March 25, 2010 1:10 PM

Eric Cantor Says Bullet Shot Through His Office Window This Week

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Republicans
Eric Cantor (Credit: AP)

Updated at 4:30 p.m. ET

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said today a bullet was shot through the window of his campaign office in Richmond, Va. this week, giving just another example of the numerous acts of violence and threats against members of Congress this week.

Just about all the reported incidents have targeted Democratic members in the wake of their support for health care reform, but Cantor today blasted Democrats -- calling out two party leaders in particular -- for "ratcheting up the rhetoric" surrounding the dangerous threats and blaming Republicans for inciting the hostility.

"I've received threats since I assumed elected office, not only because of my position but also because I'm Jewish," Cantor said. "Any suggestion that a leader in this body would incite threats... is akin to saying I would endanger myself, my wife or my children."

Cantor said he has also received threatening e-mails but will not release them lest they spur any further hostility. The congressman decided to talk publicly about the shooting at his office, which occurred around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, after local police started receiving inquiries about the event.

By contrast, Cantor said he has "deep concerns" that some in the Democratic party -- particularly Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Tim Kaine, chairman of the Democratic National Committee -- are "dangerously fanning the flames by suggesting these incidents be used as a political weapon."

Doug Thornell, a spokesman for Van Hollen, fired back that Cantor could've joined Van Hollen's call for Republican leaders to condemn harsh rhetoric that encourages extremism.

Related News:

Anthony Weiner's Office Receives Threatening Letter Containing White Powder
Rattled Dems Move Forward Amid Threats
Coffin on Lawmaker's Lawn, Other Reports of Angry Actions Surface
Hoyer: Violent Threats Not "Par for the Course"
Bart Stupak Received Threatening Messages for Health Care Vote (Listen)
Senate Passes Reconciliation Health Bill

"Instead, he chose to use his press conference to level false accusations," Thornell said. "This is straight out of the Republicans' political playbook of deflecting responsibility and distracting attention away from a serious issue."

Members of Congress met yesterday with the FBI and other law enforcement officials to discuss the threats that have been made against at least 10 members.

The threats continued today, with a suspicious package sent to Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)'s Queens office. The FBI, New York emergency services and the police are all investigating a letter which contained a threatening message referencing health care and a white powder.

Some Democrats have called out Republicans for egging on the hostility, pointing to specific examples of GOP behavior that could incite violence.

"Michael Steele, the head of the national Republican party, said that Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be put on 'the firing line,'"Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) said in a statement yesterday. "Sarah Palin said 'don't retreat - reload.' And House Minority Leader John Boehner said that a Democratic member of Congress who supported health care reform would be a 'dead man.'"

Richard Trumka, president of the labor federation AFL-CIO, released a statement today calling on leaders of both parties to come together to reject the recent violence. Yet he also condemned the Republican party for their actions on the House floor during last weekend's health care debate.

"When I was at the Capitol on Sunday, I saw Republican lawmakers come out onto balconies and egg on hateful crowds like giddy teenagers, waving signs and chanting to fire up the protesters," he said. "They set the foundation for a dangerous climate, and they must take the lead in stopping it."

The vitriol against lawmakers started last weekend when anti-reform protesters yelled racial epithets at black members of Congress and gay slurs at Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of Washington's openly gay lawmakers. Frank has tried to use the incident to rally his supporters, sending out a fundraising e-mail this week that says, "The ugliness in Washington last weekend, which I and others experienced personally, has raised the stakes for the November elections."

"A conservative blogger posted the home address of Congressman Tom Perriello, urging tea partiers to 'drop by.' Other members have had death threats. Democratic offices have been vandalized," read an OFA e-mail with the subject line "Reform under attack." "Can you chip in $25 or more to defend health reform -- and those in Congress who fought to make it possible?"

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) said threats are "part of the job," Politico reports.

"You think these 10 house members are getting threats?" Graham reportedly said. "I hate it when somebody does that. Come and listen to my phone one day. What Stupak released is a good day in our office. That's a good day."

Graham was referencing the hateful and hostile messages left for Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), which you can listen to here.


Add a Comment See all 101 Comments
by actornaught March 26, 2010 5:08 PM EDT
I would challenge anyone that says they could hit any specific BUILDING by firing up in the air.
Reply to this comment
by agarwal1 March 26, 2010 12:56 PM EDT
HOW TO MAKE USA HAPPY PROSPER AND PEACEFUL COUNTRY and terrorists kiss our feets:

1. Collect all Republicons
2. Devide them in 3 parts
3. Send 1 part ot Talibal 2nd part to Alquida and 3 part to Iran they all will kiss our feet and .... a republical-less USA will be a very happy country
Reply to this comment
by agarwal1 March 26, 2010 12:55 PM EDT
HOW TO MAKE USA HAPPY PROSPER AND PEACEFUL COUNTRY and terrorists kiss our feets:

1. Collect all Republicons
2. Devide them in 3 parts
3. Send 1 part ot Talibal 2nd part to Alquida and 3 part to Iran they all will kiss our feet and .... a republical-less USA will be a very happy country
Reply to this comment
by comdotorg3 March 26, 2010 9:28 AM EDT
Americans must try to maintain (and allow) the right of free speech and should not feel threatened when offering a legitimate position in a debate.

