Cantor On Health Care Summit: We'll 'Hand Down An Indictment'

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) gave, perhaps, the strongest indication to date that Republican leadership views the upcoming bipartisan health care summit as a forum to rail against Democratic-authored legislation rather than contribute to it.

Speaking before the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, the Virginia Republican pledged to "hand down an indictment of the Democrat's bill" during the February 25th meeting with Congressional leadership and the White House. He then went on to suggest that the legislation being worked on currently by President Barack Obama was a path to a full government takeover, a giveaway to special interests, and potentially unconstitutional.

"Lord only knows what's up their sleeves...What we will do in encountering this president is, number one, ask the question why in the world would he support a bill like those that have come out of the Senate and the House. These bills are flawed by their very nature. They are the bills that America has awakened to and have rejected."

"These bills are predicated upon backdoor dealing. They are predicated upon requiring the purchase of health care insurance that has a questionable constitutional origin. These bills are ultimately designed to lead this country to a single payer system, something that the American people reject."

Cantor insisted that the only way Democrats and Republicans will come to agreement is if the president "push the reset button" on health care legislation. "We will say no," to his bill, he added, "because that's what the American people want."

Comments

[Aviate]

09:16 PM on 02/23/2010

The GOP handing down an indictment of a Democratic health care bill is a bit like Cheney accusing someone of Crimes Against Humanity...

[Disciple1]

08:03 PM on 02/23/2010

The two-party system in this country is stodgy, anachronistic and pathetically corrupted. The 21st century calls for free and creative thinkers on the voter side and the public servant sides of the issue. That means one could be a fiscal conservative on some things and a social liberal on other matters. The human condition is synergistic by design and, therefore, one particular approach to keeping each of us healthy, secure and fully functioning isn't NECESSARILY the best approach to resolving problems. I see such overwhelming intransigence on behalf of BOTH Republican and Democratic camps, that there is very little room for productive coexistence in the near future. Obama, albeit an honorable man and intelligent leader, should adopt a philosophy of 1) Identify the country's most pressing fiscal and social needs, 2) Seek the means to ensure a strong national security infrastructure and 3) Generally, use the Presidency to DO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE, no matter the consequences. I know that would take some HUGE cajones and might mean just one term, but history would long remember such commitment to the "vox populi".

[LynnW49]

04:56 PM on 02/23/2010

Every vote or poll conducted indicates that where Americans have disapproved of the Senate bill, they have overwhelmingly supported the public option. They "reject" bills that do not INCLUDE the public option. But is pointless to say so because the sole contribution that Republicans have made to the debate about reform, and this is a really big contribution that will affect America for years to come, is the elevation of the lie as a key political tool.

[katbab]

04:42 PM on 02/23/2010

Eric Cantor made the case for his own party when he said (regarding the healthcare bill) "why would you keep doing the same thing and expect to get different results?" Boy, that's for sure. So, I guess this is Eric's acknowledgement that there is no need for the American people to vote the Republicans into office. Because he knows that the Republicans will do the SAME OLD THINGS they've been doing for years---undermining the American people (like their hypocrisy now over the stimulus bill) and lining theirs and their cronies pockets with all of our TAXPAYER dollars. Good job, Eric!

[1hotgolfer]

03:42 AM on 02/21/2010

Everytime Eric Cantor, John Boehner, and the other republican hypocrites open their mouths they are the epitome of the adage..."If you can't dazzle them with brillance, then baffle them with bull***t". It is sad that so many wingnuts and teabaggers are accepting of being baffled.

[demtotheend]

08:50 PM on 02/20/2010

Dems need to be mad as hell...instead of always playing nice with this folks...the Repubs pols are united in the defeat of Pres Obama and Congress..it is time to fight fire with fire...Dems are losing this war due to politeness..It is time to take the anger from the liars...and turn it on them...they are turning their astroturf anger on us and we should be the ones mad as hell...and not taking any more from the Republicans...not their lies, not their wars, not their lack of health care...not their lack of respect for Americans and America. Tell Cantor..to get a job and give back his taxpayer health care and salary.

[4600 dollars and 2 cents]

08:16 PM on 02/20/2010

Eric, maybe you should start indicting the ones who bribe you and your fellow politicians with campaign donations each and every election.

Oh, right, you can't, because you'd have to indict yourselves too...

Oh, well...

[Ron1951]

08:02 PM on 02/20/2010

The only indictment that should be forthcoming is one for Cantor's continued obstructionism while his nose keeps growing from all the stories he makes up to support his positions.

