As we approach tomorrow’s primary in the 7th District, several leading voices have offered Bearing Drift their perspective as to why they support Majority Leader Eric Cantor. These are not voices from California, Washington DC, or the national chattering class – but solidly conservative voices from within the 7th District.
First, State Sen. Steve Martin (R-11):
The last time that Eric Cantor faced a hotly contested primary was in 2000 when I was his opponent. Sadly, the GOP primary that year was filled with political hyperbole, but this year’s primary makes the 2000 primary look tame in comparison.
Why do the Democrats and the media have so much disdain for Eric Cantor? I believe it has something to do with the fact that he is more conservative than some are willing to acknowledge. His position on traditional values, preserving Second Amendment rights, and other critically important issues has remained consistent with our shared values as a Party. To put it simply: Eric is no RINO!
Unfortunately, some will not accept anything short of perfection – and the GOP suffers because of it. Two weeks ago, a lady was making phone calls against Eric Cantor (though she “agreed with him 95% of the time”). That’s no way to build a governing majority. As Reagan famously said, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally — not a 20-percent traitor.”
Second, former Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech:
During my term as Virginia’s Secretary of Natural Resources, I was in an almost daily battle against Washington’s top-down imposition of rules and regulations on Virginia citizens and businesses. Congressman Eric Cantor provided the support and leadership we needed to counter this Federal over reach.
It seems that not a week goes by that the Obama administration launches another attack on our nation’s energy producers and manufacturers, such as the EPA’s recent job-killing regulations against coal-fired power plants. Even as economic growth contracts, President Obama pushes forward policies that help his legacy while hurting Americans.
In the face of these new regulations, Virginia families will endure a one-two punch of lost jobs and higher energy bills. According to a report by the National Mining Association, the coal industry directly and indirectly supports 45,210 jobs in Virginia, providing $3.4 billion in wages each year.
EPA also insists on pushing new water quality rules that will cost farmers and localities across the 7th District and the Commonwealth. We all want clean water but we do not need Federal bureaucrats telling us how to do it.
Eric Cantor’s leadership on these issues is critical. We should urge the Congress GOP to follow Eric Cantor’s lead in supporting an agenda that will protect landowners, the coal industry and other energy producers from excessive federal
regulation. If not, Virginians will be among those who pay the price.
And, finally, Mike Thompson of the Thomas Jefferson Institute (who is endorsing as himself and not on behalf of the organization):
I know David Brat and Eric Cantor. They are both good, solid conservatives. I have been disappointed in the direction of the primary campaign, but feel that reasonableness must prevail.
We need leaders who understand and fight against burdensome federal taxes and regulations and who are in a position to really do something about it. Eric Cantor is that leader. He is the Number Two Republican Leader in the House and this is a great advantage to Virginia, more so today with senior Republican Frank Wolf retiring this year and Bob Goodlatte’s tenure as Chairman of the House Judiciary term limited.
Cantor has consistently pushed for policies that strip away unnecessary taxes and regulations so that the free market can work as it should. His clear opposition to the recently announced EPA regulations on the coal industry is another example of his clear-headed leadership.
Cantor has worked for regulatory relief for our small businesses and fights for the middle class families and job creators who are hurt by current government policies. He has consistently opposed Obamacare and urged that it be replaced with better, market oriented reforms that will allow us to keep our doctor and our health insurance. And he has called for strict border security in the debate on illegal residents and what to do about them.
It seems to me that re-electing Eric Cantor builds that winning Center-Right Coaltion that Ronald Reagan, George Allen, Jim Gilmore and Bob McDonnell proved can be so successful here in Virginia. Eric Cantor is an asset Virginia needs to keep in Congress. David Brat is an asset who should remain active in the GOP and work with Eric Cantor toward a more successful and inclusive Republican Party.
When tomorrow’s primary is over, I hope that Eric Cantor and David Brat will get together and quietly discuss the issues that have divided them over the past few months. My bet is that the differences aren’t that great once the heat of the primary is behind them.
The GOP needs both of these leaders and it needs them working together after the primary.
And, in case you missed it, Cantor has also been endorsed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Here’s an excerpt of the endorsement we used in this morning’s newsletter (where you can find a link to the full article, as well as more information about today’s political discussions):
“Cantor remains indispensable. He has risen to a congressional position — House majority leader — more elevated than any held by a Virginian in modern times. His responsibilities rely on his skills and must tax his patience…. Cantor reflects Reagan’s optimism and shuns the politics of resentment that pollute today’s climate. He believes the economy retains great potential; government’s job is to unleash the economy’s inherent strength. His education proposals stress the disciplines Americans will need if they are to compete with the rest of the world.”
