Exclusive: Cantor’s Campaign Letter for Leadership

Tue, November 18, 2008 - 2:35 PM

In his quest to become the No. 2 Republican in the House, Rep. Eric I. Cantor, R-Va., planned to send a letter to Republican colleagues today saying it was time to rehabilitate the party’s “conservative voice.”

The “Dear Colleague” letter comes the same day The Washington Times reported Cantor called Republicans no longer “relevant” and two days before House Republicans are to vote on new leaders.

Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., is stepping down as Republican Whip.

No Representative from Virginia has ever been elected to the party’s No. 2 position. Cantor has no clear opposition in the race to lead the pared-down minority party.

The three-page letter to be circulated Tuesday called for keeping the government’s “foray” in the private sector “temporary and limited in scope” during the economic crisis.

Cantor makes a brief diagnosis of the GOP’s condition in the letter, saying electoral losses could be pegged in part to being out of step with new technology.

“Our ability to succeed will rest on our commitment to using every bit of today’s innovative technology to deliver our message to the younger voters who are our future,” wrote Cantor, 45, the current deputy Republican whip.

Without naming any one issue, there is a veiled criticism for Republicans who think wedge issues (abortion, guns) can win elections. Single issues “are not a vision,” the letter said. “We can no longer just speak in ideological terms.”

As a member of House leadership, Cantor pledged bipartisanship with the incoming administration of Barack Obama on tax breaks for middle class Americans and small businesses.

“Our opposition will not be reflexive and automatic; it will be honest and responsible,” he said.

There are mentions of health care and commuter stresses in the letter, but not an explicit mention of Cantor’s Middle Class Bill of Rights, which he unveiled as a campaign tool for House candidates earlier this year.

There are mentions of health care and commuter stresses in the letter, but not explicitly a mention of Cantor’s Middle Class Bill of Rights, which he unveiled as a campaign tool for House candidates earlier this year.

“I am running to be your Republican Whip because I am determined to help re-establish the forward momentum of common sense conservative solutions to the challenges facing the hardworking middle-class American taxpayers,” the letter said.

Text of the letter is below:

AN INNOVATIVE PATH TO THE FUTURE

Dear Colleague:

As we gear up for the 111th Congress, our beliefs seem under fire. Countless election ’08 post-mortems appearing in newspapers across the country have cast doubt on the GOP’s ability to carry on as a viable political party. Some have even gone so far as to proclaim that conservative principles have become irrelevant – if not dead – as a response to our nation’s formidable challenges. To many in the pundit class, our party is finished.

These tales of doom are flatly absurd. In the face of a grueling economic slowdown, the Democrats intend to raise taxes on capital investment and the incomes of those they deem “rich,” two-thirds of whom are small businesses that are engines of job creation. How could there possibly be a time where GOP tenets like low taxes are more necessary?

Like you, I know how invaluable common sense conservative principles are to maintaining a healthy and vibrant democracy. Our nation is at its finest when individuals have the incentives and ability to work, invent, invest and responsibly carve out their own destinies. That’s why Republican goals are tied to free markets, limiting government, keeping taxes low, spending wisely and governing more transparently and effectively. Building an agenda of reform based on self-empowerment and entrepreneurialism is absolutely essential to expanding our tent and making inroads with an increasingly diverse electorate.

Why I Am Running

I am running to be your Republican Whip because I am determined to help re-establish the forward momentum of common sense conservative solutions to the challenges facing the hardworking middle-class American taxpayers. First, we must begin the rehabilitation of our conservative voice by being honest with ourselves and the American people. Have we as a party lived up to our principles? Perhaps not. But our values are still extremely relevant and worth fighting for.

None of us is comfortable with the government’s ongoing foray into the private sphere, and we must be determined to keep these actions temporary and limited in scope. We must then commit ourselves to:



• Holding both sides accountable for excessive spending.

• Rooting out corruption among all Members of Congress who behave unethically.

• Start developing a bold and radically different plan of reform for our government as well as a plan with solutions for America’s families. Our ability to succeed will rest on our commitment to using every bit of today’s innovative technology to deliver our message to the younger voters who are our future.

Be the Honest Opposition and the Check and Balance on Obama and Pelosi’s Power

The Obama Administration will ascend to power at an enormously critical juncture for our nation. With so much left unsettled on the vital economic and national security fronts, scarcely has there been a more important time to fight for what we believe in. From day one we will serve as the check and balance on majority rule envisioned under the Constitution. But our opposition will not be reflexive and automatic; it will be honest and responsible. Should the majority reach out to us on behalf of the national interest, they will find us ready and willing to cooperate.

The first order of business in the 111th will undoubtedly be repairing the ailing economy. In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Depression, not to mention two wars, it is imperative that we work to minimize any further damage. If the Democrats come to us with proposals to cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses, or propose other plans that responsibly stimulate the economy, we will support them. If the Democrats instead reinvent the same old high-tax, heavy spending solutions that died out in the last century, we will strongly oppose them and thoughtfully bring our case before the American people.

Provide a Bold and Radically Different Plan for America

Over the next several years we must convey to the American people that we truly do represent something different. We must develop a broad strategic message. One of the lessons from campaign ’08 is that zeroing in on one single issue can fall short of our goals if it is not wrapped into a broader, overarching vision for America. Single issues can be outstanding tools to reinforce our hopeful message of personal freedom, strong families and free markets, but they are not a vision.

The vision we will take to the American people must start with a specific plan to overhaul the way Washington works. It will feature prescriptions of reform to move the federal government into a world of accountability where only deliverable promises are made. We must identify and also be able to communicate our common sense policies to the most pressing issues families struggle with every day, including health care, jobs, education, wages, commuting, the environment and crime.

Our alternative vision for America will tap into our country’s innovative spirit and lay out a case for making her safer, more secure and prosperous. It will both start and end with empowering individuals and families to make their own decisions in taking on the challenges they face. It must offer a way for the American people to see how their lives will improve and their future will be brighter.

Shortly after the polls closed two weeks ago a survey was taken in which nearly 70% of respondents indicated that the Democrat Party better understood the interest of “people like them.” Conversely, nearly 70% of the time, polls indicate that voters, regardless of party, agree with Republicans on the issues. Going forward, we must root ourselves in our core beliefs, but we can no longer just speak in ideological terms. Our candidates and our party must bring about a clean break from the past and offer a contemporary vision of life in America that is heavy on reform. Make no mistake, the road leading up to the 2010 midterm elections and beyond won’t be easy. Success will never be final. Reform is continuous.

I look forward to getting down to work together - right away! Thanks for all you do, and congratulations on your recent victory. I appreciate your consideration, and hope I can count on your support.

Sincerely,

Eric Cantor
Member of Congress