Cantor’s Campaign for Republican Leader?

Thu, October 30, 2008 - 1:04 PM

Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., appears to be working the phones to make a run for the job of Republican Leader after House Republicans take an anticipated whooping on Election Day.

The American Spectator reports Cantor, a four-term congressman, currently serving as the House Deputy Republican Whip, is calling Republicans who are safe bets for reelection to lock in their support in a potential leadership battle against either Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the Republican Leader, or Rep. Roy Blunt, the Republican Whip.

Cantor chief of staff Rob Collins dismissed the article as “inaccurate.”

“He’s always on the phone. He’s in touch with members. He’s in touch with voters,” Collins said. “He’s won of the most accessible members of Congress.”

But he’s not campaigning to lead House Republicans, Collins said. “His primary focus is on getting reelected and helping other members get elected.”

Cantor has spent $2.3 million dollars so far this election cycle from his political action committee, ERIC PAC (Every Republican is Crucial), according to the Center for Responsive Politics. He gave more than $900,000 to 126 House Republican candidates across the country (See the list of who he gave to here.)

Some of the expenditures of note:

-$10,000 each to these Virginians seeking reelection: Reps. Virgil Goode, Frank Wolf, Thelma Drake and Rob Wittman and former Gov. Jim Gilmore's Senate campaign.

-$5,000 to Keith Fimian, who is running for the seat left vacant by retiring Republican Rep. Tom Davis

-$10,000 to Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who finds herself in a closer race after she called for an investigation into which members of Congress are “anti-American”

Cantor’s PAC's campaign spending tops that of Boehner’s Freedom Project PAC, which gave $825,398 to Republican candidates this cycle, and Blunt’s Rely on Your Beliefs PAC, which spent $504,104 on candidates this cycle, according to the Center.

Cantor’s PAC donations dwarf those of Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., who, as Republican Conference Chair, is seen as a potential Cantor rival in any leadership fight.

Beyond the spending, Cantor has taken other actions that could be seen as strategic moves to stand out from the Republican leadership circle, including:

-Creating and distributing a “Middle Class Bill of Rights” platform to give Republican candidates an economic message on which to campaign this year

-Traveling widely to help Republican candidates in tight races

-And during the Wall Street bailout debate, playing a leading role in crafting a Republican alternative plan seen as more friendly to taxpayers.

--Neil Simon