Club For Growth ... Endorses?

As close to an endorsement as could be ... Club For Growth issued a statement today praising Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) who has reportedly submitted personal paperwork to John McCain's campaign for vetting purposes. Cantor is the only Jewish GOPer in the House, and he hails from that all-important 2008 battleground ... Virginia.

“McCain’s vice-presidential pick will be crucial for his campaign and for the future of the GOP,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey in a statement. “Choosing someone like Mike Huckabee would indicate an abandonment of limited-government, free-market principles. However, picking someone like Eric Cantor, who has tried to help the Republican Party reclaim the mantel of fiscal conservatism, could make the difference between victory and defeat. For economic conservatives, Eric Cantor would be a good choice.”

Full release available after the jump.

Club for Growth PAC Statement on Eric Cantor

Washington – Recent reports that GOP presidential nominee John McCain is vetting Congressman Eric Cantor (VA-07) for the vice-presidential slot has prompted inquiries from the Club for Growth PAC about Rep. Cantor’s record on economic issues.

In short, Rep. Cantor’s record in the House, beginning in 2001, has been consistently strong in several economic policy areas, including free trade, school choice, tort reform, drilling in ANWR, and tax cuts. In the key area of government spending, Cantor’s record started out less strong, but has shown marked improvement in recent years, to the point where Cantor now ranks among the most pro-growth members in the House.

The Republicans’ resounding defeat at the polls in 2006 was a watershed event for the GOP Caucus in the House. Some GOP pork spending leaders, such as Rep. Don Young (R-AK), learned nothing from voters’ rejection of the GOP’s profligate ways and continued on their merry earmarking way. Others in the GOP took to heart the need to return the party to its limited government moorings. Rep. Eric Cantor is clearly in the latter group.

Over the past two years, Rep. Cantor has been one of the few Republicans to come to grips with the sorry state of the GOP and lead by example. If Senator McCain wants to win in November, he will need to choose someone who recognizes how badly Republicans have strayed from the principles of limited government and economic freedom. Eric Cantor gets it.

Rep. Cantor is one of only 41 House members to swear off earmarks this year. Just last week, he joined 62 of his House colleagues in supporting an amendment offered by Rep. Flake to strip 103 earmarks from the Military Construction-VA Appropriations Bill (RC #560, 08/01/08).

In 2007, Rep. Cantor rose to the top of the Republican Caucus, scoring a 95% on the Club for Growth’s Congressional Scorecard and ranking 21st overall in the entire House. Over the past two years, Cantor has taken a number of courageous votes in favor of cutting government spending:

· Cantor was 1 of 91 Republicans to vote against the farm bill and voted to sustain the President’s veto of the bill (RC #315, 05/14/08) (RC #346, 05/21/08)

· Cantor was 1 of 54 Republicans to sustain the President’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act (RC #1040, 11/06/07)

· Cantor was 1 of 41 Republicans to sustain the President’s veto of a bill to increase Medicare payments (RC #491, 07/15/08)

· Cantor voted against the Democratic housing bill, imposing new costs and new regulations on American taxpayers and businesses (RC #519, 07/23/08)

“McCain’s vice-presidential pick will be crucial for his campaign and for the future of the GOP,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “Choosing someone like Mike Huckabee would indicate an abandonment of limited-government, free-market principles. However, picking someone like Eric Cantor, who has tried to help the Republican Party reclaim the mantel of fiscal conservatism, could make the difference between victory and defeat. For economic conservatives, Eric Cantor would be a good choice.”