Today, a nine-year old girl, Liz Maquez, approached Republican Majority Leader, Eric Cantor in the halls of Congress. “Please...” was all she got to say. It took this schmuck less than five seconds to blow off the nine-year old girl. She didn't even get to finish her sentence before he barreled past her saying "I can't help you."
These public incidents of GOP leaders blowing off kids has become so common, they now have a name for it. It's called pulling a Boehner.
The more I think about it, the more outlandish this is. If you have ever been to the Capitol, you know school trips are commonplace. Kids being separated from their tour groups are also commonplace.
Now put yourself in Cantor's shoes for a moment. Imagine you are in the Capitol, crowded with tourists and you are busy rushing to a meeting when all of a sudden a little girl you don't know walks up to you and says "Please..."
Do you instantly brush her off with "I can't help you." Or do you stop to make sure she isn't lost? You think Reagan would have pulled a Boehner? No way. I'm not saying he would have helped her, or softened his political position. But he would have at least checked to make sure she wasn't lost. Not Eric Cantor. Not his kid, not his problem.
Aaaand that's why today's GOP is no longer the party of Reagan; It's become the party of W.C. Fields.