Bottom line it for us. Could you explain, in plain English, what Cantor's spousal exemption does and why it matters?

I don't speak plain English. I speak hillbilly, but to answer your question, CNN reported that Cantor inserted a "spousal exemption" in a different section of the House version of STOCK Act which was supposed to get members of Congress out of the investment business. The problem is HIS spouse is a partner in an investment group with assets approaching a billion dollars, not to mention a $135 million hedge fund in the Cayman Islands. It's not hard to connect the dots on this. Cantor's wife can legally use "non-public" information for the Cantors and her investors.

I must speak hillbilly too because that was perfectly clear.

Thanks.

Did not know this. That certainly puts a whole new spin on the STOCK act, now doesn't it. Sure is a different story than how the media spun it as just being spouses with eTrade accounts or something.

Then steal with both hands.

my question is, where would Cantor's wife GET this 'non-public' information? If the law forbids members of Congress from using it (I think that is the case) and if a member of Congress' spouse has a financial interest in that information as Cantor's spouse does, does the law not include spouses such as Mrs. Cantor from being provided with the info from a member of Congress even if he is her spouse?

Maybe someone should be asking Cantor if he has ever provided 'non-public' information to his wife?

Btw, thank you for coming to DU today.

Spouses are "exempted" by Cantor's movement of the provision. It is legal inside trading. Unbelievable, huh?

I still think, that even if spouses are exempt, HE is not. And if he provides his spouse with inside info considering her 'interest' in that info, he is violating the law knowing how she will use it. I guess they would simply deny it though.

Keep up the good work and let us know what we can do to help rid Congress of Cantor who is one of the worst of the worst of them!

Are they not bound by an oath?

I'll do everything I can to make that happen. He's a straight-up crook and defiles the Congress with his presence.

Fight on.

The internals show that the 7th District doesn't think Cantor is too pretty...approval rating 37%, re-elect 41%, replace 43%, but the district is +12 Rs.

When running against right wing extremists like Cantor who actively support oppression of the
middle and lower classes at the expense of the upper class, why don't more Dem's actively
call them out on this behavior? Running adds saying this is what they stand for?

Thanks!

I have no idea why more Ds don't do this. I will say I think you're going to see a lot more of campaigns like ours. Because of all the screwing, the nation has become economic populist.

Cantor Budget? I read that one focus group just plain didn't believe what the pollsters were telling them the plan did!

The Cantor budget is the Ryan Budget which increase the deficit by 2.7% and 6 trillion more debt over the next 10 years.
After busting up the "Grand Bargain" that would have seriously cut the deficit, Cantor and his cronies came up with that.
The 7th District is fiscally conservative, and Cantor is not.

What sort of support is Wayne Powell getting from the national party and/or national Democrats? President Obama will obviously be spending plenty of time in VA this fall -- do you expect him to make an appearance with Wayne?

We are talking with some national folks at the moment.

Thanks!

I was watching you on Rachel Maddow's show and was very surprised to see that you are making Powell's pro gay rights positions such an up front issue. Frankly Virginia doesn't strike me as a pro gay mecca. Has the pro gay message made that many inroads in that part of Virginia?

Quite frankly, the District, like so many in the country, is tired of hearing about gays when the country is going to Hell. They want to do something about the economy. People who hate gays aren't going to vote for us anyway.

WHY can't the teabaggers be exposed for who they really are? Is it true that Mr. Cantor requires any of his aids in D.C. to read Ayn Rand? AND if this can be proven, then WHY can't Rand's atheism be used in this war against our democratic republic?

A whole lot of Fundie Christians would go ballistic if they knew how deep ties with Rand's philosophy the RW goes.

Thanks, and thanks for being here.

OKAY, just got an email that it is RYAN that openly demands Rand be read. BUT still every time these folks open their mouths, its like reading Rand's "For the New Intellectual".

To begin with, I'm not going to blast the tea party in this campaign. They despise Cantor as much as I do, and they have every right to do so. There are several who have told us they're voting for Wayne. Everybody despises crooks.

As far as Fundie Christians are concerned, I am not religious, but I do have a lot of faith. I have learned from experience that God doesn't give a damn about partisan politics. He's into the individual hearts. That's the song I think the Dems ought to be playing because it's the truth. The evangelicals run more people away from faith than they ever corral. That's because their political message is about spiritual self-righteousness and the hate wedges.

How hard is it there for a Democrat like Wayne Powell?

We'll see. Virginia red is a different red than most other places. Mark Warner got 60% of the vote in the district in '08. That shows that they will vote red, white, and blue before they vote red.

