BTW, Whatever happened to Eric Cantor?

Dave Brat's election to Congress was barely noticed by the national media. His primary victory over then House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, however, sent shock waves through the Republican Party. He ran a remarkable grassroots campaign with the backing of the Richmond Tea Party while both the national Tea Party groups set out that election. The scholarly economics professor from Randolph–Macon College walked to victory in general election. Virginia's 7th congressional district has a R+11 PVI (partisan voter index), meaning it is heavily Republican. The challenge was winning the primary and the issue Brat chose was immigration. His victory over Cantor seems to have hit the House leadership like a vein full of testosterone.
Suddenly Speaker John Boehner is promising to go to the wall to stop Obama's planned amnesty. He promises he will "fight it tooth and nail". Mitch McConnell, on the other hand, is playing it coy. He says that he will not be shutting down the government and the press appears not to notice that his statement is irrelevant. On December 11, the date by which Congress must pass a continuing resolution to fund the government, Senate Republicans will still be in the minority. Stopping amnesty is up to the House and for the present it sounds as if the continuing resolution will contain language that will stop amnesty. If Obama refuses to sign the CR then it is on him.
One can imagine the angry phone calls and emails representatives will receive if Obama attempts to circumvent Congress and the will of the people. The pressure on Republican congressmen will be horrendous. Eric Cantor's fate will serve as a poignant reminder to think twice before ignoring the folks back home. Well done, Congressman Brat!