Yesterday in Richmond, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) reminded us how hollow Republicans can sound addressing real people with real problems. When a woman told the story of an uninsured friend stricken with cancer, Cantor suggested she seek out "an existing government program" (presumably the ones Republicans haven't succeeded in eliminating yet), a charity, or one of the "hospitals here who do provide charity care."

And in a bold statement of principle, Cantor declared: "No one in this country, given who we are, should ever be sitting without an option to go be addressed."

The hucksterism doesn't translate well from cable news to town halls.