Cantor 'repudiates' Young Gun candidate in Nazi reenactments

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said he would “repudiate” the GOP House candidate in Ohio who belongs to a Nazi war reenactment group.

Democrats have attacked Republican leaders for supporting Rich Iott, a candidate in Ohio’s 9th district who takes part in World War II reenactments while wearing SS uniforms as if he’s a member of the Nazi military.

Cantor on "Fox News Sunday" said that he “would absolutely repudiate that and not support an individual to do something like that.”

“You know good and well I don’t support anything like that,” added Cantor, who is Jewish.

Democrats are trying to portray Iott as one of several House GOP challengers in this year’s midterms who aren’t fit to serve.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has noted that Iott was a member of the House Republicans’ Young Guns program to promote new candidates. Democratic leaders have also noted another House GOP candidate in Ohio, Tom Ganley, being sued for sexual assault by a woman who tried to volunteer for his campaign.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said on Fox that Republicans have “a disturbing trend in the corrupt and pretty despicable recruiting job they’ve done.”

“Those are their top tier candidates that are in their Young Guns program,” Wasserman Schultz added. “If that's the choice that Republicans are offering, then I think Democrats are going to be successful because they'll be represented by people that they know.”

Iott, who is challenging 14-term Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), has said that his interest in war reenactments stems from his interest in history and that he didn't mean "any disrespect" to those who have served in the military or are the Jewish community. Ganley's lawyer has said that the sexual assault lawsuit is based on extortion and motivated by politics, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Cantor on Sunday highlighted several GOP candidates that have small-business experience and “understand what we’ve got to do to get this nation get back on track.”

Cantor said Republican challengers are focused on dealing with the debt, which has grown to $13.5 trillion, and have been talking about the “Pledge for America,” the campaign document pushed by GOP leaders that calls for limits on discretionary spending and more tax cuts.

“Republicans understand that when we were in charge, we got fired in '06, we spent too much money, we defied the trust that people put in us,” he said. “We know that there's a better way.”

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