From Talking Points Memo: Eric Cantor Cancels Income Inequality Speech After Protests Planned
Updated at 2:24 PM ET
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is abruptly pulling out of a scheduled Friday lecture on income equality at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School, according to the school.
Progressive and labor groups, including Occupy Philadelphia, MoveOn.org, the local AFL-CIO, and AFSCME, were planning a protest for the event. According to Cantor’s office, the Congressman pulled out after discovering that the speech would be open to the public and seeing reports that the university was allowing protestors to gather on the campus itself.
Chicken-Little Eric. You may talk a good game in your own home crowd but once those who will challenge you, modus operandi and you run for the hills. This is the M.O. of all these chicken-$#!T's, that is why so many live behind gated communities, have drivers and go to country clubs....they don't to face reality. Article continues ironically throwing him under the bus.
“The Office of the Majority Leader was informed last night by Capitol Police that the University of Pennsylvania was unable to ensure that the attendance policy previously agreed to could be met,” Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring said in an e-mailed statement. “Wharton is a educational leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, and the Majority Leader appreciated the invitation to speak with the students, faculty, alumni, and other members of the UPENN community.”
A spokesman for Wharton confirmed Cantor was pulling out, but said they “have no further information as to why Rep. Cantor’s office cancelled today’s Leadership Lecture.”
“Feel free to contact them for more detail,” he said.
Throwing the Majority Leader under the bus....Mike Morrill, executive director of Keystone Progress on Cantor's pullout:
the demonstration will continue regardless of whether or not Cantor proceeds with the speech.
“If he has in fact cancelled it says he’s willing to meet with the elites but not willing to meet with the 99%,” he said. “As soon as he hears there’s going to be everyday folks outside…he decides to cancel.”
[...] A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Mark Nicastre, condemned Cantor’s decision to cancel the speech as well.
“Majority Leader Eric Cantor canceled his speech on income inequality after his office learned the speech was open to the public,” he said in a statement. “It shows that Eric Cantor is afraid to face the public with his policies