Eric Cantor knocks Obama for saying U.S. ‘soft’

Even after he called for comity, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor couldn’t help but take a swipe at President Obama’s characterization of America as having gone “soft” in recent years when it comes to being on the cutting edge of global innovation and economic competition.

Obama’s comments came last week during an interview on WESH-TV, the NBC affiliate in Orlando, Fla., as he made the case for investment in science and infrastructure, and revamping the education system to enable young people to better compete in the fast-changing global environment.

“This is a great, great country that had gotten a little soft and didn’t have that same competitive edge that we needed over the last couple of decades,” Obama said during the interview. “We need to get back on track. I still wouldn’t trade our position with any country on Earth.”

Conservatives have seized on Obama’s remarks as a pessimistic view of the United States.

“I disagree,” Cantor (R-Va.) said Monday. “America is the greatest nation in the world. ... The real issue here is the Obama administration policies.” GOP presidential contender Rick Perry told Fox News that it’s Obama who is “soft.”

“Americans aren’t soft,” Perry said. “We’ve got some bad policies on tax and regulation in Washington, D.C., that are kicking people out of jobs every day. That’s the real tragedy. What we’ve got is a soft president.”