Nice try, Eric Cantor

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor didn't waste much time jumping on the bullet that came through his campaign office's window in Richmond, Va., this week. Cantor held a press conference yesterday to denounce the violence. After saying voter/civilian aggression isn't a partisan issue, he accused Democrats of blaming Republicans for some deplorable actions (shouting slurs at Democrats, threats of violence, among others) by those opposing health-care reform. Democrats are only out to exploit these incidents for political gain, he said, even though he was also "directly threatened" via the bullet in Richmond.

"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," Cantor said. "It is reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain."

Then last night, this:

Richmond police say the bullet that hit a window of Republican Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor's office had been randomly fired skyward.

Amid reports of threats and vandalism against Democrats who voted Sunday for sweeping health care reforms, Cantor said at a Washington news conference Thursday that a bullet was fired into his Richmond office.

In a news release, Richmond police said that the bullet had been fired into the air early Tuesday. It hit the front window of a building that houses Cantor's campaign office as it fell to back earth at a sharp angle.

The round landed on the floor of the office a foot inside a broken window pane. No one was in the building, and police say an investigation has yielded no suspects.

Plus, the Richmond campaign office isn't even in Cantor's district, nor is it marked as part of his operation.

While it's true that some will resort to violence or intimidation no matter what their party or ideological leaders say, it's hard to move beyond the conclusion that this is what happens when a party capitulates to some of the most extreme wings of its faction. Republicans constantly cry, "Communism!" and "Totalitarianism!" and some take it too far. You preach extreme rhetoric about health care to an already unsettled group from the '08 campaign (Exhibit A), and what happens?

So, true to the GOP pattern of the last year-plus, don't hold your breath waiting for a Cantor retraction.