Things Could Get Pretty Messy

[Rheo]

WSJ:

'Look, we know we screwed up when we were in the majority. We fell in love with power. We spent way too much money—especially on earmarks. There was too much corruption when we ran this place. We were guilty. And that's why we lost."

That's the confession of Eric Cantor, the 47-year old congressman from Richmond, Va. If Republicans win back the House in November's elections, Mr. Cantor would be the next majority leader—the second most powerful post in that chamber behind the speaker. And he could be Barack Obama's worst nightmare.

His mea culpa for Republican sins when they ran Congress pre-2007 is part of his unorthodox pitch for why voters should give the GOP another chance at power. They appreciate Mr. Cantor's honesty. And he assures them that the changing of the guard—evident by his own rise since his first election in 2000, and the ascent of others like Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Jeff Flake of Arizona and Jeb Hensarling of Texas—signifies a new direction for the party.


We sit down just as the Democrats have thrown in the towel on extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. This means that every tax filer, not only those earning more than $200,000, may get socked with a higher bill next year. "I'm stunned," he says. "In the House and the Senate we have a bipartisan majority against allowing there to be tax hikes on anyone right now."

So why has Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked that vote? "She can't let that vote happen," Mr. Cantor says, because extending the tax cuts "would take the rug out from their entire class warfare rhetoric and argument."

When I ask him to describe his relationship with Mrs. Pelosi, he says flatly that it is "nonexistent." "The speaker has absolutely demonstrated she is not interested in having any policy discussions over legislation with Republicans, period."


What about the debate over the $812 billion stimulus at the very start of the Obama presidency? Mr. Cantor recalls that shortly after Mr. Obama won election, "he came up here and met with [Minority Leader John] Boehner and me and there were a lot of nice words exchanged. We told him, 'Hey, we have got some ideas on the economy.' He said 'Bring them on.'" At the White House only a few weeks later, "Mr. Obama said to us, 'Look, elections have consequences and I won.'"

Republicans "never even saw the stimulus bill" until it was voted on, says Mr. Cantor. "We had no opportunity to add to it or amend the bill at all. It was take it or leave it." In this atmosphere, it's hard to imagine Mr. Obama grabbing a beer with Mr. Boehner or Mr. Cantor the way that Ronald Reagan famously did with Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill.


Mr. Cantor's economic outlook is certainly one that resonates with conservatives. But many are grumbling that the Pledge to America didn't also include a promise to end earmarks. "Don't mistake this year's Republican caucus with next year's," Mr. Cantor responds. "We're going to do real earmark reform even though it was missing from the pledge. If you look at the makeup of the conference right now, and then add on to that the incoming freshmen class, those folks aren't coming to Washington [for] . . . pork-barrel spending. They really aren't."

Another concern is that Republicans lack a coherent growth agenda beyond simply cutting spending. To this, Mr. Cantor objects: "We will start by unraveling the economic damage that has been done by their agenda, whether it's health care, or whether it's the financial reg reform or regulations from EPA that are strangling businesses."

[nickydog]

I like the way this man talks!

[cudjo]

I hope he sticks with what he's saying

[Rheo]

It was a really good interview.

 

Me, too, cudjo! and nickydog!

[Stella]

I know several people out here who are hoping that he runs for President.

[pinz]

I'd love to see Cantor and Ryan get Congress headed in the right direction before spending the time it takes to run for President. They both are young, with time to reform one branch of the government at a time.

 

I'm liking Sarah more and more for President. She's got more balls than half of the Republicans in DC.

 

I'm liking more tagline now than I did when I attached it in Nov. '08 (mostly as a joke!).