כתב האישום רק כי הוא צריך להיות גלויים אחד עבור obstructionism המשיך החזן בעוד אפו של שומר הגוברת מצד כל הסיפורים שהוא ממציא כדי לתמוך בעמדות שלו.

[tmf945]

07:22 PM on 02/20/2010

This is all bullshit...One of their "brightest stars", Sista Sarah's grandson Tripp is an enrolled member of Curyung Tribal Council within the Bristol Bay Native Association consortium.... the majority of Tripp's health care costs are already covered by IHS and the Alaska Native Medical Center.
In other words, government funded Healthcare.

[Ifticar2]

07:20 PM on 02/20/2010

The Republican have 52.5% of the Nation on their side in this health care debate. This is according to the latest Real Clear Politics average of many polls.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_and_democrats_health_care_plan-1130.html

I believe that each and everyone of those 38.3% of do support Obamacare post here on HP.

[OLEGAR]

07:29 PM on 02/20/2010

And they have ones like you to "SHILL" for them, attempting to help them spread the ignorant lies about what the health care reform could do for the middle class and less fortunate . . . Your knowledge, handed down to you by the 'far right' sources isn't what the nation wants or needs. Go over there and wallow with your republicants, rethugs and your party of NO !

[Ifticar2]

07:33 PM on 02/20/2010

My knowledge comes from reading both the Senate and House bills. Your knowledge comes from reading the Organizing for America site and listening to Olbermann.

[RobDoub]

08:04 PM on 02/20/2010

It's a poll of what people think they know of multiple bills.

So it doesn't mean a lot. What DOES mean a lot is the high percentage of people who consistently state in poll after poll that they want a public option.

People want reduced costs. A public option. Insurance that can't be taken away. Elimination of 'preexisting conditions'.

If the final bill provides those things, I foresee strong support. If not, then you will be right. We will know very soon!

[Wallysmom]

08:34 PM on 02/20/2010

After what happened the last time the President met with the Republicans and they ended up looking like asshats, they assume they have it all figured out and will one up the President and the Democrats on a televised discussion of fisticuffs. They have prepared themselves for the battle ahead, sent MadDog Cantor out front to give that Obamaguy a tongue lashing at the CPAC event. Problem is he's quicker and smarter than the lot of them. By the time Cantor is popping the vein in his neck I suspect that Reid will already have the PO written up ready for reconciliation.

[anothervoter]

06:44 PM on 02/20/2010

The American Taliban Party doesn't speak for me.

[RobDoub]

08:05 PM on 02/20/2010

How cute.

You really dislike our representative democracy, eh?

[treetracker]

05:01 PM on 02/21/2010

I don't dislike our representative democracy - but I DO dislike those that have "Rent a Rep" or "Senator for Sale" stamped on their foreheads (on both both sides of the political divide).

I am not afraid of my government (as much as the GOP would hope for me to be) - I am afraid of the multi-national corporations who are running our government.

And, frankly, until the American public (on both sides of the political divide) see that this is what is truly happening in Washington D.C. we are going to continue along the path of destruction.

Until we stand up and demand that our government be no longer for sale to the highest bidder, we will remain doomed.

[Aviate]

09:39 PM on 02/23/2010

You mean the representative democracy where a presidential candidate and party that campaigned on health care reform won decisive victories--far greater victories than those won by W & the GOP in 2000 & 2004 before they foisted a radical conservative agenda on the country (via reconciliation no less)?

If anyone here dislikes our representative democracy, it's the GOP. Otherwise, they would have allowed the sizable majorities that support these reforms to pass the bill months ago.

[4KixAfter6]

06:30 PM on 02/20/2010

Cantor was upset because Mann Coulter left without teabagging him.

[4KixAfter6]

06:19 PM on 02/20/2010

The Republican Fas.cist Party.

[RobDoub]

08:07 PM on 02/20/2010

On either side, that kind of talk is simply despicable. I am a Democrat and a Progressive and don't think we - or they - should be poisoning the conversation.

Let's talk to each other. We will all learn something.

[pxgabriel]

05:31 PM on 02/20/2010

I have been posting that Sarah Palins whole family is on government run healthcare because of todds heritage, including trig who would have been a victim of her imaginary death panels. Here is proof that what I have been saying is true.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/2/20/839027/-Palin-grandson-is-socialized-medicine-victim.-

[Dbos]

05:14 PM on 02/20/2010

Eddy cantor bye bye my baby bye bye my gal, the cantors are still singing jumbled nonsense songs.