GOP's Cao says supporting reform bill was right for his district

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

In the tumult of cheers that erupted when Democrats in the House of Representatives reached the required 218 votes to pass the health care reform bill Saturday night, a member who had been waiting for that moment then cast his vote, and dashed the prediction of House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) that no Republican would support it.

Freshman Rep. Joseph "Ahn" Cao (R-La.) said becoming the only one of the 177 Republicans in the House to back the bill was a vote of "conscience" that would help the poor and uninsured in his district.

Cantor, in charge of rallying Republicans against Democratic proposals, had been by Cao's side when the voting started. As the two men chatted, they kept looking upward at the tally displayed on the wall high above them.

While neither man or their staffs has said what the two discussed, it became clear that Cao would not vote until after the Democrats had reached the required 218 to pass the bill. But once the Democrats reached that threshold on their own and started cheering, Cao cast his vote, one of the last five members to do so. Cantor stood and walked away, while Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) crossed over from the Democratic side of the chamber to shake the hand of the only Republican to back the health care reform bill.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/08/AR2009110815740.html?hpid=topnews

[CurtEastPoint]

1. A good man. You have only to look a the uninsured poor in the dist. of the Demos who voted NO.

He was elected by the people to look out for them and that he has.

Notice the classy Cantor-boy. He walked away. That fucking whiner.

[jwirr]

2. He is a good rep. Too bad there are so many who are not.

[Arkana]

3. He has my thanks for doing what's right rather than what's politically convenient.

[PatSeg]

4. Wow, I'm speechless

Never thought I'd see the day!

[Faygo Kid]

5. A decent Republican. Thought they died out many years ago.

Rush tomorrow will, of course, drum him out of the party. The FReepers are beside themselves in their hate for him; no dissent tolerated, ever.

They are imploding.

[PSzymeczek]

6. Gee whiz! Imagine

A Republican doing what's best for his constituency! I didn't think there were any of those left.

[svpadgham]

7. Why'd he wait until 218 was reached?

Did he not want to be on the losing side if it didn't go through, or did he not want to be the deciding vote if it came to it? I think he's getting too much credit for his "vote of conscience."

[clixtox]

8. I find it interesting that the first Vietnamese/American Rep....

voted in the best interest of his constituents, not as directed by his political parties "whips".

That act of courage, relative to the normal behavior of Reps on both sides of the aisle, is commendable, IMHO!

Living in Vietnam, most of the time, I am particularly attentive to M$M news about Vietnam and Vietnamese in America.

The recent beat down and tazing of a Vietnamese student at SAN JOSE STATE U. was big news over here.

[hurricanesfan27]

9. He did a good thing

I hope our pillpopping fat boy pops a vessel tomorrow on his show and goes horizontal.

[Kind of Blue]

10. Bless him. He knows his constituents are not party members. n/t

[VPStoltz]

11. Indeed it was because he answered the call of the 70% in his district that wants it.

But he also represents the entire country in a way, and guess what Reepers, that's 70% of the American people want this.
That's even more people than elected Obama, or Ronnie Rayguns for that matter, pres.
Step and do what is right for the citizens of this country - who by the way are paying your frickin' health insurance premiums.

[Harry Monroe]

12. Why is this man a Republican?

He should be encouraged to defect!!

[RFKHumphreyObama]

13. The GOP got sloppy on this one

They actually allowed one of their congressmen to do the right thing and vote his conscience. During the stimulus package debate, they actually had one of their goons -Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) -keep a close watch on Cao to make sure he behaved and voted in accordance with their wishes. Wonder why he was allowed to get away with doing the right thing this time

[onehandle]

14. Please switch, sir. nt

[Yupster]

16. That's my guess

I bet he switches parties before the next election, but I don't think that will save his seat anyway. He only won that seat because his predecessor had hundred dollar bills stuffed in his freezer.

He'll be bounced at the next election.

Then I'll be interested to see where his name shows up next. Ambassador to somewhere?

[David__77]

15. If his was the deciding vote, he'd probably have opposed it.

Obviously that's why he waited till the end. He should be defeated.