Cantor to White House allies: Hold Your Fire

Thu, January 29, 2009 - 2:51 PM

Despite leading his party to completely oppose President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan in the House, Republican Whip Eric Cantor said Wednesday’s party-line vote should not mark the end of bipartisanship and accused the White House and its allies of “making political threats.”

Cantor, R-7th, said House Republicans are committed to working with Obama, but he called on the president to disavow plans by a group of liberal organizations, who intend to run TV ads to encourage moderate Republican support for the stimulus in the Senate.

The ads, slated to run in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, and New Hampshire, urge viewers to call their senators and ask them to support the stimulus plan.

“Let us be clear: attack ads will not create jobs or help struggling families but will only serve to undermine our nation's desire for bipartisanship,” Cantor said in a statement.

Cantor’s press release also included several excerpts from Politico stories that quoted unnamed White House sources saying the vote on the stimulus bill would be used against opposing Republicans in upcoming elections.

--Neil H. Simon