Obama extends olive branch to Cantor

[Enrique]

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/219415-obama-extends-olive-branch-to-cantor-after-passage-of-jobs-bill

President Obama has extended an olive branch to Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and invited him to the White House this week to attend a signing ceremony for bipartisan jobs legislation.

(...)

Now the president is giving Cantor his due. His gesture recognizes Cantor’s role in spearheading passage of the bill, which will make it easier for small businesses to raise capital.

(...)

Cantor told The Hill he hopes the president and congressional leaders will work together more frequently over the next several months.

“I hope it’s that all of us are looking toward driving toward results and looking toward solutions. We all know there are plenty of differences between the two sides in Washington,” he said Sunday.

Some Republican lawmakers had begun to grumble about the lack of bipartisan signing ceremonies, suspecting that it was part of a broader plan to paint Republicans in Congress as obstructionist.

(...)

[montanacowboy]

1. This bill is a disaster

On Up with Chris Hayes on the weekend they did a pretty good discussion on this JOBS bill, another way for Wall Street to steal even more money and pull shit on their IPO's. What a joke, a JOBS BILL? bullshit. Small business my ass, small business = billion $$ business.

[Autumn]

14. Yeah. that was a good discussion.

this must be one of those 70zillion dimensional chess moves, or as I like to think of it, delusional chess moves.

[russspeakeasy]

2. I've got an Olive branch for ya.

[DiverDave]

3. cantor needs the FIST extended

go ahead, mr. president, just give away MORE in your quest to be "fair"

[provis99]

4. he should've extended his middle finger.

Up yours, Cantor!

[Walk away]

5. Wouldn't it be nice if we could flush Cantor back in the sewer he crawled out of.

Only in America can you find people stupid enough to elect a bunch of Teabaggers to run their lives.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. I know ...

This is an unpopular view; but, I think his reaching out to Cantor is a brilliant move since between now and for the next 4 years, he will still have to govern with Cantor.

Only a fool fails to continue looking for a way to work with your opposition.

[dembotoz]

7. but it would be more fun to stick some tnt up his butt

this is not a threat

do not advocate violence.....

but just saying

[Zalatix]

12. Laugh out loud!!!

If "they" come for you then let 'em come for me, too.

[DocMac]

8. Cantor does not compromise and he's dangerous. nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

10. I did not say GET compromise ...

I said seek ways to work with your opposition.

If you find it (at not too great a cost) great; if not, you still are on record of TRYING to make something work.

That's what adults do!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

16. Republicans are not always adult

[1StrongBlackMan]

26. But politics is ...

about the perception of those you are trying to attract. And most adults are adults.

[DocMac]

22. You didn't have to say "compromise",

How can one work with the opposition and reach some conclussion without "not too great a cost" and not call that a compromise?

Not working with Cantor, that's what educated adults do.

[1StrongBlackMan]

27. So compromise ...

is a bad thing in terms of governance?

{Have I fallen in a rightwing fringy forum by mistake?}

[DocMac]

29. Do you know who Eric Cantor is?

Eric Cantor is a tea party obstructionist. When you compromise with him, he walks away with the whole pie or nothing. Wall St. will be celebrating for days. And what part about helping business did Cantor cave on?

Your last question doesn't deserve a response.

[1StrongBlackMan]

31. Yes ...

I am fully aware of whom Eric Cantor is. Yes, he is is a teaparty obstructionist that walks away with the whole pie or nothing. So what? The teaparty is on it's last leg and is only empowererd by those that allow them power.
a
Offering an olive branch is nothing more than offering him another opportunity to show his obstructionist ass. And the majority of people discount him because they know he will act as an obstructionist without reason. Don't you think that benefits the party far more than harms it?

[DocMac]

33. You and I are worlds apart.

I negotiate with people who are willing to do so. I'm not saying that there are NO lawmakers that can be negotiated with. I'm saying that Eric Cantor cannot be reasoned with.

Sir, you have your opinion and I have mine. We need not continue this banter.

My only real concern is that you don't live in Virginia.

[1StrongBlackMan]

35. True ...

We appear to view this matter differently.

But rest assured that if you did live in Virginia, Cantor would NOT get my vote.

[DocMac]

36. I get the gist of what you are saying

and I didn't think you really support Cantor.

I didn't see any good in this JOBS Act. Now Cantor will gain more support from Wall St. and ALEC.

