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Cantor is slammed by the Democrats and hugged by Boehner
Democrats on Thursday launched a public-relations assault on House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), seeking to portray him as the boogeyman of the debt-ceiling talks.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) went to the Senate floor, calling Cantor “childish” and adding that he should not be at the negotiation table with President Obama. In a fundraising email, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called Cantor the leader of the “Congressional ‘Hell, No’ Caucus.” And Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Cantor is the only one who is standing in the way of a bipartisan deal.
In the wake of many articles in recent days that highlighted differences between Boehner and Cantor, the two leaders appeared at a joint press conference saying they are on the same page.
At one point, Boehner put his arm around a smiling Cantor.
“Let me just say that we have been in this fight together,” Boehner said. “And any suggestion that the role that Eric has played in these meetings has been anything less than helpful is just ridiculous. We’re in a foxhole.”
“I’m glad that Eric’s there, and those that have other opinions should just keep them to themselves,” Boehner added.
Democrats were not holding their tongues on Thursday, however. Following the testy meeting at the White House Wednesday that ended abruptly, Democrats were on the attack, defending their president.
The coordinated effort from various Democratic sources had a consistent theme: Boehner is trying to get a deal done and Cantor is obstructing it.
Administration officials have continued to be warm toward Boehner, with Obama offering profuse praise for his willingness to do the “right” thing for America. The White House did not criticize Cantor Thursday, allowing its congressional allies to do so instead.
“I am willing to work with everybody, including Eric Cantor, to solve problems. My relationship with all the leaders has been cordial, it has been professional, but I think at a certain point the American people run out of patience if they think people are playing games and not serious in terms of solving problems,” Obama said in an interview Thursday with KYW in Philadelphia.
Schumer on Thursday noted that Boehner had offered to consider a grand bargain exchanging tax reform and entitlement cuts for some revenue increases, and the fact that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has offered a back-up plan in case the talks fail.
Asked if it would be easier to reach a debt-limit deal if Cantor were not at the table, Schumer replied emphatically: “Yes.”
“I haven’t seen Congressman Cantor be a constructive force thus far,” the New York Democrat said. “He is trying to make the reality that packages can’t pass the House.” He also said it is not up to him to determine whether Cantor should be excluded from the White House debt talks.
Democrats were trying to change the narrative of Wednesday’s meeting so Obama wouldn’t be seen as intransigent; Cantor had told reporters that evening that Obama had cut him off and said, “Don’t call my bluff” before walking out of the debt talks at the White House. But during her weekly press conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, “I just don’t understand what the problem is. That’s how meetings with presidents end. You don’t leave first, the president leaves first.”
Democrats are using a page from the 1995-1996 playbook, when they successfully persuaded the public that then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) was to blame for the government shutdown crisis that took place, which they alleged he caused because he was forced to sit in the back of Air Force One.
A Democratic leadership aide described the majority leader’s account of Wednesday’s meeting as “Cantor’s Gingrich back-of-the-plane moment” on Wednesday.
Cantor's office said negotiators should focus on policy, not personality.
“It’s not surprising that Harry Reid doesn’t want to cut spending and wants to raise taxes with so many Americans out of work. This isn’t a question about personalities — Eric, President Obama or Harry Reid — it's about doing what is right for the country and trying to find a productive solution that finally demonstrates Washington is serious about America’s fiscal health,” Cantor spokeswoman Laena Fallon said.
The criticism against Cantor is in marked contrast to the praise Democrats heaped on him last month.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Eric Cantor, for real,” Vice President Biden said on June 16. “I mean, it’s been a great pleasant surprise for me. The guy is smart as hell. I don’t want to ruin his reputation. But he really is. He’s smart, and he’s been totally completely straightforward and sincere.”
National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling on June 14 complimented Cantor and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), saying they come to the meetings with a “sense of seriousness” and that everyone is trying to find enough to agree on.
A GOP aide said that just last week, Reid was also heaping praise on Cantor at the White House.
According to the staffer, after Cantor last week said he could not support a deal with tax increases, Reid came up to Cantor and said, “Eric, I don’t know you very well. In fact I don’t know you very well at all. But I just want to thank you for being the only one to have the guts to be honest in this room. A lot of us come in here and say a lot of things, but I really appreciate what you did today.”
Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson countered that “what Sen. Reid actually said was, ‘At least you’re being honest.’ He said this by way of advising Eric Cantor that in his experience, great agreements are only achieved through open, frank exchanges, and a willingness to put ideology aside and reach a reasonable compromise.”
Jentleson said Reid “had high hopes that Eric Cantor would rise to the occasion. … But after seeing Eric Cantor’s performance over the last few days, Sen. Reid is disappointed to see that Eric Cantor has demonstrated neither that courage nor that ability, and has instead been nothing but a disruptive force over the course of these negotiations.”
Alexander Bolton, Russell Berman and Sam Youngman contributed.
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