Eric Cantor's Donation To Anti-Incumbent Super PAC Causing More Headaches For His Members

WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) $25,000 donation to an anti-incumbent super PAC has become the gift that keeps on giving. But not in the way he had hoped.

Less than a week after news broke of Cantor cutting a check to the Campaign for Primary Accountability, a group focused on defeating incumbent members of Congress, Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) was back in his district dodging questions about whether he agreed with Cantor's decision to influence the race between two GOP incumbents, fellow Illinois Reps. Don Manzullo and Adam Kinzinger. Both were lumped into the same district after redistricting. Kinzinger, a freshman, ultimately defeated the 10-term Manzullo with the help of Cantor's money.

"I chose not to get involved in that race," Hultgren told reporters at an unrelated local press conference on Wednesday, according to Crain's Chicago Business.

Asked if he supported Cantor getting involved in the primary race between two incumbents, Hultgren said, "We'll still have the opportunity to talk this through further. The race outcome wasn't very close. I'll leave it up to the voters."

Pressed again on whether Cantor made a bad call in trying to influence a race between two members of his House Republican conference, Hulgren replied, "That's something we'll have to talk about further."

Cantor has gotten in hot water not just for intervening in the Manzullo-Kinzinger primary, but also for giving money to a super PAC that appears to be using his funds for other campaigns it is involved in -- including primaries targeting some of his allies.

Cantor's $25,000 donation has also become a talking point in a Democratic primary race in which the Campaign for Primary Accountability is involved. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas), a target of the super PAC, on Wednesday trashed his Democratic primary challenger Beto O'Rourke for what he said amounts to taking money from Cantor.

"At the end of the day, the same Campaign for Primary Accountability that is supporting Beto O'Rourke is being funded by right-wing ideologues and people like Eric Cantor," Reyes spokesman Jose Borjon said. "A lot of the positions by Beto O'Rourke are similar, if not identical, to Eric Cantor."

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Comments

[l78lancer]

07:45 PM on 04/14/2012

Cantor has watched too many made-for-HBO shows and thought he could really get away with this.

[l78lancer]

07:44 PM on 04/14/2012

Only supreme arrogance and blind desire for power would prohibit someone from seeing the potential blowback from a move like this. Now no one want's to talk about it because it was extremely stupid on Cantor's part and people will want plausible deniability.

Cantor will lose any support he thought he had. His days as a house leader are officially numbered.

[manmi1]

09:53 AM on 04/14/2012

Cantor is the poster boy for what's wrong with the out of touch, con party.

[cpadmitchell]

09:44 AM on 04/14/2012

Maybe this superpac will help take both Cantor and Boehner out of office?

[clarkkentdlyplnt]

09:24 AM on 04/14/2012

Well that was $25K well invested; considering Mr. Cantor is an INCUMBENT!!! He knows where and when to grease the wheels.

[cakesandeggs]

09:22 AM on 04/14/2012

Sooo, he is not in favor of the voters actually having a say in who gets elected? Throw as much money as you can at it to buy the office for your choice. Why do we bother with elections if it all comes down to who has the most money? Electing a truly honest person will never happen as long as this continues. You only get in if you have enough money to buy your way in. And they call this DEMOCRACY!

[manmi1]

08:55 AM on 04/14/2012

Cantor and Ryan are two disgusting young, trust-fund baby boys who are still wet behind the ears. These two fetuses need to gain some life experience before they spread their manure. I think these two should be forced to share an apartment, work three jobs for minimum wage for at least six months and then talk budget and politics. They are the poster babies for the idiotic con party of "let them eat cake."

[Central VA Marine]

12:25 AM on 04/14/2012

How come I'm the only one in Virginia who is actually enjoying watching the Repuglican party turn into a fraternity keg party slugfest? Isn't it great. We got the Pat Robinson Mole in the State Government, Bobbie (vaginal probe, but not VP material) McDonnelalala. Opps sorry, slip of the finger. We got the Repuglican Good ole boy carrying a football, chewing a chaw of toobakee and wearing cowboy boots. And just like Mitt, available to the highest bidder; the one and only George (Macaca) Allen who wants to compete with Mitch McConnellalala for the dumbest Senator ever. We also have Koo-che-koo running the States legal department into the ground, and saving jobs and money filing briefs to keep everyone but Congress off of Government supported healthcare. Then there's Eric. Poor Eric. He want to be liked and nobody will respond. So he tried to buy a little love and screwed that up too. Tell you what Eric, next game you can be second base. No not play second base, be second base.

I claim dibs on the ticket concession for this asylum event. Sad and scary isn't it, These people are serious.

STOP THE WAR ON WOMEN!
IF YOU LIVE IN VIRGINIA DON'T VOTE FOR GEORGE MACACA.

more to come.

[FL TallMan]

10:33 PM on 04/13/2012

More than likely Cantor gave money to the Campaign for Primary Accountability to ensure they would not primary him this fall. A donation to this group is cheaper than a primary campaign.

[Ron Weaver]

09:13 PM on 04/13/2012

Bad news for GOP The party is divided between unwanted baggers and the GOP loyal.

[livewithinyourmeans]

09:00 PM on 04/13/2012

All of you loony tune liberal buffers are so open minded............not.

[rottnkid]

10:09 PM on 04/13/2012

Look in the mirror.

[livewithinyourmeans]

10:32 PM on 04/13/2012

I believe in individual freedom and self responsibility. That is something that you never hear from a liberal. When and if the grouping and classifying of human beings ends is when the world will truly be progressive.

[Yikes11]

08:31 PM on 04/13/2012

Fawed, he reminds me of that kid in the playground who snitched on everyone.

[Views from the Middle]

08:12 PM on 04/13/2012

Cantor is one of the main incumbents I'd like to see voted OUT!

[rottnkid]

10:10 PM on 04/13/2012

Working on it.

[cohoes42072]

07:57 PM on 04/13/2012

Considering that money has been used against DEMs and GOPers, I wonder if this is a way for the 'ruling caste' of the GOP to somehow create openings in committees. Knock off the veteran politico for the young gun and install the new committee person?

[1oldhippie]

07:38 PM on 04/13/2012

its like he's auditioning for squeaker of the house...