The Hill News

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) shouldn't be pushed out of the negotiations on increasing the debt ceiling, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said. 

Kaine, who is running for the Senate in Virginia, said the lawmaker should participate since he's part of the GOP leadership, but added that Cantor also needs to act like a leader.

"Look, he's part of the elected leadership of the Republican caucus in the House, and I think the elected leadership in all four caucuses in both Houses â€" they need to be present and involved in this. But if you're going to be a leader, act like a leader â€" and leading is not backing away from a negotiation over a subject that is of critical importance to the economy," Kaine said in an interview with a Virginia NBC affiliate. 

Democr! ats have accused Cantor of being the only real obstacle standing in front of a $4 trillion "grand bargain" deal to increase the debt ceiling.

In the interview, Kaine criticized Cantor for abandoning the debt-ceiling negotiations too easily. 

"It is never the right thing to do to walk away from a negotiation table when you're talking about an issue that is of critical importance to the American economy," he said. 

Democrats have also played up a reported rift between Cantor and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) â€" which both Cantor and Boehner have denied. 

Watch the video below: 

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