A bit off the well-trod path, but I found this post by Patrick Lang thought provoking. It takes a look at Virginia's 7th District, which Cantor "represents." Looking at the district, Lang asks how well he really represents them, and what are his real political goals."Do people in Eric Cantor's district really want him as their congressman? It seems like a mis-match. Cantor is a very smooth Richmond lawyer type. As the saying goes, "butter wouldn't melt in his mouth." He is always well spoken and eloquent, well dressed and is well heeled."The district is not like that. It stretches from the northern and western exurbs of Richmond far to the northwest through farm country, up through the Piedmont and over the Blue Ridge to include Page County in the Luray arm of the Shenandoah Valley....The district is 80% white. Incomes are modest. The population is mainly people whose ancestors have lived there for a long time. Typically, they live in small, well kept houses sited for a view of the countryside. The houses average around $130,000 in price. This is the heartland of the country of Jefferson's Virginia yeomen."UPDATE: TPM: "Behind the scenes, leading members of both parties have concluded that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is an impediment to resolving the debt limit standoff, and should back down. Now, Democrats are publicly calling for him to get real or go home."UPDATE !!: Glenn Thrush of Politico has this run-down of the debt wreck's major players, including Cantor, etc. Wonkies will enjoy reading it: "Debt Limit Talks: Reading Their Minds" Tom Stoppard might do justice to this after it's over and if the world is still solvent.

Margaret O’Brien Steinfels is a former editor of Commonweal. 

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