Cantor Fends Off Fire From Democratic Opponent.

[elleng]

Virginia lawyer and retired Army Col. Wayne Powell was on a mission in Monday night’s debate — to fire as many rhetorical shots at Eric Cantor in his longshot bid to unseat the House majority leader.

Cantor was defending his seat in a debate for just the second time since being elected to Congress in 2000. The Democratic nominee is running his first political campaign, hoping to represent a heavily Republican district, against the House’s No. 2 lawmaker.

Speaking loudly and gesticulating heavily, at times as though he was rallying a crowd, Powell cast himself as a pragmatic problem-solver aiming to unseat an ideologue who has been bought by wealthy special interests.

“It is almost obscene, the millions of dollars you have earned [from big corporations],” Powell said, raising his voice. “You’ve got a person who supports the very barbarians, the very parasites who caused the meltdown in this country in 2008.”

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/

[oswaldactedalone]

1. Love Powell's passion

Cantor looked like a worthless, blood-sucking weasel compared to Powell.

[Cha]

3. Because he is.

[Cha]

2. It IS OBSCENE!

Good for Wayne Powell taking the Facts straight to Cantor.

[deafskeptic]

4. I hope Powell wins.

I used to live in Cantor's district until I was 28. He went my brother's old high school. My brother graduated in 1971 and Cantor in 1981.. The name looks very familiar and I'm sure I've heard it before he became a politician. This district has been red for as long as I can remember. I will be very surprised if my old neighborhood turns blue.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Eric Cantor Says In Debate 'Not True' He Voted For Sequester That He Voted For

Eric Cantor Says In Debate 'Not True' He Voted For Sequester That He Voted For
Posted: 10/01/2012 9:41 pm EDT Updated: 10/01/2012 10:45 pm EDT

WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) insisted Monday night that he didn't support the budget sequester put into place last summer that Congress is now trying to get out of. But, well, he did vote for it.

During a debate with his Democratic challenger Wayne Powell, Cantor blamed President Barack Obama for pushing through a debt deal in August 2011 that included a $1.2 trillion sequester, or a trigger for automatic, across-the-board spending cuts set to kick in at the end of this year. The sequester was never intended to take effect. It was supposed to spur lawmakers to come up with a better way to cut trillions in spending. But Congress failed to come up with a bipartisan plan, so the possibility of the sequester taking effect now looms.

As Cantor spoke of the need to cut spending, Powell threw in his face that he voted for the sequester, which includes major cuts to defense spending -- an issue that resonates in the military-heavy state of Virginia. Cantor disagreed.

"Mr. Powell keeps saying that I supported the sequester. As he knows good and well, that's not true," Cantor said. "The president insisted on its insertion into the debt ceiling deal. ... We were put in a position where there was no other choice because the president didn't want to go along with actually beginning to address the real deficit issue, which are health care entitlements."

More:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/01/eric-cantor-debate_n_1930981.html

[silvershadow]

6. Apparently he has borrowed Mitt's Etch-A-Sketch. n/t

[elleng]

8. LOVE that headline!!!

[stuffmatters]

7. Powell was so good

Discovering and watching it on C-Span and watching Cantor finally held accountable ...it was wonderful; Powell obviously has so much more to call Cantor on, I hope there's another debate. Like he started to call Cantor on his Black Swan account, where he was actually betting against the US, earning money for himself everyday that he could prolong the debt ceiling crisis. And all the jabs at Cantor for being a chicken hawk war monger and spender especially effective coming from an Iraq vet whose son is fighting in Afghanistan.

And Powell's also the first Dem I've seen finally explain that these "small business owners" - these $250000/yr "job creators" the Republicans claim to represent and defend- are not really small business owners. Only 3% of small business owners net such high earnings. So the raising of taxes over 250000 income finds them in favor not opposition. Real small businesses employ less than 50, so majority also in favor of healthcare law.

I've seen Powell's campaign manager on Maddow. With the energy and information he and Powell share, Cantor is really facing some stiff and skillful opposition. I hope for more debates between Cantor and Powell.

[elleng]

9. No more debates scheduled,

tho Powell has suggested/asked/invited cantor to engage in 2 more. Think cantor will agree to another??? DOUBT IT!!!