Eric Cantor To Jon Stewart: 'We Are Not Going To Repeat The Mistakes Of The Past'

Republican Whip Eric Cantor talked with Jon Stewart last night, in promotion of his new book, "Young Guns: A New Generation Of Conservative Leaders."

Cantor said that the Republican Party, ready to take control of the House of Representatives, "are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past."

This very idea is at the center of his new book: "We're coming to this with a sufficient dose of contrition," Cantor said. "I mean, look, we got fired."

Cantor talked about reevaluating the government's role in order to keep it more in tune with the needs of the American people.

"Right now, everybody wants a job. That's really what this election is about," he said. "Washington has seemingly ignored that priority for the last 20 months."

As the discussion moved to talk of small businesses and the policies that restrict them, Stewart asked: "What is the toxin for the small businesses?"

In response, Cantor said, "The toxin started with access to credit and capital, small businesses saw their lines of credit dry up."

Cantor continued, "But now you got Washington basically saying, 'We don't like this outcome, let's put a regulation in place to stop it. This person's got too much of an advantage, let's go in and change the playing field."

At one point, the Virginia Representative referred to his new book. Stewart responded that he'd read it, and "thank you for the font size."

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Comments

[dmezz1962]

09:24 AM on 10/30/2010

Hello John in 1980 it was a different world then it is today. We still actually wrote letters and mailed them, there was no internet shopping or anything close to what we have today. The world was completely different than the world today.

Hey I am a Republican and I DON'T believe them either but what we have now is 10% unemployment and we got the WH telling us lie after lie after lie. Like the stimulus when they passed it they said "This is for Shovel Ready projects Only" Now all of a sudden they say "Well there was no such thing as Shovel Ready"

Basically until someone actually starts doing the right thing every two years the middle class slogan should be "Next!"

[jellinda]

11:38 AM on 11/07/2010

You wouldn't know "right thing" unless someone's lied to you about it. How typically Republican.

[anesthesia84]

04:01 PM on 10/18/2010

Idk what I would do without Jon Stewart

[VoiceofMany]

01:03 PM on 10/15/2010

Oh no, Cantor's written a new book, that means he's running for the Presidency in 2012. Big Business is salivating at the idea now. Repubs piss on the middle class and tell them it's raining. Ignorance deserves the leader it gets. .

[shrinktalkingheads]

11:50 AM on 10/15/2010

Eric Cantor, CHAMPION of helping the middle class:

Voted NO on modifying bankruptcy rules to avoid mortgage foreclosures.

Voted NO on additional $825 billion for economic recovery package.

Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy.

Voted NO on monitoring TARP funds to ensure more mortgage relief.

Voted NO on revitalizing severely distressed public housing.

Voted NO on regulating the subprime mortgage industry.

Voted NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation.

Voted NO on tax incentives for renewable energy.

Voted NO on investing in homegrown biofuel.

Voted NO on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets.

Voted NO on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program.

Voted NO on protecting whistleblowers from employer recrimination.

Voted NO on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Voted NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health.

Eric Cantor: author of "Young Guns: Same as the Old Guns."

[TheQuestion]

09:19 PM on 10/14/2010

I could only watch a few minutes of this guy's BS. The sad thing is that some people will believe what Cantor says.

[wm1066]

03:09 PM on 10/15/2010

I believe it when he says he wont repeat the mistakes of the past...they have a whole new list of mistakes for the future they want to try out on America!

[Simple Living]

07:38 PM on 10/14/2010

When Eric Cantor speaks, it's like fingernails on a chalk board...and George Bush

[beninabox1]

02:29 PM on 10/14/2010

It is says a great deal about the kind of people in Colbert's audience that the level of discussion in the comments is predominantly civil, specific, and on topic. So much so that at a party/discussion/debate, I might just lead off with the fact that I like Colbert. The crazies would leave and I'd be left w/ people I could talk to rationally.

[beninabox1]

02:30 PM on 10/14/2010

oops, wrong thread. Sorry, folks. I like Jon Stewart as well though!!!

[Simple Living]

07:35 PM on 10/14/2010

I like both too and I think you are right about the rational people would be left in the room.

[Diogenis]

01:21 PM on 10/14/2010

He went without the Orange Faced Man? Geee, golly.

[imfedup]

07:45 PM on 10/14/2010

And without the other (middle-aged) YOUNG GUNS!

[EF3]

12:14 PM on 10/14/2010

When Eric Cantor says "we're coming to this with a sufficient dose of contrition", then reveals the same plan his party has for the country for the past 30 years, it only proves Jon Stewart's point that the Republicans are like the cheating spouse who say "baby, let me back in and I promise I'll keep sleeping with your sister".

[imfedup]

07:29 PM on 10/14/2010

LOVE IT!

[clearasmud]

10:30 AM on 10/14/2010

The total disconnect between what moderate Republicans should be doing, and what the Right Wing extremist are doing and want to do, is staggering. Cantor appeared to be somewhat sane in this interview compared to the extremist and obstructionist stances he takes in Washington. The voters need to understand that the extremist are now in complete control of the Repoublican party, and that is what they will get if Republicans regain power, extremism. Cantor may have learned his lesson after the Republicans were defeated, but he has sold his soul to the far right to regain it.

[AxelDC]

08:57 AM on 10/14/2010

I'm not sure how they plan to avoid "mistakes" when their pledge is exactly what they did from 2001-2007: cut taxes on the rich, overspend on defense, threaten wars, ignore public services and watch US salaries fall while the rich off-shore their investments to India and China.

We've already tried this with Reagan & Bush. Papi Bush called it "Voodoo Economics". It didn't work then and will not work now, especially since we haven't recovered from the 3rd Bush Recession yet.

[PinkFloydsDr]

11:29 PM on 10/13/2010

C'mon HuffPost.... put the entire interview up please. the people need to see.

[PinkFloydsDr]

11:16 PM on 10/13/2010

That was a great show tonight! Tonights interview is a beautiful example of why Jon Stewart and TDS are (argueably) the most trusted, respected and funny program on t.v. Jon got the conversation past the hyperbole and alot further down to earth than 95% of the talking head crap that passes itself of as news and intelligent conversation on tv. I gotta give Cantor credit for doing his part in it as well. It takes 2 to have a conversation and for once i saw a republican get half way real so ill give him the credit he is due. If only it was just the begining..... Why are conversations like that so rare?

[JHKH]

10:31 PM on 10/13/2010

I tuned out of the Daily Show last night before Cantor showed up. I won't watch him, or any Republican, on any show at any time. There is not one thing that they can say that I want to hear. When they start to act in ways that benefit this country, then I'll give them my ear. Until then, it's the hand.

[PinkFloydsDr]

11:22 PM on 10/13/2010

You have no idea how much i relate to your stress!!!! But this conversation was a rare gem!!! you gotta watch the entire interview on TDS site!! this wont suck, i promise! :)

[EF3]

12:16 PM on 10/14/2010

You really should have watched the interview. Stewart treats Cantor like a rubber ball bouncing off a brick wall.

[dmzrn]

08:56 PM on 10/13/2010

I know, let's get back to "hope and change". That's worked REALLY well.

[markburn]

09:53 PM on 10/13/2010

Maybe two years are not enough to clean up the mess republicans created in EIGHT years!!

BTW: always interesting to see how quick some people have forgotten, who brought America in this situation. Some have already forgotten it the first day Obama entered the oval office.

[Sergeant]

12:11 PM on 10/14/2010

Good democratic strategy. If we messed it up in two years just imagine what it will look like in 4.

[imfedup]

07:47 PM on 10/14/2010

A comment totally without substance. What a shocker.