Cantor slams Obama for ‘silence’ on Iranian election

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) hit the Obama administration Monday for its “silence” on the tumult in the wake of the presidential election in Iran.

Cantor said the administration should take a more public stance on the issue, citing a “moral responsibility” to stand against the crackdowns on protestors who allege the election results, handing incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a lopsided victory, were rigged.

“The Administration’s silence in the face of Iran’s brutal suppression of democratic rights represents a step backwards for homegrown democracy in the Middle East,” Cantor said in a statement Monday.

“President Obama must take a strong public position in the face of violence and human rights abuses,” the second-ranking House Republican added. “We have a moral responsibility to lead the world in opposition to Iran’s extreme response to peaceful protests.”

Cantor also urged the administration to work with Congress to do everything in their respective power to make sure Iran isn’t able to develop a nuclear weapon.