Dave "Mudcat" Saunders, the fiery Democratic strategist, has found his latest crusade: he's a senior strategist for Wayne Powell, the Democratic challenger for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA). On Thursday's The Rachel Maddow Show, Mudcat had some choice words for the Virginia Republican: he called him a "bought and paid for crook."
"Of course he's vulnerable," Saunders said of Cantor when asked if Powell could really topple a key GOP leader with a massive war chest and a national profile. "He's a bought and paid for crook. ... We're in the midst of a coin-operated government and he's the leader."
As proof of that rather incendiary charge, Saunders pointed reports that casino mogul Sheldon Adelson had promised millions of dollars to a group linked with Cantor. Adelson has also pumped tens of millions of dollars into the presidential election.
Saunders' candidate is a retired military intelligence officer, and the strategist promised that Powell's campaign would focus on "social justice for all people, that includes gays and women. And we're going to shout that from the rooftops."
"We don't want to just beat [Cantor], we want to ruin him," Saunders said. "He shorted U.S. Treasury bonds. He bet against the United States of America while he was majority leader for his own financial portfolio.. .. Cantor was taking bets against his team."
Saunders was referring to a 2011 Salon report charging that Cantor was personally invested in a fund that “aggressively ‘shorts’ long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, meaning that it performs well when U.S. debt is undesirable.”
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A great interview. I love listening to Mudcat talk. Even when he can't use his most colorful language.
Excellent interview. Finally someone telling it like it is about Eric cantor.
Dave "Mudcat" Saunders interview: We cheered!
Eric Cantor reminds me of someone who needed a good beating by a bully on the playground as a child but never got one. Eric Cantor is smug, arrogant, vile, and downright hostile to the needs of the country. Eric Cantor cares nothing about the concerns of a common man or woman with a family, a bunch of bills to pay and a W-2 on the kitchen table. These types of Americans struggle to pay health insurance, mortgages, and save for college for their kids. Cantor does care greatly about his corporate campaign contributors and those who are in the top "one percent".
The real problem with Eric Cantor is that he has no empathy towards working class people struggling to pay their bills and their health insurance. Why would the GOP bother trying to repeal the ACA over 30 times when 50 million Americans are uninsured? The GOP has offered no alternatives to the ACA period because the GOP plan for health insurance is a cynical joke. 45,000 uninsured Americans die annually and Eric Cantor wants to help John Boehner repeal the ACA.
Here is what what would have to happen to make a contemptible leech like Eric Cantor a decent human being. Eric Cantor needs to have about 20 years ago gone into the U.S. military and served at least six years. He needed to see how ordinary average Americans have to struggle and fight just to get by. He needed to see how hard it is to find jobs in many parts of America caught up in poverty and economic decline. Eric Cantor needed to learn from his Sergeant that you don't leave wounded and fallen Americans behind either in wartime or peacetime. If you end up getting wounded or killed pulling them out of danger in a combat zone it does not matter, you go out to make the effort anyway because that person laying out there is a U.S. soldier. Eric Cantor needs to have some basic empathy knocked into his skull by a drill Sergeant. Then maybe Eric Cantor would be fit for public office.
Rex in Minnesota, you are right on the mark. Cantor is smug, arrogant, and indifferent toward middle class and poor Americans. He is just like most of his GOP colleagues, who disgust me. Yes, we need to ruin him and get him out of Congress. We need people on Capitol Hill who care about ALL Americans and do what is best for all. Kudos for a fine blog
Thank you, thank you, Rex in Minnesota. You said it all -- you said it perfectly!
As the father of a United States Marine and a public school teacher, I promise that if we ever meet, I will buy you a beer, Rex.
I have lived in the district Mr. Cantor, or as I like to call him, Mr. Can'tnor serves and I have witnessed his arrogance first hand.
He could care less about anyone but the rich and is the posterchild for everything wrong with the United States government.
And for the cherry on top; he is an @!$%# without equal.
I hope to see the day his ass is voted out of office.
Semper Fi.
Eric Cantor makes me ashamed of a Virginia (I am a lifelong Virginian) where a douche bag like him could win an election. I don't even live in his district, but I will be donating to his opponent's campaign. I hope the folks in his district give him the boot he deserves.
He bet against the U.S.A. That's treason, son, back to the wall so we can ------ well, you know the rest.
Cantor is a poor representative of our Commonwealth, and also our country, which he apparently loves less than his investments.
So glad to hear there are others out there that feel the same as I do. Cantor and his cohorts are only about destroying the administration and lining their pockets.
Cantor plans on using his unlimited war chest to defeat Wayne Powell. EVERYONE needs to give to Wayne Powell's campaign.
Give from the heart to see Eric Cantor defeated!
Powell for Virginia! Powell for America! (No, I am not affiliated with any campaign)
well -- the election is well and truly over, he is still around and he is still an unmitigated ass -- I can't think of another man or woman in (what they like to call a) "Government" that is more detestable !!!!!!!
I wonder what ever made me think that once Obama won the election, I could breathe for a bit. SMH
In Sheldon We Trust ... what a good lapdog is Cantor
I'm from Missouri. I will donate, too. I gave up on Cantor when I learned he was in a meeting with the President of the United States and had the audacity to roll his eyes at what the President was saying. In what world is it okay to roll your eyes at the President of the United States? I noticed Boehner never invited him back to another joint meeting with the President.