He's the last person that should gain more power in Congress IMHO. I think Cantor is the biggest tool for ALEC and the 1%.

I would rather work with Boehner than Cantor. Now, that's pretty bad. This whole discussion we have had is more about the person than the process, for me.

[1StrongBlackMan]

39. Okay ...

I can get with you on that. I, too, find Cantor to be repugnant.

[Enrique]

9. yes Obama is going to continue being "brilliant"

for reaching out to Cantor. And Cantor is going to continue to be "a fool" for never reaching out to Obama.

But the "fool" is going to keeping getting what he wants from the "brilliant" guy.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. That's the nature of politics and governance ...

You cannot believe that Cantor has gotten most of what he wants; nor can you argue that President Obama has not gotten most of what he has sought.

Can you?

[Enrique]

18. i've heard that lecture many times since jan 2009

but it's not necessary because I already know that. For example Obama's about to sign the Colombia FTA but at least he got them to renew the assistance for displace workers. He negotiated for quite a while on that. It's not enough, but at least it's something.

But what did he get for this? You tell me, what did Cantor concede? Don't respond with abstractions that everyone already understands, tell me some facts about the negotiations on this bill that support your claim that this shit is "brilliant".

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. I'm not lecturing ...

But although President Obama's reaching out has yet to produce fruit, what has it cost him or us ... other than having some perceive him as weak? (And we KNOW that is not an accurate assessment)

I am saying that it is BAD politics to burn bridges.

[randome]

20. I agree completely.

If you insist on making someone your enemy, you are playing right into that enemy's hands.

[Enrique]

21. I agree that Obama isn't really Cantor's enemy

I agree that when people talk about how hard Obama is fighting the GOP, they are exaggerating.

[1StrongBlackMan]

24. Maybe ...

That's the issue ...

Do we want President Obama to fight the gop; or do we want him to accomplish something, given the current political environment. The two are completely separate.

[Enrique]

28. if you feel that way, fine

I happen to disagree. I think we need Obama to fight the GOP hard.

You also are much more sanguine about the GOP legislation that Obama has been signing. I think the legislation itself is destructive, and I think we missed the opportunity to start going in the other direction. After 8 years of Bush, it's tragic that we didn't turn things around after we won.

[1StrongBlackMan]

32. Disagreement is fine ...

But, I would far rather fight FOR something rather than fight against anything.

Do you really believe that President Obama has not begun to turn things around from the bush days? Maybe, not as fast or as far as desirable; but can you say we are not on the road?

[TheKentuckian]

37. I say we are not on that road. We are on the same road but moving down it less stridently

in some areas and in others moving at a similar pace be it a hair slower or a tad faster.

Too much evil consensus on civil liberties and exchanging freedom for illusions of safety, on education, and great deference for "stakeholders" for my tolerance as well.

[Bandit]

30. Maybe, but there is a very good chance Democrats will regain the majority

However you are correct in that it is a good thiong to at least make the effort to work with Republicans.. I know they won't do the same but many people notice things like that..

[Blue_Tires]

11. I know it's just me; but I want a 4-year moratorium on olive branches

extended to congressional repubs

[librechik]

15. ...Cantor pulls out the chainsaw...

[Citizen Worker]

17. When will Obama learn the republicans are not and will not ever be on his side. If Obama hasn't

figured that out in the last two years he's hopeless.

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. You don't need ...

someone on your side to work with them.

[rudycantfail]

19. A lot more middle-right stuff left to accomplish.

[dionysus]

34. th earth is going to spin out of it's orbit and fly into the sun. we are doomed.

doomed.

[Are_grits_groceries]

38. Oy! Here we go!

I wouldn't mind this move if the next steps weren't so predictable. Time after time he has done the same thing, and they beat him over the head with it.

I keep hoping he will not give away some concessions before any talks begin. However, he is so wedded to he notion of bi-partisanship that he goes to extreme lengths to try to achieve it. It isn't bi-partisanship when all the movement is towards the right.

If past is prologue, we will be screwed again. President Obama wants to change the culture of Washington politics. It hasn't happened, and it won't. Giving up some issues in order to try to achieve a new paradigm is foolish. The only thing the Rethugs want is to defeat him and any of his proposals.

If the Rethugs give any appearance of changing, it's camoflage.