Forbes blogger: Billy Long's refusal to stand up to Cantor on Joplin tornado funding will make him a one-term Congressman

A powerful post by Forbes Magazine blogger Rick Ungar on Seventh District Congressman Billy Long's refusal to stand up to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. who refused to consider disaster relief for tornado-stricken Joplin unless it was offset by spending cuts.

I have come under criticism from some of my readers who insist that I prove my contention that Cantor was willing to exploit Joplin's suffering for ideological gain. If they would just do some reading, including the links I have provided with my posts, there would be no doubt. This is the same Eric Cantor, who as Ungar points out, who offered the following compassionate response to a constituent in need:

When asked by a Virginia constituent what an uninsured relative (due to the relative’s having lost her job) who was dying of stomach cancer should do to get the operation she so badly needed to save her life, Cantor advised that the dying relative should ‘find charity’.

Ungar's blog notes that immediately after the tornado, Billy Long was saying and doing all of the right things...until he learned how Cantor, his boss, felt:

So, what is a Tea Party Congressman – dedicated to smaller government and individual responsibility – to do when the very people who are hurt and in serious need of federal assistance are the same people who sent him to Congress in support of his uber-conservative beliefs?



In Long’s case, the answer -so far- has been to do nothing as he weighs his ideological commitment against the dramatic needs of his constituents and the political damage that might follow whatever decision he makes.


Oklahoma publication, Tulsa World, first reported that Long told them upon his arrival in his district following the disaster, that his first priority was ensuring that Joplin received speedy assistance from the federal government. However, upon learning of Cantor’s position on the subject, Long has clammed-up, refusing to say where he stands.

Ungar ends his column in this fashion:

It’s time for Republicans to turn away from Eric Cantor style ideology and remember that, at the end of the day, it’s all about people. And while we can differ on the solutions that will have the best result, there are certain needs that supersede ideology and politics – and Joplin, Missouri is clearly an example of such a need.


Besides, it’s good politics.


Don’t believe it? Check in next November on the status of Billy Long’s Congressional career.


I have a feeling that this Tea Partier from a Tea Party district will be looking for new work as his inability to side with the folks who count on him – simply because he was caught in an ideological buzz-saw – will be more than enough to make him a one-term Congressman.

In other words, if Ungar is right, an opponent, whether it be in the primary or in the general election, just might be able to beat Billy Long simply by saying they're "fed up" with him.