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Cantor to Obama: Tell Pelosi to Bring Congress Back
August 04, 2008 11:12 AM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and John Santucci Report: A Virginia congressman who is reported to be under consideration to be Sen. John McCain's, R-Ariz., running mate urged Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on Monday to pressure the Democratic leadership of Congress to take action on off-shore drilling.
"If Barack Obama is serious about trying to fix this problem," said Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., "the first thing he should do is pick up the phone and call Speaker Pelosi and tell her to bring Congress back so that we can begin a process of getting an off-shore drilling bill across the floor of the House."
Cantor's effort to pressure Obama on Pelosi and off-shore drilling comes in the wake of the presumptive Democratic nominee softening his opposition to off-shore drilling. Obama told a Florida newspaper on Friday that he does not see off-shore drilling as a solution to the U.S. energy crunch while saying that he would go along with expanded off-shore drilling if it were necessary to win a broader policy overhaul focused on renewable sources of energy.
Asked Sunday on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" why the House Democratic leadership won’t allow an up or down vote on the issue of drilling, Pelosi accused House Republicans of doing the bidding of Big Oil.
“We have a debate every single day on this subject,” said Pelosi, calling the GOP protest “the war dance of the handmaidens of the oil companies.”
The Associated Press reported on Saturday that McCain's campaign has asked Cantor, who serves as chief deputy Republican whip in the House, for personal documents to aid in the search for a running mate.
During Monday's McCain campaign conference call with reporters, Cantor refused to discuss the vice-presidential selection process when he was asked about it by the author of Saturday's Associated Press story.
"Congratulations on being on the short list," the AP's Bob Lewis told Cantor "would you care to comment any about your conversation with the senator over a possible choice."
"No I wouldn't," said Cantor, "this a press conference about the energy plan and the difference between the visions that Barack Obama has and John McCain."
"Thank you, Bob. Thanks for trying," said McCain spokesman Brian Rogers.
Saturday's Cantor story was sourced by the AP to an individual who "spoke on the condition of anonymity" because "neither the McCain campaign nor Cantor's office" wanted to discuss the running mate selection process.
August 4, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Romney, Mitt, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (53)
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Obama won't vote on it or do his OOPS I did it again like Britney Spears and claim he pushed the wrong button
Posted by: 63tang0 | Aug 4, 2008 11:22:11 AM
Its time for Obama to put up or shut up like they say in POKER
Posted by: you play | Aug 4, 2008 11:24:02 AM
Come on this is actually asking Obama to do something that he can't say "Thats not what I meant" when the votes are counted.
Posted by: gett me | Aug 4, 2008 11:26:05 AM
MC Cain Ahead in lastest polls, Nancy Pelosi, tells americans " i am going home, you guys pay the higher gas prices and shut up"
Posted by: Rosco | Aug 4, 2008 11:28:32 AM
Obama told the people in Florida that he supports off shore drilling.
But we know his words are just that.
JUST WORDS
Posted by: hemmy car | Aug 4, 2008 11:28:50 AM
Obama can't play the RACE CARD. What is he going to do now. Maybe his big American hating wife can tell him what to do. Or maybe one of his long list of loser ENDORSEMENTS can figure this out.
Obama is probably in secret talks with Rev Wright and Al Sharpton to figure out how to play the RACE CARD to get out of this mess
Posted by: toyota | Aug 4, 2008 11:31:47 AM
McCain's camp must be serious about Cantor. His name was unknown to most Americans a few days ago, and now they're using him as a surrogate and employing him in a political stunt.
Do we really believe that Cantor wants all those endangered Republicans in DC rather than campaigning at home? Of course not. Not to mention the fact that no legislation of this magnitude will be passed as this Congress and President Bush's term expire. No matter what Pelosi does, it won't sail through the Senate.
Posted by: Rich | Aug 4, 2008 11:33:14 AM
Well, for one thing, they have a convention to get up and going.
Two, I must say, I have never seen Bush work so hard as he has this past 3 weeks. What a joke these people are. 8 years vs. past 3 weeks. uhmmm. McCain behind in the poles, people against Bush, what shall we do....
