If there ever were a time that we needed effective Republican leadership, it would be in this Porkulus bill effort. Even the “pared down” seven hundred billion dollars ($700,000,000,000) is a ridiculous amount of money, and will pave the way for a try at a tax hike, so it’s been essential that we Republicans step back and force the Democrats alone to own that bill.

Represenative Eric Cantor therefore deserves our praise and congratulations on the results of the Porkulus bill in the House. Not once, but twice, did he as Whip help ensure that the bill passed the House without a single Republican vote. That’s unity, and that kind of unity doesn’t happen without at least some effort.

Eric Cantor had to step up. Congratulations on that effort. Of course, the whip can only do so much without the Leader there with him, so congratulations to John Boehner for drawing the line on the Porkulus. This is the kind of effective party we need to be if we want to win in 2010.