Cantor: Unemployment Benefits Shouldn't be Extended

The House GOP leader said Washington has been too focused on extending unemployment benefits.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Friday that Washington has spent too much time and money on creating unemployment benefits, and needs to do more to create an environment that fosters job creation.

"For too long in Washington now, we've been worried about pumping up the stimulus monies, pumping up unemployment benefits, and to a certain extent, you've got states in which you can get unemployment for almost two years," he said on CNBC Friday. "And I think those people on unemployment benefits would rather have a job, and so that's where our focus needs to be." The Hill

Republicans Feel Under Fire

Republicans laugh it up, feel like they're under enemy fire. This is all very interesting since it was actually Eric Cantor who walked right out of the Biden budget talks, which led to Obama's involvement. The Biden talks had 10 sessions and Obama is now on his fifth today.



Boehner says the only choice is to cut spending and not raise taxes, when economists say the only way to reduce the deficit is to cut spending (expenses) AND raise taxes (increase income).

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Obama wants deal by Friday:

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Obama to Lead Deficit Reduction Talks June 27

After Cantor walked out of talks yesterday, which speaks for itself, Obama will now be involved in deficit reduction talks (in exchange for GOP vote to raise the debt ceiling). Obama has argued that the debt ceiling should be raised and the deficit talks should come later. Republicans say they won't raise the debt ceiling (and it will be raised to prevent government from defaulting on its loans) unless cuts are made. From the White House:

On Monday, the President and Vice President will hold meetings at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to discuss the status of the negotiations to find common ground on a balanced approach to deficit reduction. The meeting with the Majority Leader will take place in the morning and the meeting with the Minority Leader will take place in the early evening.

Boehner and Cantor on Lunch with Obama

Obama's Schedule Feb. 9, 2011

Michelle Obama speaks Wednesday in Georgia on the anniversary of Let's Move. All times are eastern:

10:15 AM	The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press
10:45 AM	The President meets with senior advisors Oval Office Closed Press
12:30 PM	The President and the Vice President have lunch with Speaker Boehner, Republican Leader Cantor and Republican Whip McCarthy Private Dining Room Closed Press
3:45 PM	The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of State Clinton Oval Office Closed Press

Eric Cantor on Meet the Press Jan. 23

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Cantor Says Barton is Not the Issue

In this video, Joe Scarborough tries to get Eric Cantor to admit that republicans agree with Joe Barton, who apologized to BP for the Obama administration "shakedown."

Barton was allowed to keep his energy post. Cantor says Barton is not the issue and that Barton apologized.

No one believed that "apology" and everyone knows what republicans think of oil companies. Barton's tweet undermined his apology by pointing to a Spectator article that said Barton was right. He since deleted his tweet. What a dumb move that was.
Cantor then goes on to insult the vice president.
Cantor also said McChrystal had to be fired, but he said McChrystal was frustrated.

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Republicans and Obama Critics Belch, Gossip and Drink Beer on the Sidelines as Nation's Crises Escalate

It's disturbing to me that Eric Cantor could make a speech like this when Obama is dealing with a stack of issues and catastrophes, none of which his administration caused.

In fact, most of what we're dealing with has to do with poor leadership in the run-up to Obama's administration. And yet people like Eric Cantor feel free to cast stones. There is little recognition from republicans that we have quite a few fires that need to be put out as soon as possible and that a little cooperation could go a long way. But nope. Republicans don't have any solutions. Just roadblocks. Republicans are one-minded and all they're trying to do is to get back power.

In Obama's speech to the business council this morning, he noted that politicians are blaming business and business is blaming politicians but both need to work together for a solution.

Despite the issues at hand, people are compelled to get their news from the National Enquirer or gossip sites as opposed to becoming an informed electorate.

Then we have the critics on the left grumbling about offshore oil drilling. Move On has a little campaign going on and quite the dramatic ad calling for a ban on offshore drilling. We all want something from our government that we think so little of.

But how many people are willing to give up their commutes or lessen their commutes in order to consume less oil and therefore minimize offshore drilling? People whine a whole lot but no one wants to sacrifice anything. We are a nation that wants everything, yet doesn't want to give up anything.

I haven't seen any kind of movements rallying people to consume less oil. How about the movement to rally Americans to consume less period. That would be anti-American.

The smug Cantor answering a question as to whether Obama is a "domestic enemy."

Police Report: Bullet in Cantor's Office Random

Eric Cantor, while insincerely condemning violence against democrats yesterday, declared he was the victim of violence too. Turns out the bullet he had mentioned yesterday was random:

Richmond police say the bullet that hit a window of Republican Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor's office had been randomly fired skyward.

Amid reports of threats and vandalism against Democrats who voted Sunday for sweeping health care reforms, Cantor said at a Washington news conference Thursday that a bullet was fired into his Richmond office.

In a news release, Richmond police said that the bullet had been fired into the air early Tuesday. It hit the front window of a building that houses Cantor's campaign office as it fell to back earth at a sharp angle. Wdbj7

Cantor Says Democrats Politicizing Violence

In a press conference (see video below) Eric Cantor falls short. He and other republicans seem to have blinders on. There is an undercurrent of hate and bigotry that has been stirred in this nation. Racism is alive and well and it has a voice in the tea party movement. Republicans seem to be contributing to the escalation of violence by exploiting fears and blaming democrats for the violence. They say if democrats didn't "ram" through healthcare then people wouldn't be acting out. Really?

Cantor ought to be a bigger person and genuinely call for an end to violence and threats of violence. We all know sincerity when we see it. But Cantor is still blaming. John McCain simply laughed it off this morning. See Nancy Pelosi's press conference here.

