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Cantor ignores the voters
Even though Virginians of all political persuasion have been expressing themselves in no uncertain terms by up to 200 to one in phone calls and faxes to their congressional representatives, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-7th District) ignored their unequivocal pleas and voted for the Wall Street bailout. Among these voters, conservatives in particular just got a big wake-up call.
It took 50 years to create a coherent conservative political movement in America. In the post-war years Russell Kirk re-articulated conservative philosophy from the Scottish Enlightenment through Edmund Burke. William F. Buckley stood athwart history in the 50s, Barry Goldwater riled the sedate country-club Republicans in the 60s, setting the stage for the triumph of Ronald Reagan in the 80s.
Even during the 90s, with Democratic control of the White House, conservatism survived in the voice of Newt Gingrich and his cohorts. Like or dislike any of these people, agree or disagree with them – they held deep rooted convictions derived from a combination of a realistic view of man and reasonable expectations of how we could govern ourselves while protecting liberty.
It’s taken George W. Bush just eight years to throw it all away. Eric Cantor’s vote for George Bush’s bailout to his Wall Street pals shows just how far conservatism has been betrayed, abandoned and replaced with the old time discredited Republicanism of yesteryear. When Democrats say the Republican Party is the party of Wall Street, the multinational corporations and the super rich it is no longer an exaggeration and we know it. In fact, this attempted bailout to Wall Street’s investment bankers is nothing more than socialism for the rich and the privileged. It’s no surprise that a majority of House Democrats supported it. Democrats are always for larger government and always for collecting, controlling and redistributing more of the tax-payers money.
Despite the arm twisting from Eric Cantor and the House leadership, 133 Republicans voted against the bailout, as did 95 Democrats. Eric Cantor voted with 140 Democrats.
Certain key votes define an elected official’s entire career. With his AYE vote for Bush’s trillion dollar rip off of the American taxpayer, with his AYE vote against free enterprise, with his AYE vote for socialism and statism Eric Cantor has revealed himself to be nothing more than a party apparatchik, a yes-man for yet another ill-informed, ill-conceived and reckless Bush policy. He chose his own advancement within the Republican party hierarchy over the welfare of his country. He has contemptuously ignored the will of the people. He has forfeit the right to ask for their votes.
I’d rather have a true blue Democrat representing me in Congress than a phony conservative Republican. I urge my fellow citizens to vote Democrat, third party or just stay home. Any option is better than Eric Cantor.
Ronald F. Maxwell
Flint Hill
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