Reid: Cantor acted ‘childish’ and shouldn’t be at the negotiation table

Reid’s remarks followed a clash that occurred between Cantor and President Obama at the White House on Wednesday night that culminated in the president walking out of the room. Obama and Democrats have become increasingly irked with Cantor as he has advocated for the more conservative demands of the House Republican Conference and drawn a hard line against tax increases in any deal to raise the $14.3 trillion deficit ceiling.

In focusing his ire at Cantor, Reid is following the lead of his No. 3 in the Senate, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who on Wednesday said Cantor was the only congressional leader who has failed to make meaningful concessions or bring a plan to the table in the ongoing debt-ceiling negotiations. 

“There is one person who hasn’t come up with a plan, hasn’t compromised, hasn’t reached out to the other side in an effort to move forward, and that is the majority leader in the House, Mr. Cantor,” Schumer said from the Senate floor. “He is the only one who still says, ‘My way or the highway.’ ”

Cantor’s office argued the debate isn’t about “personalities.”

“It’s not surprising that Harry Reid doesn’t want to cut spending. … This isn’t a question about personalities — Eric, President Obama or Harry Reid — it’s about doing what is right for the country and trying to find a productive solution that finally demonstrates Washington is serious about America’s fiscal health,” said Cantor spokeswoman Laena Fallon.

—This post was updated at 10:33 a.m.