However, it seems so many that so many pundits, political party members and legislators (as well as all their aides), have turned much of political process into the old game of "reward your friends & punish your enemies" and the passionate rhetoric is some of the greatest acting of the day.

I know that if I were to go camping and increase a campfire it can be enjoyable and exciting--but that too hot or large could get out of control--and burn tree limbs. It is a shame members on both side of positions would prefer to burn a forest for short-term brilliance (political expediency) rather than save the forest (the Nation) for future use.

Lastly, although I detest any violence against Rep. Eric Cantor, I would feel that no matter how scared he may feel he was safe & secure inside his (Rep) Boehner-butt bunker which has protected him since at least his preference to protect the "Delta Queen" rather than those in the Deep South still suffering from the effects from Hurricane Katrina. http://www.johnboehner.house.gov/News/DocumentQuery.aspx?SearchPhrase=Delta+Queen&x=0&y=0
Reply to this comment
by tomdegan58 March 26, 2010 9:08 AM EDT
Eric Cantor is planning on making a run for it in 2012. Of course it goes without saying that he's never going to get the nomination. That is beyond a foregone conclusion; that is as much of a no-brainer as saying that the sun will set this evening in the west. The religious bigots that now control the Republican party - the so-called "base" - will never - EVER - nominate a Jew as their standard bearer. You can bet next month's mortgage on that. Pigs will fly, the earth will fry and David Duke will be made president of the NAACP before that ever happens.

I get a really uneasy feeling whenever I see Eric Cantor being interviewed on television. The main goal of the GOP these days is to insure that President Obama's administration is a complete and utter failure. They want to see as many Americans as possible suffer in the next three years, ensuring that they will be able to seize control of the executive branch in 2013. If the president succeeds in making life better for his countrymen and women, they fail. It's as simple as that. Mitch McConnell, to his credit, always looks quite uncomfortable when he is forced to justify policies as atrocious as those being put forward these days by that hideous party. But Cantor always has a serene, angelic smile on his face whenever he is forced to defend the morally indefensible. It sure is strange.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Reply to this comment
by sam_in_ky March 26, 2010 7:27 AM EDT
Is there not a single reporter anywhere in the national media? For God's sake, CBS, look at the bleeding police report. Cantor lied.

The police report clearly shows this was a random bullet fired into the air somewhere in the area that just happened to come down through a window in a building where Cantor happens to have an office. It didn't even have enough power left to penetrate the blinds.

There's an old saying in the news industry: If your mother says she loves you, check it out. Apparently, if Eric Cantor says someone shot at his office you take it without question.
Reply to this comment
by erb0087 March 26, 2010 1:16 AM EDT
Don't listen to these right wing counterparts to Bill Ayers, who twist and distort the words of Thomas Jefferson to justify domestic acts of terrorism against the United States government.

Bill Ayers was wrong.

Barack Obama described Bill Ayers' activities as "despicable acts of terrorism."

Don't tolerate any Bill Ayers type violence, of the radical Right or the radical Left.

The United States Constitution labels armed domestic Insurrection as one of the worst of crimes.
Reply to this comment
by shingles1 March 25, 2010 11:53 PM EDT
This story needs to have an update:

Later Thursday, however, Richmond police said in a news release that the bullet had been fired into the air around 1 a.m. Tuesday. It finished its random arc back to earth at a sharp downward trajectory, breaking a window pane on the bottom floor of the two-story brick building where Cantor's campaign leases the top floor.
Reply to this comment
by tonyatq March 26, 2010 12:21 AM EDT
The should have follow up on this story before printing it.
by pasmalltown March 26, 2010 5:21 AM EDT
by tonyatq March 26, 2010 12:21 AM EDT
"The should have follow up on this story before printing it."
____________________________
Maybe, just maybe, this information was not available at the time of the post. Perhaps an update is in order, but I really can't understand why people rail about CBS's news coverage - first it's CBS didn't cover it faster enough, they should have waited for more information - they can't please some people, and it seems there is just no pleasing some people............
by wyodutch March 25, 2010 9:37 PM EDT
The federal government claims the right to break into our homes without a warrant... Ignore Habeas Corpus... Torture prisoners... Read our mail... Force us to bailout the drunks on Wall Street. Shame on us for allowing all those things to come to pass, but we are ready to take up arms over a doctors visit.
Reply to this comment
by wyodutch March 25, 2010 9:23 PM EDT
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson said that.
Reply to this comment
by erb0087 March 26, 2010 1:03 AM EDT
by wyodutch March 25, 2010 9:23 PM EDT
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Thomas Jefferson said that.
==================================================

Don't try to be the next Bill Ayers now.

Thomas Jefferson was talking about the English King.

Jefferson was not justifying any Bill Ayers type violent attacks on the government of the United States.

Bill Ayers narrowly escaped prison for what he did.

If you take him as your role model, you are playing with fire.
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