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Subscribe to RSSNowadays, Eric Cantor, channeling an insurance actuary, says disaster-relief funding needs to be offset by cuts elsewhere -- be it for tornado cleanup in devastated Joplin, MO, or damage from Hurricane Irene and the recent earthquake centered in his own district. He told constituents as much the day after the earthquake.
This morning, we clipped a piece in The Hill, which quotes a statement from the Virginia Republican in 2004 requesting federal funds following Tropical Storm Gaston -- without calling for cuts elsewhere.
Now, Sam Stein at Huffington Post points out that, in 2004, Cantor actually voted against a bill that would have done exactly what he's now calling for:
"[A] bemused Democratic source notes that in October 2004, Cantor voted against an amendment to an emergency supplemental bill for disaster aid that would have "fully offset" the cost of that supplemental with "a proportional reduction of FY05 discretionary funding" elsewhere. Funding for defense, homeland security, and veterans was exempted from the proposed cuts. But the amendment, introduced by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), would do precisely what Republican leadership is proposing to do now."
Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring chalks it up to the ballooning national debt for the apparent change of heart. Dayspring tells Stein:
"[T]he national debt at the time was under $8 trillion and was $8.67 trillion when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker, Today the debt stands at $14.625, meaning that while Democrats controlled the purse string, the national debt literally exploded. We are living in different times."
Different times, indeed.
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Cantor is a selfish, mean spirited little weasel that will do whatever he can to hurt the American people as well as "Our President"
I wonder if we follow the $$$$$$ trail we might get a better understanding of who the little weasel is working for
Hopefully in 2012 the America I knew will return and the right wing will and must be defeated for the betterment of our country
Maybe Congress is finally growing up and being responsible!!!!
Yeal! keep it up Eric, keep it up GOP/TP ilk.
Your grand view is driving a knife into your own backs! as you drive a knife into the backs of the American Middle Classed.
2012 is just right around the corner!
We will remember!
Get use to the unemployment forms!
Keynsian economics is a farce. The free ride eventually catches up. That is why the Soviet Union failed and Europe is failing. Not enough responsible freedom loving people.
I'm sad to say that I'm in Mr. Cantor's district! I feel that I am morning the passing off when our representatives knew when to stop the politics and become legislators and get things done.
You mean get socialism done.
spanky-
look over those resumes and hire somebody please.... dont expect corporate welfare. be competitive and stop expecting the taxpayer to subsidize your expansion. Tax credit/corporate welfare same thing. For a guy preaching self reliance and then to say...
Funny part is I have a HUGE stack of resumes on my desk right now. I figure I'll hold off until I see if I'll get a tax credit for a new hire. I love me some tax credits. :)
you are make yourself part of the problem. where is the "keep government out of my way" attitude. Don't you see the 2faced statement here?
Greg Freemont
Maybe you missed the part about how big corperations in this country pay more to their CEO's than they pay in Federal Taxes. That hurts ALL of us. Ronald Reagan realized this and after giving the Richest among us a big tax break, he soon realized it would lead to a wreaked US economy and started rolling back those breaks:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/02/06/reagan-mythology-obscures-and-denies-the-real-reagan-accomplishments/
va_curmudgeon #27 - Wed Aug 31, 2011 5:25 PM CDT
Hello:
I dont care what politics you might hold, Thus said: the Mr. Cantor's mind think and Ilk of NO. Only gold it to get rid of the current POTUS is hurting this nation.
Whats that old proverb
United We Stand,,,,, Divided We Fall
What the Hel@ are they doing !!
Vote Him and his Ilk OUT! 2012!
Cantor is NOTHING but a partisan slut. He will do anything, say anything and lie about anything to get perceived recognition. He IS what is wrong with our country. Voters of Virginia, get rid of this creep!
Congress, as far as Virginia is concerned if this wing-nut Cantor insist on turning it down, send their FEMA $ to North Carolina.
It's actually coming to surface. Finally, the majority of Americans are starting to see that the Republican leadership has one objective. Defeat and destroy President Obama at any cost. Even at the expense of the American people....
