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Washington - Jewish Congressman Eric Cantor Elected As Republican Minority Whip |
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"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good," Cantor said before the 175 Republican members of the House unanimously elected him.
Cantor is the first Virginian ever to hold the post in either party. As whip, he will work with Republican Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, to coordinate the votes and messages of GOP House members. The two men announced their party is united.
"We know we've got a lot of work ahead of us," said Cantor. Republicans lost dozens of House seats Nov. 4. "We will serve as a check in the balance to the power of President-elect (Barack) Obama and Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi."
Cantor's rise in the leadership after being appointed deputy whip in 2002 marks a high point in the Richmond lawyer's political career. But it also comes at a low point for his party.
"House Republicans are practically an appendage. That's how insignificant they will be in this upcoming session," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Cantor has called for his party to cooperate with Democrats when possible, namely on tax breaks for small business and on other economic issues. But he was also clear about where Republicans should draw the line.
"(If) their proposals end up being the tired, old, big government spending proposals, we're going to oppose them," he said.
Cantor had said he sought the post - vacated by Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. - to restart the momentum behind "common sense conservative" values and strengthen the voice of the Republican Party in reaching new, younger voters. Cantor is 45.
He encouraged his party to "not just talk in ideological terms" but to apply its principles to challenges like health care, jobs, and generally "the affordability of life."
Republican House members know Cantor for the help he has given them in campaign fundraising.
"They know this down to the cent," said Sabato, who said Cantor's fundraising prowess helped him rise quickly in the ranks.
Sabato said the whip role is a stepping stone for Cantor, even though Republicans may have a weakened legislative voice in the Democratic-controlled House.
"This is about positioning for the future," Sabato said. "To be in his position at his age means that if he makes the House his career he has a shot at being speaker."
The leadership election puts Cantor, who is the only Jewish House Republican, in historic company.
In the first Congress, James Madison held the job of corralling party members in an unofficial capacity. Cantor, the 17th Republican to serve as whip, now represents Madison's old district.
"As a Virginian we have a very special legacy that we hold and there is an obligation attached to that legacy," Cantor said.
But only one Republican whip has made the leap to speaker -- Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. Vice president Dick Cheney was whip for a few months before becoming Secretary of Defense in 1989.
The job comes with extra staff and office funding and some choice space inside the Capitol, where Cantor already has a smaller office as chief deputy whip.
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Read Comments (24) — Post Yours »
1
Nov 19, 2008 at 05:51 PM Big Masmid Says:
good news ,soon the America government will be SHOMER Shabbos not like in Israel.
Mr. VIN why no picture?
2
Nov 19, 2008 at 06:37 PM oy Says:
this is terrible! so many jews! they will blame us when things go bad RML!!!
3
Nov 19, 2008 at 06:34 PM Anonymous Says:
Cantor opposes environmental legislation and rates 5% according to the the League of Conservation Voters 110th Congress environmental scorecard. The Campaign for America’s Future gave him a 0% in 2006 for his opposition to energy independence. (According to the 2007 American Jewish Committee poll, 82% of American Jews think that energy independence is very important, with 17% saying it’s somewhat important). He also voted against tax incentives for renewable energy and on investing in homegrown bio fuel in August 2007.
4
Nov 19, 2008 at 06:32 PM Anonymous Says:
Just think what could have been had Sen. McCain had chosen Rep. Cantor to be his V.P.? A solid, squeaky clean, intelligent politician, who happens to be shomer shabbat.
5
Nov 19, 2008 at 06:17 PM Way to Go Says:
Congrats to the new Whip! FINALLY, a Republican Jew who hopefully stands for OUR values, unlike the Democrat Court Jews who are generally anti-Torah values.
6
Nov 19, 2008 at 06:17 PM Anonymous Says:
oy vey!!! rm'l! another yid in a high place! this is no good! no we jews will be blamed for everything when it gets bad! stop the wave! we dont neeed anymore jews in high government positions! rachamonah litzlan chalilah
7
Nov 19, 2008 at 07:02 PM Separation of church and state Says:
“ Congrats to the new Whip! FINALLY, a Republican Jew who hopefully stands for OUR values, unlike the Democrat Court Jews who are generally anti-Torah values. ”
There is no place for religion in our government. If you want a government controlled country move to Iran.