Good luck.

Anything we can do in these parts to help get you elected?

Spread the word and get people to send jing. Tom Wolfe said in "The Right Stuff", no bucks, no buck rogers. I know people hate hearing about money, but Wall Street's money is going with him. If you have a lot, send $2,500. If you have a little, send a little. If you have none, don't worry about it. Get one of your friends to send some. Other than that, we need people on the internet to link news of our campaign, talk about how we're fighting this guy, and generally get the troops energized. Can you imagine how great it would be to beat Cantor and all his money?

I cannot stand his swarmy attitude.

...what can we do up here to help get rid of Cantor? The man is a scumbag!

Contact the campaign at PowellforVa.com. While you're at it, check out CanCantor.com. It's priceless.

Thanks!

Citizens United have opened up a gateway for s*** load of money to be poured into campaigns against Dem's. How is Mr. Powell handling this issue?

Obviously, Cantor is at the throttle of our "coin-operated" house, and we are burning his ass up on this. Go to CanCantor.com.

Cantor is not a veteran and has been bad on the returning veterans. He has a grade of "D" from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association. He has a bad grade from everybody except the greedy and the self-righteous.

Wayne is real hero and I am very confident that the people of Virginia will remove Cantor for someone who is much more representative of that Congressional district.

I WILL be donating to Mr Powell's Campaign.

I hope you use that descriptor every time his name is mentioned.

1. Being a Californian, is there something I can do to volunteer by making calls or whatever y'all need?
2. Are you going to be doing a reg. Thursday spot on "The Stephanie Miller Show? (IhopeIhope)

Go to PowellforVa.com to help.

I think I'm on Stephanie this Thursday.

way over here, it appears that Cantor and Ryan have some sort of a symbiotic relationship going on. Do you have a sense that if one falls, the other is not too far behind? Would hard work, to oust both of those Republicans would be of any strategy?

I think it is a great strategy to oust all the lackies of greed.

for a Congress that will cooperate with each other?

I'm continually astounded that simple message is not proclaimed. Just once I would love to hear Obama tell the people to elect people who can work to find common ground on which solutions can be built.

Here's to a victory and good riddance to Mr Cantor. The countryside down there is gorgemous and prettiful. It's a shame Cantor's projected attitude (we all know he's only out for himself) is fairly common.

There is nothing that can be done as long as Cantor is there. His early message is he's going to stop the President's agenda.

I'm in Maryland, and was phone-banking this weekend when I spoke with 2 Virginians, one in your district, the other not but somewhere in Richmond. The one in Richmond was very aware, enthusiastic, and optimistic about Mr. Powell and his likely success, the one in your district was aware, enthusiastic, is a contributor, but not as optimistic.

I see the numbers you posted earlier. Is there anything we DUers can do? How much will $$$ help? Boots on the ground? We want to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to unseat what the person in your district calls 'Ivan the Terrible!

Best of luck to us ALL!

Thanks. As I posted earlier, no bucks, no Buck Rogers. Please spread the word to go to our website and give what you can.

Sending $ tomorrow ('payday!') and have posted among several groups of friends on facebook. We've just GOT to do this!

I saw it and thought, this is what they're supposed to be doing, but they don't do nearly enough.

would you consider Wayne Powell a liberal or a conservative democrat? Is he pro choice? Is he an ally for gay marriage? Does he believe that DOMA should be overturned?

Wayne is a moderate. He believes in the constitution and all 26 amendments. As I said earlier, he believes in social justice for all people, including women and gays. He represented pro-bono 15 of the arrested protesters of trans-vanginal ultrasounds at the state capitol this year.

Thanks for your time today, mudcat, and welcome to DU.

Bean,I bet the answer is yes.

It is very useful under my kitty litter box.

Does he think he can take speaker/minority leader gig if the teabaggers are majority of gop in house?

Also is it true that Canter never does visits locally or town halls? When was the last time he came to any down home hand shakin' or q&a?

He sticks up for Bachman because he wants to make peace with a high percentage of TPs. Remember...he went out and wrecked some of them in the primary. He doesn't have open town halls...hasn't ever that I know of.

Welcome Mudcat!

The state motto of KY is United We Stand - Divided We Fall.

Don't you think this election is going to be one of those where the Party that can best unite its factions will win and the Party that loses will suffer a divisive, devastating loss?

The party that best unites the "Independents" in most districts always wins. If Cantor beats us, I will be "devastated".

I guess we're just going to have to unite and get rid of that snake in the grass?

