Eric Cantor: like a bad cold; will not go away

Republican Eric Cantor on Saturday addressed the inaugural gathering of a group formed after grass-roots activists helped Dave Brat topple the former majority leader in last summer’s GOP primary.

The day-long meeting of the Virginia Conservative Network featured a who’s who of establishment Republicans in the mold of Cantor, many of whom are frustrated with the party’s loss of all five statewide offices in recent years.

According to organizers, Cantor gave an invitation-only crowd of more than 100 people tips on how to frame their message to voters as Republicans prepare to defend their slim majority in the state Senate this year. Activists from the establishment wing of the party are also focused on delivering the swing state of Virginia for the party’s 2016 presidential nominee.

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Cantor was joined by Linwood Cobb, his right-hand man in the Seventh District Republican Committee whose ouster foreshadowed Cantor’s own defeat.

Rep. Brat and his supporters were not invited, Cobb said, because the meeting was not focused on the district but on a statewide effort to expand the party by reaching out to minorities and other groups who might not normally vote Republican.

“The statewide aspect of it is a big factor of what we wanted to start working toward,” Cobb said in a phone interview. “We are not going to win statewide [by] just talking to conservative Republicans or just tea party Republicans. We’ve got to go beyond that to win.”

Not only was Brat not invited, his spokesman said, he didn’t even know it was happening.

“It’s a little strange that they have a meeting in the district without alerting the district’s congressman,” Brian Gottstein said.

Ron Headlund, a Brat volunteer, said he was blocked from the suburban Richmond DoubleTree hotel where the meeting was held.

“I’m assuming that the Eric Cantor machine is working to drive out the grass roots from the Republican Party,” he said.

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Grapeshot said:

"Cantor speaks to establishment Republicans in Va. about how to win."

Now that is just plain funny. Follow Eric's lead/formula (ignore the core conservatives) and lose.

Remember Sav-A-Job?.......we don't forget.

Then there is the despot Linwood Cobb. Don't need him and sure as heck don't want him.

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"Cantor speaks to establishment Republicans in Va. about how to win."

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