Republican Congressman Eric Cantor FAVORS Shutdown

Congressman Eric Cantor opposes compromise on any Bush tax cut extensions and in fact, he ins in favor of a federal government shut down. Can he be further out of touch with reality? Does he not realize that we need to undo the tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent.

Just as Senate Minority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has attempted to lower expectations in recent days by saying that Republicans can't really accomplish anything unless President Obama is voted out of office in 2012, so too did Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) set the stage on Sunday by declaring that any lack of progress in Congress -- including a possible government shutdown -- will be Obama's fault.

"I would say, Chris, it's as much his responsibility," said Cantor in response to a question from Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace about who will be to blame for a government shutdown or a default on the debt. "In fact, he is the one who sets the agenda as the chief executive and as the president of this country."

Cantor also made clear that if there's going to be any compromise, it's going to have to come from Obama, who has said he is willing to work with Republicans. Cantor, however, said that Republicans will work with Obama only if he agrees with them 100 percent.

"Listen, are we willing to work with him?" said Cantor on Sunday. "First and foremost, we're not going to be willing to work with him on the expansive liberal agenda he's been about, but if he is serious about working with us on things like earmarks, for instance -- which he said he would work with me on that -- I'm absolutely hopeful we can do that. I hope he calls Harry Reid the first thing to get the Senate to go along with the House position."[...]

On the Bush tax cuts, President Obama has indicated that he may be open to extending all of them, which is something the Republicans have been pushing for. But, his compromise would be that the middle-class tax cuts would be extended permanently, while the ones for the families making more than $250,000 would be extended temporarily. As The Washington Post explained, this "decoupling" strategy would "focus the debate when tax cuts for the rich expired next year or the year after. Republicans would be forced to defend carve-outs for a tiny minority populated by millionaires, an unpopular position that would be difficult to advance without the cover of a broad-based tax cut for everyone, aides in both parties said."