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House Republicans Pleased With Obama Session - Video

Eric Cantor and John Boehner call it a step forward. I like seeing democrats and republicans mixing and playing well. Hope to see more of it. See video of the Obama's meeting with House republicans in Baltimore here.

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Cantor Says Obama's Speech Lacked Focus

The smug Eric Cantor said Obama's speech lacked focus. No, it didn't lack focus. Obama's got a lot to accomplish. The republicans think they can have it both ways--wreak havoc on the economy and on our nation and then criticize the president who comes in to fix everything. The GOP is ugly. Bipartisanship is looking to be a fairy tale.
Watch Cantor here.

Rudy Giuliani wishes that Obama said "terrorism," "terrorist," "terror" more often.

Ultimately, it's not the speech the matters, but the actions. Pundits place too much importance on speeches, especially Obama's, just so they have something to talk about for days on end.
The republicans' single focus isn't to help govern. It's to get back in power:

Here's Joe Biden:

Smug Cantor Still Playing Games

Eric Cantor is a perfect example of why most of the nation blames republicans for the direction of the nation. He's so divisive. He's got this smugness and says the republicans have stood "ready and willing" to work with Obama. What a lie. He says the stimulus didn't work. Politics aside, MOST economists say the stimulus worked. How could it not work? He also says republicans are willing to work with democrats. What a lie. But as Robert Gibbs put it this morning, now they have to work with democrats. When democrats had the supermajority, republicans could be the Party of No and just watch the democrats be fully responsible for imploding. Now republicans actually have do something. But still, I don't see any sign that Congress is working on behalf of the American people. They're all just worried about losing their jobs. They always seem to be in a state of incompetent fear.

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Obama to Meet With House Republicans

This means Obama will be mingling with the worst of the worst. Eric Cantor is already skeptical. Please. They invited him.
I don't know why Obama bothers. I used to think bipartisanship was possible, but that was before republicans started behaving like trolls, caring only about getting back in power. No date is set yet for the meeting but it could be in February.

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) doesn't seem to have high hopes for his caucus's upcoming meeting with President Barack Obama in February.

While Cantor described that just-announced meeting as "welcome news," he ultimately questioned "whether the President plans to meet WITH Republicans, or speak TO them." The Hill

Obama Reports on His Meeting With Democrats and Republicans

Harry Reid reports too:

President Barack Obama told congressional Republicans to stop painting such a dire picture of the U.S. economy in a White House meeting Wednesday, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

"One of the things he told my Republican friends there," Reid said, was: "Stop trying to frighten the American people. Things are not bad." More at Politico

Cantor added his 1 cent:

President Barack Obama challenged congressional Republicans to back up their criticism of his economic recovery plans with academic expertise, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told reporters Wednesday.

Speaking at the White House following the president's morning discussion on job creation with bipartisan congressional leaders, Cantor said Obama defended his agenda against criticism that it was too expensive. Politico

Eric Cantor Defends Republican Healthcare Bill

Are they joking?
Republicans came up with a bill that doesn't address preexisting conditions, would only cover 3 million additional people and costs a lot of money-$68 billion through 2019. What's the point? Talk about little bang for the buck.
The House bill would cover 36 million people. See Congressional Budget Office's assessment of the bill here.
Eric Cantor says the bill does address preexisting conditions. Andrea Mitchell counters. She also asks about the signs at the tea party rally. Cantor ought to be ashamed to have been part of the protest today. I listened to most of it. It was despicable.

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Republicans Blah Blah Government Takeover Blah Blah 1990 Pages Blah Blah Bankrupt Blah Blah

Republican response to the House healthcare reform bill. These guys live in a bubble. Americans want reform. Republicans have been paying too much attention to the tea partiers, who aren't the majority, but rather the fringe. They keep talking about their solutions but they were supposed to be working WITH the democrats for A solution. Buggers.

Cantor adds his two cents:

Republicans: Blah Blah Government Takeover Blah Blah High Costs Blah Blah Bad for Seniors Blah Blah Blah

It's Halloween. Time for the Senior Scare! Mwaaaaahhaaaa!

GOP Blah Blah Taxes Blah Blah Taxes Blah Blah Punished Blah Blah

Republicans make their usual slew of threats:

Healthcare Bill Within Budget

The Senate Finance Committee legislation to revamp the health care system would provide coverage to 29 million uninsured Americans but would still pare future federal deficits by slowing the growth of spending on medical care, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.

The much-anticipated cost analysis showed the bill meeting President Obama’s main requirements, including his demand that health legislation not add “one dime to the deficit.” Indeed, the budget office said, the bill would reduce deficits by a total of $81 billion in the decade starting next year.

The report clears the way for the Finance Committee chairman, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, to push for a panel vote within the next few days, and sets the stage for Democrats to take legislation to the floor for debate by the full Senate this month.

Despite the expansion of coverage at a cost of $829 billion over 10 years, the budget office said 25 million people — about one-third of them illegal immigrants — would still be uninsured in 2019. In all, it said, the proportion of nonelderly Americans with insurance would rise over the 10 years to 94 percent, from 83 percent today.
Republicans, who are overwhelmingly opposed to the legislation, minimized the significance of the cost analysis. They suggested that the “real” bill would be written secretly by Democratic leaders as they combine the Finance Committee measure with a version approved by the Senate health committee in July. Read more at the NYT

The White House calls it an important step.
Eric Cantor puts on his whiny voice and says Americans have rejected the public option:

What the CBO analysis means:

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