regular and the special election and would take office immediately.
I imagine Cantor was clear on this before he tendered his resignation.
But what I really wanted to say was: this thread needs the “well bye” guy.
Cantor is resigning from Congress to take a very well paying job at a prestigious Washington lobbying firm of Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe. Once you’re bought, you stay bought, but you get better perks by moving on to the civilian sector. That’s were the serious money is.
Words of advice: Eric, don’t let the door hit you on your ass on the way out.
What a shi-thead. With a move like that, it is beyond obvious that he never cared one iota about the people that he was supposed to represent. He should be forced to serve out his term to the end - or lose that pension. If this is the way that the cry-baby-old-has-been-establishment-republicans are going to act, just get out now and save us all the time and expense of voting your asses out of office. Step aside and let someone who wants to truly represent people in a true representative republic.
This action opens up a hornet’s nest with all kinds of scenarios – you could conceivably have 4 different candidates on the ballot on the one Election Day for the same position, essentially ... Also, you could have a Rep from one party during the mini-term, then the permanent replacement from the other. Plus the wasting of time & resources, as many others have pointed out.
Not that you should ever base a candidacy strictly on what your opponents might say about you, but this gives the Dems a further opportunity to spin this into the GOP “not caring about the citizens of the district”, etc. and diverting from the real issues in front of the voters.
You are right that the Democrats can run another stooge during the special election just to muddy things up.
People might vote for the special candidate thinking that they voted for the permanent candidate.
Democrats can use the special candidate to say awful things about Brat (who might not even run in the special election) just to taint him with campaign monies not tied to the general election. In effect, Brat might be running against two Democrats.
If Cantor does this, he should fund Brat's campaign for the special election, too. Let Brat run in both elections and get seated immediately.
Best is for Cantor to honor his commitment, stop being a spoiled brat himself, and finish out his term.
-PJ
Identify the Brat ...
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