Cantor Bows To Extremists In Refusal To Stand Strong Against Birthers On NBC's 'Meet The Press'

I watched a video clip of Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor being interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press" and thought he was largely evasive in his willingness to take on the birthers on his side of the political mainstream.

Sure, he laughed them off, but seemed unwilling to strongly denounce the crazy talk.

From Huffington Post:

The new Republican House majority leader says he doesn't think questions about President Barack Obama's citizenship should play a role in the discussion of policy matters.

Two years into the Obama administration, so-called birthers continue to argue that Obama isn't a natural-born citizen and that he hasn't proved he's constitutionally qualified to be president. Birth records in Hawaii haven't dissuaded them.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he believes Obama is a citizen and that most Americans are beyond that question.

Appearing Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cantor refused to call people who question Obama's citizenship "crazy," saying it's not nice to call anyone crazy.

This article makes it seem as though he was strongly against the birtherism on his side, but I thought he dodged the issue at times and hardly came across as a strong leader against such uncivil talk.

It may not be nice to call people crazy, but it's also not nice to call people socialist, communist, accuse them of wanting to kill grandma, accuse them of wanting to take over the government, etc.

Cantor had an opportunity to prove himself as a strong leader and instead bowed to the extremists on his wing.

First For President Barack Obama: Conservatives Act Like He Is First Leader To Lobby For Olympics

As we know all too well, Barack Obama is considered the first black president (the first non-white male) of the United States of America. It was a historic first, but it appears some conservatives do not think it was the last historic first for the new president. It seems many conservatives are just plain up in arms over the belief Barack Obama now has become (are you ready for this?) the first president to ever go overseas and lobby to host the Olympics.

I mean … surely no other president or leader of a nation has done that before. Perhaps conservatives see this as another case of President Obama getting uppity and acting like he is … the president? Hmm. What could be going through this man’s mind … acting like he is president of the United States of America and fighting for the people of the nation he leads.

From Think Progress:

Brazil, Spain, and Japan — the other three 2016 finalists — all sent their country’s leaders to Copenhagen, as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow pointed out on NBC’s Meet the Press today. Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks said that he was proud Obama had “put his country ahead of his own personal prestige”:

MADDOW: In 2012, London got the Olympics after Blair tried for them. In 2014, Russia got them after Putin tried for them, and in 2016, all four finalists sent their head of government or head of state to make the argument. Obama did nothing unreasonable, and it would have been a shock if Chicago won. For them to be cheering America’s loss here on the right, I think is sort of disgusting. [...]

BROOKS: Nonetheless, I have to say, I’m with Obama on this. He took a risk, he comes away somewhat humiliated, but he took a risk for his town, he took a risk for his country, he put his country ahead of his own personal prestige, and he lost one. I actually don’t mind it. I think he was all right on this.

We should be all proud of the work so many people from the U.S. Olympic Committee and elsewhere did to try and bring the Olympics of 2016 to the U.S. Obviously, a lot of conservatives were rooting against the U.S., but the greatness of the country will win out over the self-interested conservatives who seem only believe strongly in patriotism when a Republican is in the White House.

Congratulations to Brazil, but shame on those in the U.S. who rooted against their country due largely to political bias.