Eric Cantor | Political Correction

With the news this morning that the private economy added 104,000 jobs but the public sector shed 24,000, prominent Republicans had a chance to trot out the same tired, debunked explanation for slow economic growth they've been using throughout the Obama presidency. According to the GOP, job creators are not hiring because of regulations and high spending from Washington, D.C. But according to the job creators themselves, regulations, taxes and spending are not the issue — they simply don't have enough customers to justify expanding their workforces. The problem continues to be weak demand.

October 21, 2011 5:24 pm ET filed under Blog

In Canceled Speech, Rep. Cantor Planned To Miss The Point On Economic Inequality

October 21, 2011 9:45 am ET filed under Fact Check

Rep. Cantor's Class Warfare

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is speaking at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School today (Update: Cantor's scheduled speech was canceled), where he plans to discuss how to bridge the gap between rich and poor in the United States. Given that Cantor has dedicated his political career to upholding this disparity, he has wealth of knowledge on the topic. Since becoming House Majority Leader, Cantor has done everything in his power to protect the wealthy from making the same sacrifices he's determined to force upon everyone else. Whether he's working to end Medicare for seniors, withholding relief from disaster victims to secure further spending cuts, or using the unemployed as political fodder while rejecting policies that will create jobs, Eric Cantor has proven that he is committed to making life easier for people who are already on top, even if it comes at the expense of those who are struggling.

October 17, 2011 9:46 am ET filed under Blog

Fact Checking The Sunday Shows - October 16, 2011

October 17, 2011 9:37 am ET filed under Fact Check

Fact Checking The Sunday Shows - October 16, 2011

Republicans spent their Sunday morning TV appearances blaming Democrats for the economy and trying to convince Wall Street protesters to join them in their scapegoating. Contrary to what Herman Cain and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) claimed, the facts show that private firms, not government entities, inflated the subprime mortgage bubble, and Wall Street, not Democrats, turned those loans into an elaborate casino game that left the entire country on the hook for their bad bets. Similarly, Cantor and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) were wrong to suggest that Democratic policies on taxes and regulations are hurting the economy, and that Republican proposals will do more to create jobs than President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act. In addition, Cain claimed that his "9-9-9" tax plan won't hurt the poor and implied that Obama has cut defense spending, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) blamed the credit downgrade on the president, and Sen. McCain said that Obama never spoke up on behalf of Iranian protesters in 2009. In each case, the facts disagree.

October 07, 2011 11:45 am ET filed under Blog

Rep. Cantor Hypocritically Maligns Occupy Wall Street's "Growing Mobs"

October 04, 2011 2:02 pm ET filed under Blog

While Targeting Life-Saving Regulations, Rep. Cantor Demands Policies That "Actually Help People"

October 03, 2011 3:56 pm ET filed under Blog

Rep. Cantor On House GOP: "We Are In Essence A Blocking Minority"

September 28, 2011 10:00 am ET filed under Blog

Rep. Cantor's Convenient Interest In "Commonality" With Obama

September 19, 2011 10:55 am ET filed under Blog

What "Class Warfare" Really Looks Like

September 09, 2011 2:45 pm ET filed under Blog

All Or Nothing: Rep. Cantor's Confused Approach To Compromise

September 07, 2011 4:15 pm ET filed under Blog

Rep. Cantor Admits House Republicans Have Not Been Focused On Jobs

August 31, 2011 12:17 pm ET filed under Blog

The GOP War On Regulations: Weakening Public Health

August 29, 2011 5:28 pm ET filed under Fact Check

FLASHBACK: Rep. Cantor Did Not Mention Offsetting Cuts In 2004 Requests For Disaster Relief

In 2011, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) has consistently opposed federal disaster relief without offsetting budget cuts. However, Cantor didn't always prioritize fiscal "discipline" over helping his constituents recover from disasters. After Tropical Storm Gaston hit the Richmond, VA area in 2004, Cantor appealed to President Bush and DHS Director Tom Ridge for disaster assistance and took credit for securing federal funds when they became available.

August 29, 2011 3:22 pm ET filed under Blog

FLASHBACK: Rep. Cantor Did Not Mention Offsetting Cuts In 2004 Requests For Federal Disaster Relief

August 25, 2011 11:35 am ET filed under Blog

Rep. Cantor Won't Give His District Earthquake Aid Without Offsetting Cuts

August 23, 2011 2:56 pm ET filed under Fact Check

Rep. Cantor Distorts EPA Regulations And NLRB Enforcement In Dishonest Op-Ed

In a Washington Post op-ed, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) argues that President Obama's "anti-business, hyper-regulatory" agenda contributed to the downgrade in America's credit rating by stifling economic growth and exacerbating the debt problem. To support his case, Cantor cites three specific examples of allegedly regulation run amok: the Environmental Protection Agency's "Transport Rule," new standards for cement manufacturing, and the recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board to bring a case against Boeing's decision to move its plant to South Carolina from Washington state. Predictably, Cantor misleads on all three examples. Furthermore, Standard & Poor's based its downgrade decision largely on "political brinksmanship" by congressional Republicans, led by Cantor, who threatened to let the nation default on its debt.

August 22, 2011 1:18 pm ET filed under Blog