House Majority Leader’s (Cantor) Quest to Soften G.O.P.’s Image Hits a Wall Within

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON — Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House majority leader, has been trying for months to remake the image of the Republican Party, from one of uncompromising conservatism to something kinder and gentler.

It isn’t working so well.

On Wednesday, Republican leaders abruptly shelved one of the centerpieces of Mr. Cantor’s “Making Life Work” agenda — a bill to extend insurance coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions — in the face of a conservative revolt. Last month, legislation to streamline worker retraining programs barely squeaked through. In May, Republican leaders will try again with legislation, pitched as family-friendly, to allow employers to offer comp time or “flex time” instead of overtime. But it has little prospect for Senate passage.

So it has gone. Items that Mr. Cantor had hoped would change the Republican Party’s look, if not its priorities, have been ignored, have been greeted with yawns or have only worsened Republican divisions.

“We need to look at these issues through a more human lens and realize government has a role here, especially on some of these pocketbook issues,” said Representative Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia, who expressed frustration with the lock-step opposition of the House’s fiercest conservatives. “Have we been successful? No. We’re still trying to find our way.”

The debacle on Wednesday was the worst moment yet. The Helping Sick Americans Now Act sounded like solid middle ground — a measure to actually expand the part of President Obama’s health care law that created a federal “high-risk pool” in which people with pre-existing conditions could band together to buy subsidized insurance coverage. The provision was to be paid for by siphoning money from another part of Mr. Obama’s health care law, the Prevention and Public Health Fund.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/us/politics/majority-leaders-quest-to-soften-gops-image-hits-wall.html?pagewanted=all

[GitRDun]

1. Someone should let poor Mr. Cantor know

his party doesn't care about most people...that's the problem....lol human lens?

Good luck finding your way....follow the yellow brick road!

[Wounded Bear]

2. Where he needs a lens is his belly button.....

That way he could see, even with his head up his ass.

[JNelson6563]

3. So is Cantor finding out

that it is hard to work and accomplish anything with the Republicans? lolz

Too funny.

Julie

[DFW]

4. Cantor's problem is that many of his pals don't WANT to soften their image

Cantor, himself is one of them.

SOFTEN their image? On the contrary, they prefer to act like Ted Cruz and Louie Gohmert.

They'd have better luck trying to soften a diamond.

[Cha]

5. Who saw that coming? rofl

Keep digging Cantor.