Just look at the rejection and challenges President Obama has faced with
1. The debt ceiling challenge. 2. The jobs speech 3. Hurricane Irene assistance.
It is disgusting how they disrespect the President of the United States....
I am neither a Republican or Democrat, but, I can say this, I am sick and tired of the Republicans silly politics. In my opinion they have lost my vote for 2012...
President Obama, you are the ADULT IN THE ROOM
What is Cantor going to do for disaster relief efforts when "heads start to explode around Washington" like Dick Cheney asserts???
And the fools keep rushing in...
Americans are getting increasingly tired of the Tea Party/GOP flip-flopping principles. It's called political expedience.
Cantor is the reason that people are looseing faith in our system what would happen if his house had got damage , he cannot hold these people and decide not to fix up anything because of the cut he wants , what about the damage in virginia did it get repaired or will it get repaired
Vote the teabaggers out!! We've seen enough of their negativity. They have all sold their souls to the Koch brothers....they are the Dick Armey...headed by Dick Army...and will step on the faces of the poor and middle class until we no longer have a voice. They are doing it now. You can stop it with your vote!
Another example of Tea Party ignorance when it comes to the government and its Constitutional mandate to provide for the Common Welfare in times of disaster. What would we slash if our nation was under attack, if an epidemic occurred, or if 9/11 had happened while the Tea Party was in Congress?
The Tea Party carries the Constitution around just as some people carry the Bible, for support of ideology/doctrine rather than something to read and follow.
Most politicians are "against it before they are for it" . That's "growing up" on the job as a politician, in many cases . It's funny that no "journalists" on msnbc write articles about Obama's "for it before he was against it" style. There are many examples but I will only mention one here. Obama voted AGAINST raising the debt ceiling when he was a senator BUT very recently wanted it raised ( all the while demonizing the repubs. who didn't want it raised).
LEONA-2986819
You and the rest of the Teapublicans need to get real and get educated. President Obama was against raising the debt ceiling because he want to go back to the Clinton era tax rates instead, but Republicans and Bush Jr. refused to do this and continued the Tax Breaks for the Rich/Super Rich to the detriment of the US economy. When President Obama took office he tried to roll back these tax breaks like President Reagan did but the Teapublicans blocked his efforts.
President Reagan understood what tax Breaks to the Rich/Super Rich would do to the US economy, so he cut them:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/02/06/reagan-mythology-obscures-and-denies-the-real-reagan-accomplishments/
Cantor and the Teapublicans are not out to help this country they are out to make themselves historical ICONS and the rest of us can go @!$%# ourselves.
Hey MajorTom, We have a different view of politics and the world, that's obvious. That aside, as we would never agree on who's right politically, my comment here was strictly about how politicians often "change their tune" as they go along. A nice article on all Obama's "change of position" on issues is in order! Ooopppsss ! I forgot, this is MSNBC. Hypocrites !
LEONA-2986819
Dosen't change the facts of my post, now does it?
MajorTom, I respectfully wonder how anyone can support a President/Dem Party who has gotten such terrible results in the last 3 years. He only got elected because the American people believed all that "Hope and Change" hype from the media. We must learn from our mistakes and move on. Don't hold on to a sinking ship and devastating results which will only make our country decline even more.
( Heck, The European Socialists even thought about taking the Nobel Peace Prize away from Obama because he turned into a "War President")
LEONA-2986819
The terrible results of the last three years are a DIRECT result of Bush and the Boy's:
Bush and his administration took a 5 Trillon Dollar Federal Debt with a Budget Surplus a Stable economy and 5% unemployment.
And left Obama with 10 TRILLION dollar Federal Debt, a Budget deficit, an economy on the brink of total collapse and 7% unemployment and rising.
Bush and the boys raised the Debt Ceiling 7 Times!
Bush's and Obama's economic experts ALL said the same thing, either "Bail Out" or "Crash and Burn". Bush and the boys left Obama no choice in the matter, you can thank Bush and the boys for todays mess.
Let me quote Dick Cheney so you might better understand: "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." The war in Iraq will be over in 6 weeks, 6 months max." "Not to worry the Iraq war will be paid for with Iraqy Oil profits".
