Jamie Weinstein reports at the Daily Caller:
“You know, he’s an unpatriotic guy,” Democratic political strategist Dave “Mudcat” Saunders said of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in an interview in The Daily Caller’s offices. ”We’re going to attack his patriotism.”
The “we” Saunders is referring to is he and his “horse” to take on Cantor for his Virginia congressional seat, lawyer and retired Army Colonel Wayne Powell. Asked to defend his dramatic charge against Cantor, Saunders — who served as a campaign strategist for Southern Democrats like Jim Webb, Mark Warner and John Edwards — threw out all sorts of allegations.
“First, anybody who bets against the United States economy, bets against their own country, as far as I’m concerned, is unpatriotic,” Saunders said.
… I mean, you can just go on and on. His association with Jack Abramoff.”
…Saunders is also fond of taking shots at Cantor’s association with billionaire casino mogul and philanthropist Sheldon Adelson
I am sure that Saunders knows about this: After the Republicans took the House in the 2010 elections, Cantor’s office stated that he would fight the Obama administration on behalf of Israel, per a report by Laura Rozen.
“Eric stressed that the new Republican majority will serve as a check on the Administration and what has been, up until this point, one party rule in Washington,” [Cantor’s office later reported.] “He made clear that the Republican majority understands the special relationship between Israel and the United States, and that the security of each nation is reliant upon the other.”
Rozen also noted that a “veteran observer of U.S.-Israeli relations Ron Kampeas said he found that statement ‘an eyebrow-raiser.’” “I can’t remember an opposition leader telling a foreign leader, in a personal meeting, that he would side, as a policy, with that leader against the president,” Kampeas wrote
Cantor in Time Magazine last April:
At this perilous moment, Prime Minister Netanyahu is the right leader for Israel — and the right partner for America.
Thanks to Peter Voskamp.
Another crack in the Wall. Wednesday’s Democracy Now! has discussion of the investigation of Sheldon Adelson’s possible ties with organized crime in Macau. Includes discussion of his ties to Israel.
As Senate GOP Blocks DISCLOSE Act, Top Donor Sheldon Adelson Probed for Bribery and Mob Ties
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/7/18/as_senate_gop_blocks_disclose_act
His transgressions would be far more severe had they been isolated
Instead we’ve been treated to the spectacle of watching senior Democratic leader after senior Democratic leader take to the podium at AIPAC and slam the President they ostensibly serve a mere day after he spoke and completely undercutting his arguments vis-a-vis settlements.
Even Nahum Barnea, Israel’s most respected columnist, wrote of the fact that row after row of Jewish donors sat in silence and intently watched their congressmen in how they behaved towards Bibi during his speech.
His column is here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4168813,00.html
So we should keep this in mind, that when those same Democratic congressmen get up round after roud to applause Bibi, it isn’t as much about him as the fear that their major donors are watching from above.
So in this situation, does Cantor’s behaviour mean anything? If anything he can be blamed for being a natural in a situation that he should at least be uncomfortable with.
I think this election should be all about Israel…..yep…all opponents to Israel firsters should start attacking them on their unpatriotic loyalty to a foreign country instead of trying to out love them on Israel.
Extremely interesting, if Cantor is indeed at all vulnerable. The kind of criticism of Israel that appears on this blog, or is done by high level academics like W & M, is extremely well modulated and nuanced. But in a rough and tumble campaign? In any case, a political story well worth following.
This is great. Cantor needs to be targeted for his trangressions. Spot on