Eric Cantor Joins Investment Bank

Former GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who suffered a stunning primary defeat this summer at the hands of an unknown Tea Party candidate, has joined Wall Street. And the teabaggers are screaming, "Told you so."

Kevin Broughton, communications director of the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, said, "many analysts accused Eric Cantor of paying more attention to Wall Street than to the people of Virginia's 7th District. He certainly didn't waste any time validating that theory." Since 1999, the seven-term congressman had raised more than $3 million from the investment industry. And in his last campaign, the industry was his largest contributor, donating $785,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. For disaffected conservatives, especially among the tea party, which came to life early in the Obama administration and took on a populist message, Cantor's move to a boutique investment bank, Moelis & Co., as a vice chairman and board member is proof that their concerns were spot on.

Rep. Eric Cantor To Resign House Seat

Days after his shocking primary loss to a Tea Party challenger, former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced that he was resigning his GOP leadership position. Today he announced that later this month he will leave Congress entirely.

Cantor said he has asked Gov. Terry McAuliffe to call a special election for his district that coincides with the general election on Nov. 4. By having a special election in November, the winner would take office immediately, rather than in January with the next Congress. “That way he will also have seniority, and that will help the interests of my constituents (because) he can be there in that consequential lame-duck session,” Cantor said. Cantor’s resignation marks the end of a successful 14-year congressional run that included his role as House majority leader for more than three years and the prospect of becoming the next speaker of the House. Cantor had not faced a close challenge since he was first elected in 2000. But Dave Brat, an economics professor from Henrico County, toppled the incumbent in a Republican primary on June 10.

Cantor's resignation is effective August 18th.

Quote Of The Day - Brian Schweitzer

"Don't hold this against me, but I'm going to blurt it out. How do I say this? Men in the South, they are a little effeminate. They just have effeminate mannerisms. If you were just a regular person, you turned on the TV, and you saw Eric Cantor talking, I would say, and I'm fine with gay people, that's all right, but my gaydar is 60-70 percent. But he's not, I think, so I don't know. Again, I couldn't care less. I'm accepting." - Democratic former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, in a lengthy profile published by the National Journal.

Cochran Didn't Know Cantor Lost

Adding fuel to the "indecent things to animals" flap, some today are truly wondering about Sen. Thad Cochran's state of mind.

Three days after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor became national political news fodder by losing a primary election to tea party challenger Dave Brat, embattled GOP Sen. Thad Cochran has seemingly no idea what happened. To repeat: A sitting U.S. Senator has no idea that the second-most important member of his own party in the U.S. House of Representatives was just unseated in a major primary defeat. During an interview with Fox News on Friday, Cochran was asked whether he believes Cantor’s defeat means anything for his own Mississippi GOP primary runoff election against Tea Party challenger Chris McDaniel. The exchange that followed is… surprising.

David Brat Campaign Scrubs Facebook As Media Digs Into His Staff And Statements

Tip of the iceberg, I guarantee it. Details. (Tipped by JMG reader Glenn)

Dave Brat: I Won Because Jesus

Retweet If You Agree

Cantor To Resign As Majority Leader

The biggest upset of the year just got even more upset-y.

Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the House, will step down from his post as majority leader after losing his primary bid Tuesday night, sources tell NBC News. Aides say they expect Cantor to tell his colleagues he will resign from the position at a meeting of House Republicans at 4 p.m. ET. The decision, first reported by the Washington Post, is sure to send shockwaves through Capitol Hill as members of the conservative and establishment wings of the Republican Party jockey to fill the influential post. Cantor had previously been discussed as a potential successor to Boehner if the current speaker stepped down.

Leading the buzz to replace Cantor is Texas Rep. Pete Sessions.

GOP Rep. Peter King: Cantor Loss May Spur Another Shutdown Stunt

From the clip:

"What Ted Cruz did last year was suicidal," King said, alluding to the Cruz-engineered government shutdown that cost the GOP mightily in the polls last October. "I hope that doesn't become party policy. So we can't allow Eric's defeat last night allow the Ted Cruzes and Rand Pauls to take over the party, or their disciples to take over the party. Because this is not conservative to me. Shutting down the government down is not conservative."

Headlines Across Teabagistan

From Breitbart, Daily Caller, Twitchy, Truth Revolt, The Blaze, and Gateway Pundit.

Sarah Palin Cheers Cantor's Loss

"Congratulations to Dave Brat in Virginia on such an encouraging victory tonight! You shocked the political world and reminded D.C. that power lies with We the People and not any conventional party establishment. Dave Brat was massively outspent (more than 10 to 1) and laughed off by most, but he won the trust of voters the old fashioned way – one by one. Tonight’s victory showed the power of the local grassroots – the ones with boots on the ground who put up the campaign signs and go door to door to provide needed support for great candidates. Appreciation also goes to those with powerful microphones like Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter and others who recognized Dave’s strengths and had the guts to provide him a megaphone to reach concerned citizens. Grassroots commonsense conservatives can use this momentum to push good candidates like Chris McDaniel, T.W. Shannon, and Rob Maness to victory for America. These candidates are also being massively outspent by establishment candidates and they need our help and energy. Thank you, Virginia! On to November!" - Sarah Palin, posting to her Facebook page.

Haters Celebrate Cantor's Loss

BREAKING: GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Appears Headed For Defeat UPDATE: AP Calls It, Cantor Has Lost

Just a few hours ago, the Washington Post published this:

A conservative challenger is expected to fall far short of defeating House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) in Tuesday’s congressional primary. Disorganization and poor funding have stymied the campaign of tea party activist David Brat, even as he tapped into conservative resentment toward a party leader who has been courting the Republican right for years. Brat, an economics professor, simply failed to show up to D.C. meetings with powerful conservative agitators last month, citing upcoming finals. He only had $40,000 in the bank at the end of March, according to first quarter filings. Cantor had $2 million.

