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Cantor’s Bullet a Stray

Jewish Republican wasn’t targeted

by
Marc Tracy
March 26, 2010
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) last month.(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) last month.(Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Remember how the campaign office of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) was shot at? And remember how he then said he had been targeted because he is Jewish (the only Republican Jew in the House or Senate, in fact)? Yeah, not so much. According to police, the bullet that went through an office window early Tuesday morning was a stray bullet from unrelated gunfire; in fact, the office contains no outward indication that it is Cantor’s.

The whole thing has taken on political undertones, as Cantor responded angrily to some Democratic lawmakers who have received death threats since the health-care law was passed. “Any suggestion that a leader in this body would incite threats or acts against other members is akin to saying that I would endanger myself, my wife or my children,” he said.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.