Oh why not steal pages from Obama's play book and run with them. Make Bush and McCain look good to the people. What they don't realize is the American people are not playing their games anymore. Bush, McCain and the Republican party have recreated this mess we are in right now, the mess with the war, economy, housing, food, Jobs. They created it the past 8 years, voting for the rich and to h*ll with anyone else, AND NOW THEY WANT TO SAVE US FROM IT??? Really! They want us to vote for them to save us from them???? Really!
Posted by: becky | Aug 4, 2008 11:34:36 AM
Oh i forgot Obama stole the play book from the Clintons. and now its Clintons and McCain who now claim Obama has played the RACE CARD.
Posted by: becky | Aug 4, 2008 11:35:50 AM
Oil company exs have stated they could have gas at the pump in three years if permission was given now to drill new wells off shore. Just think the democrats like the shortage and high prices so they can blame the Bush Administration for the problem. Obama has been playing the blame game in every speech, whether it is about energy or medical or taxes or home foreclosure or------------etc.
He is great at blaming but has no real solutions of his own to fix any problem effectively.
Posted by: Martin | Aug 4, 2008 11:36:40 AM
Just one more thing a convention where Obama can get his PHOTO OP is more important than working Americans.
You should know that by now the way Obama ditched American Wounded fighting men because he could not get his PHOTO OP crew in with him.
VOTE OBAMA
Posted by: becky | Aug 4, 2008 11:37:43 AM
What of the 68 million acres of federal lands and offshore territory currently leased and open to drilling... which aren't being exploited? I'm genuinely curious.
Is there a reason the oil companies aren't using that land where they already hold the drilling rights? Is the oil there prohibitively difficult to get to, etc.?
Posted by: Rich | Aug 4, 2008 11:41:54 AM
must be two becky's on this site. becky two, sorry I totally disagree with you. I saw Bill play that race card, I also saw McCain play his. I also saw Obama defend why he had to say what he said so that we can see what was coming at us. Don't defend them, we have them both on tape playing the race card.
Posted by: becky | Aug 4, 2008 11:43:10 AM
Hmmm...let's open some more drilling so all the fat cats who own Exxon and Shell can make their millions and billions....To open off-shore drilling without a comprehensive energy strategy that includes conservation is just plain stupid and a political gimmick.
Posted by: indy_voter | Aug 4, 2008 11:44:57 AM
If we are in such an emergency that Obama now thinks we need to get into the reserve oil, then he truly, honestly needs to get Pelosi and the gang back to get us out of this emergency. NOW!
Posted by: Is he man enough? | Aug 4, 2008 11:47:46 AM
As a Hillary supporter, I'm glad McCain and his camp blew up when Obama insinuated they are racists. He did the same thing to Hillary, and it infuriated me. On Sunday Senator Lindsey Graham acknowledged that the Obama campaign tried to paint Hillary as a racist, and let it be known that the McCain camp would not put up with the same kind of attacks. Good for them. I'm a Democrat, but I just don't like Obama's tactics. His little trip to Berlin to anoint himself President of the World was the last straw for me.
Posted by: Still for Hillary | Aug 4, 2008 11:48:59 AM
Hey, Obama doesn't need Pelosi. He's already stated - fill up your tires while the US raids the petroleum reserve. So, what's the problem?
Posted by: Max | Aug 4, 2008 11:50:14 AM
Pelosi's stunt was the last straw for me. I'm not voting for ANY INCUMBENT!! They are all acting like a bunch of children on a playground, while the entire coutry suffers. We need to DO IT ALL-drill for oil, develop alternative sources of energy and release the oil reserves!!!!
Posted by: kat | Aug 4, 2008 11:52:01 AM
I wonder what flip the presidential flop will make today. As chief representative of the ultra-libs, it's funny to see him pandering to the center and abandon his constituent base. Poor fools -- don't even know they're being had.
Posted by: Max | Aug 4, 2008 11:55:04 AM
This is nothing but a republican sheme to try and drum up votes. Off shore drilling will do nothing for either lowering the price of gas for the economy and they know it. Since they can't talk about anything substative, they use this as a wedge. Why don't the republicans expalin why they went 71/2 years with Bush and never once suggested off shore oil would be viable. Any fool can promise something, but fulfilling it is another matter. Go ahead, make all the fuss you want about offshore drilling, but when it comes right down to making a difference in price of gas...you will have to swallow your foot.
Posted by: William | Aug 4, 2008 11:56:45 AM
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