When the health care reform bill passed the House on Saturday by a 220-215 vote, it was as clear as ever that we are a country divided. The vast majority of those in favor of the bill were from the Democrat party except for one, Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao of New Orleans, who was singled out as the one Republican that the Obama administration could sway to do their bidding. And, having received the “Obama Treatment” and oodles of political “advice” was just what Mr Cao needed to mold him into the one thing the administration needed…bipartisanship.
With the well known controversy of health care reform surrounding the two political parties of Democrat and Republican, the one thing that was obvious was that no GOP member in their right mind was going to vote in its favor. It has been evident from the beginning of President Obama’s presidency that it was a difficult task to bring in enough support for a bill like this with the endless campaigning and lobbying on the part of the administration and it’s supporters. They were even right back on the band wagon as soon as the bill passed trying to devise their next plan to be able to forward the agenda. But the claim of bipartisanship was an obstacle that they wanted to over come, just so they could have that under their belt when arguing in defense of Pelosicare. Although, I would hardly call one measly Republican vote bipartisan.
This is why they spent so much time in the weeks before on Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao. They saw a link that was weak enough to break. According to Fox News, Rep. Cao said that President Obama spoke with him for “a period of a couple weeks” and that Obama’s staff spoke with him “on a number of occasions.” And those talks sound a lot like flattery to me. Cao told Fox News that “We were able to sit down to talk about recovery, to talk about the needs of the district.”
The excuse for voting in favor of the health care bill in Mr. Cao’s eyes, was that his political situation is “special” due to having won in an upset election last December over Democrat William Jefferson. Cao even said to The Times-Picayune during the summer, “voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career.” So, forget the Constitution, the American freedoms and liberty, the fight against more government control…just worry about your political career, because that’s what really matters in the end.
In my heart I know it probably won’t happen due to the overwhelmingly majority of democratic voters in New Orleans, but I sincerely hope that Rep. Anh Cao (and all Rhinos across America) get the boot in the 2010 elections. We do not need people in office that worry more about their political career than the future of America, and that goes for all parties. No more career politicians!
Source:
White House Spent ‘Weeks’ Courting Lone GOP Vote on Health Care Bill
Visit Conservative Hideout RapidFire for all of your Conservative news, opinion, and blogging needs.
Marie, I think that you just posted one of the best images ever at the CH 2.0. Excellent choice! The article pleases as well. His effort to look out for his own best interests rather than that of his nation will be his undoing. If he can be defeated in the primaries, we might lose the seat. In that area, we might anyway. However, he will be out of power, and no longer able to betray the country.
LOL, thanks. I edited it myself. I just had to write about Cao, it disgusts me when politicians act in the interest of their career even when it is not aligned with that of the nation. But even more so, is the catering the Obama administration did to Cao to get his vote on the bill. I hate to say it, but it really doesn’t surprise me.
Great article, Marie. Putting one’s political career before the good of the nation and it’s citizens is what happens a lot of the time when the representatives we elect begin making a career out of politics. I really don’t think that’s what our founding fathers had in mind.
No, I don’t think so either. And I highly doubt that is what the American voters have in mind as well.
The bill passed the House, not the Senate, on Saturday. Just FYI.
Thank you for pointing out my typo! It’s been corrected.
A very fine article, Marie. I was finally able to email Cao and I told him, (respectfully, I might add) that I would be contributing financially to his opponent in the next election. Then I mentioned that he told Fox news that the reason he voted yes was for his constituents and asked him why he thought his constituents benefited from a loss in their liberties.
Good, I hope it gives him something to think about. Then again, with his head so far up his, er, career path, it may take many with the same response to get the point across. If only we were all as motivated!
Unalienable rights cannot be transferred or given away.
This guy has shot himself in the foot. Now he stands little if any chance of winning. A Republican without the support of his party running in a overwhelmingly Democratic district? Sounds like a long shot to me. Good move he sold out his country and ended his carrier.
Very good article and I agree with most of the comments here. I think there will be major backlashes for anyone who votes for this monstrosity! The American people have had enough of the “protect my career at all costs” game. I foresee a time coming when our elected officials will go back to the days where they do “we the people’s” bidding.