8
Nov 19, 2008 at 07:22 PM Separation of church and state Says:
*if you want a religious controlled government move to Iran
9
Nov 19, 2008 at 07:52 PM good news Says:
I think its a gread day for the GOP since he is the First jew to serve in this ppsition
10
Nov 19, 2008 at 07:39 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Congrats to the new Whip! FINALLY, a Republican Jew who hopefully stands for OUR values, unlike the Democrat Court Jews who are generally anti-Torah values. ”
Anyone who thinks either party shares or looks out for OUR interests is living in lala land.
11
Nov 19, 2008 at 08:09 PM Anonymous Says:
They chose a Jew so they can blame everything on the Jews.
12
Nov 19, 2008 at 09:50 PM Anonymous Says:
For the record Cantor is not a Shomer shabbat by any definition .He is ,at best , a traditional Conservative Jew.
13
Nov 19, 2008 at 09:33 PM AuthenticSatmar Says:
“ Cantor opposes environmental legislation and rates 5% according to the the League of Conservation Voters 110th Congress environmental scorecard. The Campaign for America’s Future gave him a 0% in 2006 for his opposition to energy independence. (According to the 2007 American Jewish Committee poll, 82% of American Jews think that energy independence is very important, with 17% saying it’s somewhat important). He also voted against tax incentives for renewable energy and on investing in homegrown bio fuel in August 2007. ”
Even more so a reason to vote for him. Environmental issues are bogus science and just bankrupt America.
Why is it ok to worry about the environment in 100 years? We are borrowing money and we are leaving them huge debts. What's the difference?
I'm sick of the liberal agenda being shoved down our throats.
14
Nov 19, 2008 at 11:42 PM Charlie Hall Says:
“ Even more so a reason to vote for him. Environmental issues are bogus science and just bankrupt America.
Why is it ok to worry about the environment in 100 years? We are borrowing money and we are leaving them huge debts. What's the difference?
I'm sick of the liberal agenda being shoved down our throats. ”
The discussions of environmental issues are based on very sound science and we ignore them at our peril. For example, we know that some types of air pollution kill people, as do many toxic chemicals.
And it is absolutely consistent with Torah values to be concerned about the environment, as frum organizations like canfei nesharim have shown.
15
Nov 19, 2008 at 11:39 PM Charlie Hall Says:
“ For the record Cantor is not a Shomer shabbat by any definition .He is ,at best , a traditional Conservative Jew. ”
Why do we have to be checking the tzitzit of every Jew in public life? I'm just happy that we live in the medinah shel chesed in which both political parties appreciate the contribution of Jews to society.
16
Nov 19, 2008 at 11:47 PM Goverment Is Not The Solution To The Problem, Government IS The Problem! Says:
“ Cantor opposes environmental legislation and rates 5% according to the the League of Conservation Voters 110th Congress environmental scorecard. The Campaign for America’s Future gave him a 0% in 2006 for his opposition to energy independence. (According to the 2007 American Jewish Committee poll, 82% of American Jews think that energy independence is very important, with 17% saying it’s somewhat important). He also voted against tax incentives for renewable energy and on investing in homegrown bio fuel in August 2007. ”
Sounds good. We need someone on the right who will fight the fight against the extreme left wing agenda the dems have embraced.
17
Nov 19, 2008 at 11:20 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Even more so a reason to vote for him. Environmental issues are bogus science and just bankrupt America.
Why is it ok to worry about the environment in 100 years? We are borrowing money and we are leaving them huge debts. What's the difference?
I'm sick of the liberal agenda being shoved down our throats. ”
Your right we should rely on the Arabs for oil.
18
Nov 20, 2008 at 01:15 AM anonymous backwards Says:
“ Your right we should rely on the Arabs for oil. ”
You have it backwards. The environmentalists are the ones preventing us from getting freed from our dependence on Arab oil. They block every energy producing alternative including environmentally friendly nuclear energy.
They have cause billions of our dollars to be paid to the Saudi's so that terror can be supported throughout the world.
19
Nov 20, 2008 at 08:18 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Even more so a reason to vote for him. Environmental issues are bogus science and just bankrupt America.
Why is it ok to worry about the environment in 100 years? We are borrowing money and we are leaving them huge debts. What's the difference?
