What Cantor Wants

Most people don’t think about their high school yearbook quote much after age 18. But Eric Cantor, the U.S. House majority leader, chose a quote 30 years ago that seems particularly prescient given the ongoing debt-ceiling debate: “I want what I want when I want it.” The lyrics from a Henry Blossom operetta appropriately describe Cantor’s drive – his ambition is so great that some have wondered whether he has his eye on John Boehner’s job. Cantor’s advisers insist he’s not aiming for the speaker position, despite the fact that he dramatically walked out of debt-reduction talks last week and thereby stalled negotiations. As the nation faces financial chaos and possible default, perhaps someone should tell Cantor some different lyrics: “You can’t always get what you want.”

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