It's a real challenge getting thru to "Independents" with this wall of propaganda that the Repubs and the media have created. We just have to keep swinging.

I think a lot of us are thoroughly perplexed as to why the GOP is acting like insane clowns.

What do you think is really going on, big picture wise? What are they trying to accomplish with their general craziness?

In the end, after we take the election, there will be the Party blockade that has to be run. It is as if the nation has two completely different sets of problems, one political and one physical. Our infrastructure crumbles and as our education system turns to shit, the military is out of control but in fact may be eclipsed by the Patriot-Act-driven industry - who knows? That's on the one hand, the other hand holds an Obstructionist Republican Party controlled by elements from god only knows what constituencies.

And in the end who is in charge? Who heads the Republican Party, who calls the shots. For the Democrats its the President, its as easy as that. You like what he does or you don't, but he's the one at the top. Who speaks for the Republicans, Boehner, Cantor, some clown at Heritage or AEI? Maybe a FOX talking head, someone on Right-Wing-Radio? Who?

They are putting the country in jeopardy to get elected and preserve their power. I've always wondered why politicians work so hard to get the power, and once they have it, tend not to use it for fear of losing it.

because as crazy and mean as politics gets I don't think we've ever seen anything like this bizarre behaviour to this extent.

(in America, that is.)

And how well will he do in VA-7?

I think it's a tossup in Va. He's going to have a tough time in the 7th, but his approval rating is higher than Cantor's at 38%. His problem is his disapproval rating is 46%.

would you be able to keep track of the donations? iow, do you have a bat?

Thanks. We'll track it, but send the $500 anyway. You go to heaven for stuff like that.

i want to see some other du'ers get off their behinds, tho.

Could you tell us a bit about Wayne Powell's positions on social security, medicare and health care reform? Also, what is his position on gun control? That's what matters most to many people in southwest Virginia (unfortunately).

Wayne has said that the safety nets are off limits. The campaign is not in SW Virginia. It is in the Richmond area, but the pro-gun culture is strong in the Commonwealth, and Wayne is Pro-second amendment. He understands that many people in the rural areas of the 7th need to fill up their freezers.

How does Mitt Romney play in Virginia and in the South in general?

It's mixed play in Virginia. In the Southern states in general, he's a Republican which trumps about everything else.

Just wanted to say I saw you on Maddow a couple weeks back and the whole time I was goin' "Oh HELL yes!"

Glad yer on our side.

Keep swingin'.

help take Eric Cantor down?

I'm already active on certain other issues, but I'd like to consider doing whatever can to help.

We're all broke. That's why we need to get rid of Cantor. Find somebody who's semi-broke and tell them to send money.

some people don't like Face Book, but is there a Face Book group I can share?

Tweet hashtags I can support?

On Twitter:
#cancantor
#va07
@PowellforVA
https://twitter.com/PowellforVA

Website:
http://www.powellforva.com/

We hear a great deal of talk lately on how Social Security is doomed (I doubt this) unless we make changes. Usually, these changes seem to simply make life more difficult for already poor people. I live in Florida, the lair of Rick Scott and Alan West, so it's even worse here.

I have a personal stake in this, admittedly. I'm physically disabled at age 27, have been since I was 17, and I rely upon SSI to survive. The payments already aren't enough to live above poverty, but at least I can reliably see my doctors at the university.

So: what is your position on the defense of Social Security and/or whether changes need to be made? How would you regard the disabled and poor in this? The talk is usually about the elderly; we don't seem to get much airtime.

Good luck in the race?

We should always take care of those who have been dealt a bad break, and Wayne believes that 100%.

As you can see, you have a great fan base here! So happy to see you on DU- and http://cancantor.com is terrific! Thanks for all that you are doing to shine a light on who he really is and help elect Wayne Powell.

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this live chat. And thanks to all the DUers who participated.

Skinner
DU Admin

We need to take out Cantor. Anything any of you can do will be appreciated. Spread the word.

So long, Mudcat

Greatly appreciated. Still reeling over the implications of that STOCK deal. Thanks for sharing.

and I say thanks again for taking the time to do this. Awesome.

What are your views on how the media reports on political news when it's stories on Democrats vs. Republicans?

What news shows/sources do you watch/read and trust most?

Donate by going to [link:http://cancantor.com| and or [link:http://powellforva.com|

Welcome to DU.

[link:http://tinyurl.com/bwoa5dz|

here is a thread flogging the membership. please check in with a total or 2 if you can.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021052912

Can Cantor!