I'm sick of the liberal agenda being shoved down our throats. ”
Ever wonder why there is only ONE Jewish Republican in the House and dozens of Democrats?
20
Nov 20, 2008 at 08:17 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Even more so a reason to vote for him. Environmental issues are bogus science and just bankrupt America.
Why is it ok to worry about the environment in 100 years? We are borrowing money and we are leaving them huge debts. What's the difference?
I'm sick of the liberal agenda being shoved down our throats. ”
No 13 -- I'm assuming you're either very young or don't live in an urban area. Do you know why city kids don't have lead in their bloodstreams anymore? Because of the clean air act and the banning of leaded gasoline. Environmental laws are based on well-established science *and* sound economics. If you pollute and injure people and aren't penalized, you are making others pay for your cost of doing business--something called "market failure." It's like me having to pay for your garbage collection. Well-crafted environmental laws are there to help the free market function properly by making polluters pay for their own operating costs.
21
Nov 20, 2008 at 10:04 AM Anonymous Says:
“ You have it backwards. The environmentalists are the ones preventing us from getting freed from our dependence on Arab oil. They block every energy producing alternative including environmentally friendly nuclear energy.
They have cause billions of our dollars to be paid to the Saudi's so that terror can be supported throughout the world. ”
You have it backwards Bush has more friends in Saudi Arabia than Jews in his administration.
Drilling in America just puts us more backwards. Band Aids don't heal it just covers up the real issue.
Fact: There is not enough oil in America to last forever.
Fact: If people use less oil, less money will go to the Arabs.
Fact: If oil is any cheaper people will go back to their old ways buying oversized vehicles, not use public transportation as often, stop buying hybrids and it would not be cost effective for companies to look for alternatives.
Fact: Gas is more expensive in Europe and in result the drive smaller and more fuel efficient cars which means less money given to the Arabs
What’s going to happen in 10 years when we run out of oil and we are used to paying $1.00 a gal. ? We are going to be running to the Arabs begging and they will have us by the balls
The solution isn't cheaper gas; the solution is NO gas dependent
22
Nov 20, 2008 at 11:19 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Even more so a reason to vote for him. Environmental issues are bogus science and just bankrupt America.
Why is it ok to worry about the environment in 100 years? We are borrowing money and we are leaving them huge debts. What's the difference?
I'm sick of the liberal agenda being shoved down our throats. ”
Right, and all medical science is bogus science. Why should we invest in medical research & devlopment for projects that are not expected to bear fruit until many years from now?
Typical selfish & myopic Yeshivishe atitude.
23
Nov 21, 2008 at 07:09 AM Anonymous Says:
The left, and their allies in the liberal media have hyped up so-called "green energy." The result is the ethanol fiasco, which has just turned into a giant giveaway for Midwest farmers, a politically potent constituency. It takes MORE energy to actually convert corn into usable fuel and it produces -- and has driven up prices of corn-based food products for consumers (including meat, milk and eggs, since livestock are fed corn and other grains). And in parts of the world where corn is a major part of the diet, it has worsened the food crisis.
Meanwhile, the libs refuse to drill for oil and natural gas here, and refuse to revive the nuclear power industry (the only viable way RIGHT NOW to produce large quantities of non-fossil fuel energy, since none of the new technologies are advanced enough to do it). We had ONE nuclear power problem 30 years ago, in which NO ONE was killed or even injured,but a whole industry was driven bankrupt by media-induced hysteria. I wonder if Arab oil money is secretly "fueling" the enviro-wacko grous in this country who seem to want to keep us dependent on their oil by naysaying nuke, domestic drilling and, now, clean-coal (Mr. O says he will bankrupt any companies building new plants)?
24
Nov 21, 2008 at 07:38 AM Anonymous Says:
It does not bother me that Cantor is "only" a traditional Conservative Jew rather than being Shomer Shabbos. I just hope that for the sake of klal Yisroel, now that he is in a position of increased power and visibility, he conducts himself like a mentsch (frequently a difficult thing to do in the dirty world of politics) and avoids any kind of scandal like those which brought down politicians like Ted Stevens, William Jefferson (the guy who stashed $90,000 of bribe money in his office refrigerator) or Eliot Spitzer.