All of Teabagistan is going nuts with celebration on Twitter.

UPDATE: And the AP has called it. Wow. Just wow.

UPDATE II: From the Associated Press:

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has been defeated by a Tea Party-backed challenger in the Republican primary. Economics professor Dave Brat won a stunning upset victory against Cantor on Tuesday in the 7th District Republican primary contest, which is in the Richmond area. Cantor is the second-most powerful member of the U.S. House and was seen by some as a possible successor to the House speaker. His loss to a political novice with little money marks a huge victory for the tea party movement, which supported Cantor just a few years ago. Brat had been a thorn in Cantor's side on the campaign, casting the congressman as a Washington insider who isn't conservative enough. Last month, a feisty crowd of Brat supporters booed Cantor in front of his family at a local party convention.

UPDATE III: Going viral on Twitter.

Teabagger To Challenge Eric Cantor

Virginia Tea Party activist Peter Greenwald spent the weekend asking hate group leaders for their support in his campaign to unseat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.  Bryan Fischer happily retweeted the above yesterday afternoon.

Eric Cantor's Staff Has Cops Threaten To Arrest Singing Immigrant Children

Raw Story reports:

A group of children calling for immigration reform were forced to leave House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-VA) office on Thursday after Capitol Police officers threatened to arrest them. In a video posted to YouTube by the group Keeping Families Together, the children are seen in Cantor’s personal office singing: “We want reform, we want it now. We are titanium. Keep our families together. We want reform right now.” At that point an officer interrupted the protest to ask if anyone there was planning on getting arrested.

The kids eventually did leave without being arrested.

Nancy Pelosi Vs Eric Cantor

Suh-NAP!

Press Release Of The Day

From the National Jewish Democratic Council:

"American Jews will feel a sense of profound disappointment that two of the most important Republicans in the country have chosen to address - and thus court and legitimize - some of America's most extreme and deeply disturbing social conservatives at today's Values Voter Summit. The Southern Poverty Law Center urged public officials to refrain from attending because of the organizers' infamous history of gay bashing, anti-Muslim and intolerant statements, including disgustingly and directly linking homosexuality to the Holocaust. But equally concerning is the history of hate-filled toxic rhetoric that flows from many of its participants year after year. This is above and beyond one of the summit's organizers' calls for Jews to be converted to Christianity.

"Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan (R-WI) should theoretically be working to expand the Romney campaign's appeal to mainstream voters, and rumor has it the Republican Party is attempting to attract Jewish voters as well, though it has a strange way of showing it. Instead, he is serving as the campaign's bridge to far-right extremists -- a crowd that he blends all too well with. Furthermore, the appearance by Cantor -- the only Jewish Republican in Congress -- is sending yet another message that gay bashing, intolerance and abusive Holocaust rhetoric are accepted by the House GOP caucus. The unfortunate alliance between the Values Voter Summit and today's GOP is just one more element sure to remind the vast majority of American Jews --who strongly support marriage equality -- why they firmly support the Democratic Party."

FRC Slams Eric Cantor's Call For GOP Tolerance On LGBT Rights Issues

The Family Research Council is the first hate group out of the gate to slam House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's call for GOP tolerance on LGBT rights issues.

This misguided tolerance leads both political parties to embrace H.R. 6019, legislation introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (R-Texas) (ironically one of the biggest bullies in Congress) that seeks to continue a slush fund at the Justice Department by federalizing “bullying.” This bill would very likely fund the Dan Savages of the world to go after the Dan Cathy’s of the world. That isn’t tolerance – that is taxpayer-funded culturcide. It is Rep. Cantor remarks on his own party though that seems to indicate it is the wrong kind of tolerance he is supporting. A party needs to stand for something or it stands for nothing. Is Rep. Cantor saying that if a Member of Congress was an avowed socialist they would embrace them? One would hope not. Party platforms need to mean something and should be guidelines for anyone wishing to join or work for that party. If your ideas and stances are good ones and you are consistent in your beliefs people will embrace you – otherwise your majority will go away even quicker then the last one did.

That didn't take long, did it?

House Majority Leader Rep Eric Cantor Urges GOP "Tolerance" On Gay Issues

Clearly concerned about the GOP's eroding base among young voters and minorities, House Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor is calling for his party to show more tolerance regarding LGBT issues. Cantor, as you doubtlessly know, has been his party's point man on thwarting numerous gay rights issues.

“I think an even bigger issue than that, from a cultural standpoint, is the acceptance of diversity. And the acceptance of diversity of opinion,” Cantor said, explaining that while he may have is own personal opinions on morality or religion, “at some point we’re all here as Americans and we all have to be appreciative of other people’s views.” “And it’s that tolerance, I think that that tolerance is something that enables people to be passionate about their positions. And if you’re for gay marriage, this country allows you to express your views. Some states support it and allow it, and others don’t. But its ok to have that difference of opinion in that,” he said.

Cantor, who is also part of the leadership group that has brought a lawsuit against the Obama administration’s decision to not enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, argued that open discussion and diversity are what make the nation “unique,” and warned against institutional attempts to enforce a standard position on the population. When asked if the Republican Party specifically needs to do a better job of accepting opinions on gay marriage and other cultural issues that do not align with party orthodoxy, Cantor said “absolutely.”

While Cantor's motives for this call are transparently self-serving, it's going to be amusing to watch hate groups turn on their House standard-bearer.

The Wife Of GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Supports Marriage Equality

(Via - Good As You)