Canter Pulls out of Deficit Talks

According to Mr. Cantor, Democrats wanted to raise taxes, so he left.

Cantor

More from Politico:

Republicans launched a concerted campaign Thursday to draw President Barack Obama more directly into deficit-reduction talks with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor saying that he will no longer participate in White House talks until the president has personally resolved the divisive issue of taxes.

Cantor’s decision came as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) delivered a broadside on the floor, also keyed to the tax issue and titled “Where’s the President?”

“For weeks lawmakers have worked around the clock to hammer out a plan that would help us to avert a crisis we all know is coming,” McConnell said. “So it’s worth asking: Where in the world has President Obama been for the last month?”

“What does he propose? What is he willing to do to reduce the debt and avoid the crisis that is building on his watch?”

Cantor had sent mixed signals earlier this week, first saying that he wanted greater involvement by the president and then confirming that he remained committed to the talks led by Vice President Joe Biden. His decision now, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, caught even some in the GOP leadership by surprise. And it comes just as Cantor himself has been on the defensive in the talks over Democratic demands for greater cuts from defense spending.

“Each each side came into these talks with certain orders, and as it stands the Democrats continue to insist that any deal must include tax increases,” Cantor said in a statement. “There is not support in the House for a tax increase, and I don’t believe now is the time to raise taxes in light of our current economic situation. Regardless of the progress that has been made, the tax issue must be resolved before discussions can continue.”

Please bookmark!