Bush's tax cuts to the Rich/Super Rich eviscerated the US economy then we have Bush and the Boy's hiding the REAL cost of the War until Obama took office.
We are still in the Bush and the Boy's "Vietnam" in Iraq. Obama has been warned from many experts, if we pull out now, we leave a vacuum that will be filled by Al Qaeda and we will have to go back in to root them out. The War with Iraq should have never happened. Dick Cheney, before he was elected Vice President and before 9/11, already had plans for a war with Iraq. You do know that Saddam Hussein was OUR pitbull in the Middle East, WE funded his war against Iran! Now that he's gone, Iran has a Nuclear Weapons program. If Saddam Hussein was still in power that would have never happened.
Major Tom, I realize you are not a nut ( you are thoughtful in your answers) but do you work for the Obama Admin.? Well, if not, they should be paying you. You have their talking points down. As far as Iraq goes, that's old news to keep rehashing and it doesn't solve any of our problems. (Isn't what Obama did in Libya almost the same thing as what Bush did in Iraq? They both wanted to get rid of a tyrannical dictator. At least Bush had 9/11 as a good excuse) . Obama got elected to END wars, whereever they might be. That's why they gave him a Nobel Peace Prize ! (which they thought about taking back)
Obama raised the debt another $4 trillion all by himself. Where will the debt be headed after another 4 years of Obama? No American wants to find out ! You, like Obama, blame others for whatever goes wrong now. How does that help? The problems sit there without a solution. Stop looking backwards ("Bush's fault" is so old) and get behind some sound ideas for the future of this country.
Eric Cantor could care less about Americans or America; he has dual citizenship and can reside in another country if things completely fall apart in America. He could care less about securing funding for his home if it were destroyed because his greedy, grubby little hands have already amassed plenty of money to re-build whenever he wants!
He reminds me of a sort of a programed dummy or windup toy whereas no matter what happens in America, no matter how horrible the situation is his mouth automatically opens up and spews offsets!
I am neither a Democrat nor a Tee/Repub but I very well know that they will never, ever beat the POTUS in 2012! I am completely insulted to know that they obviously think that sane Americans cannot see through their tired insane shenanigans, what fools they are! They mistakenly believe that if they hinder the President enough times, the public, specifically the White voting public would lose hope and faith and vote for God only know who, anybody as long as he/she is NOT Black!
Here's my concern. It is one thing for the American public funds to go out to a neighbor in dire need. It is another to offer assistance to folks who lost second, vacation, time share or other non-essential investments for toys or homes other than their primary residence. Build a fun house on the beach or a cabin in the forest if you want but I am not interested in supporting your loss be it a natural disaster or not.
So instead of discussing where the money will come from how about addressing the age old issue of how will it be spent. Make cuts in qualification criteria and administration then see how much is really needed. And, insurance companies should pay up before any checks are cut. Insurance companies should be disqualified from making claims for federal assistance as they are the layer of deceit that can hide who was paid versus who should have been.
Sadly, the percentage of funds to administer relief will be excessive relative to the final result.
parts1
Good post, you make some very good points and I agree. But, it doesn't change the fact that Eric Can'tor is a loon...........
Like always there a few post that ring with hidden truth and it is no different this time. Seems this time it is Spanky and his gang. I love the part about how he is sitting on a stack of resumes and waiting for those tax credits, NOW that is patriotic. After all why hire to help your country when you can add a dollar or two to your bank account??? It is strange however that in the long run, the better your country does, the more money you can make. You just can’t choke the goose to death and still expect eggs.
Wages, for those that have jobs been stagnant or in some cases lower than in the late 1970s and still there are those complaining about a min wage. While I do think that Cantor and his crowd would have to move UP to be level with POND SCUM I am also pissed at the President and the Democrats.
As long as we live with the so called free trade acts, corporate tax loopholes and trade deficits the workers not only in America but the free world will continued to be raped and pillaged. The President should be tarred and feathered for even thinking about another free trade agreement. “FREE” is LIE and workers are paying dearly for that LIE.
Anything the President is for these liars will be against even if it was first their idea, LOL.