Steve Pendlebury

The Point: The Republican Who Voted Yes

Posted:

11/9/09

Filed Under:Health, Politics, The Point

TEXT SIZE:AAA
PRINT

(Nov. 9) -- One member of what detractors call the "party of no" broke ranks in this weekend's House showdown on health care reform. Louisiana's Joseph Cao was the lone Republican to say "yes" to the bill.

Cao cast his vote after Democrats had tallied the 218 needed to win -- and after passage of Rep. Bart Stupak's amendment forbidding federal funding of abortions. The Catholic lawmaker, who represents an overwhelmingly Democratic district in New Orleans, said the amendment was "a top priority."

On his Web page, Cao also said President Obama promised to work with him on the "critical health care issues" in his state, which is still trying to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Cao's vote surprised many observers, even though he's gained a reputation for being willing to cooperate with the White House during his first year in office. Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin criticized him for siding with Democrats on several other bills and said the presidential pledge that helped sway Cao on this one was worth nothing. "The congressman's about as cheap a date as they come," added National Review's Andy McCarthy.

The American Spectator's Quin Hillyer didn't like the vote but praised Cao for representing his constituents while standing up for his personal convictions on abortion. Hillyer urged conservatives to "give the man a break" and called Cao "an honorable, incredibly hard-working, inspirational young representative."

Cao defeated scandal-plagued incumbent Democrat William Jefferson last year to become the first Vietnamese-American member of Congress and give the GOP Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District for the first time in a century. House Minority Leader John Boehner hailed Cao's victory as a symbol of what the Republican Party can achieve. Cao laughed and made note of that Sunday when asked about GOP chairman Michael Steele's threat to go after Republicans who don't toe the party line.

While Cao was the only Republican to cross the aisle on health care reform, 39 Democrats sided with the opposition. This New York Times chart illustrates how many of them are in districts that went Republican in last year's presidential election. Just as Republicans don't want to lose Cao's seat next year, Democrats hope to protect their vulnerable incumbents in 2010.

Now the scene shifts to the Senate, where the contest will become even more of a numbers game. Democrats need 60 votes to pass a bill, and with Independent Joe Lieberman renewing his filibuster threat, a single vote could make all the difference.

Follow Sphere On Facebook and Twitter

152 comments

+ add your own

Steve Pendlebury- Editor

Steve covers general news and writes The Point, a daily column about hot topics on the Web. He started at AOL in 2000 after working for Reuters and the Associated Press.

Contact Steve Pendlebury

Subscribe to: RSS Email: Steve Pendlebury

Health care issues: What are GOP's reform ideas?
8 days ago
-A look at key issues in the health care debate: THE ISSUE: Republicans are the minority party in both houses of Congress. What health care proposals have they advanced, and are they going anywhere?...
GOP congressman's health vote costs some support
20 days ago
NEW ORLEANS -The only Republican in the House to vote for a Democrat-backed health care bill is already seeing some backlash: He's had two fundraisers canceled and some campaign contributors have...
Obama Lobbies for Health Care Votes, Pressure Mounts on Democrats
23 days ago
President Obama went to Capitol Hill Saturday morning to press fellow Democrats to vote for the trillion-dollar health care reform bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership...

Comments (152)

- TURN COMMENTS OFF

ADD A COMMENT

rwerner608

10:51AM Nov 9th 2009

Hurray, at least there is one Republican who can think for himself and is not just another lemming.

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(-91)

vobox3343

10:55AM Nov 9th 2009

Ditto!

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(-84)

Peg

11:34AM Nov 9th 2009

Hey a**hole, we "heard" you the FIRST time! Another liberal moron who believes if you tell the same LIE enough times, it will automatically become a truth.

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(56)

jerryshuman

11:36AM Nov 9th 2009

He was not thinking; he was doing what he was told to do. You call that thinking?

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(37)

jackisbackprt4

12:01PM Nov 9th 2009

Pukes are nothing but a bunch of good ole boy and girl suckers who only care about holding on to their seats. Apparently they only care about their seats rather than the best interests of the people who they are supposed to serve.

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(-22)

jmycrkcrn555

12:09PM Nov 9th 2009

Hurray, at least there were 39 Democrats who can think for themselves and not just follow the other lemmings.

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(60)

phefnero

1:45PM Nov 9th 2009

He didn't vote his conscious. Back door deals were made. He was promised things from the white house and he sold his soul.

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(42)

ted

2:31PM Nov 9th 2009

But you have no problem with all the dems walking lockstep as dictated by queen nancy, slick heny, and jester reid? Typical progressive - if anyone dare disagree they are non-thinking, non-feeling dolts who walk lockstep to someones tune but the dems are heroic when they do it!

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(20)

bjreg3

3:39PM Nov 9th 2009

seems to me that you really are lacking in any intelligence about this bill. The democraps, like yourself are really the ones that can't think. You agree with whatever the koolaid drinking liars on capital hill has to say without getting your facts together. It will damage healthcare as we know it and morons like yourself are either too stupid to see that or not intelligent enough to gather some facts to make some factual based, intelligent comments. As a life long democrat, they have received my last vote as I will vote them out for the Republicans. This socialistic crap has to stop and Pelosi and Reid need to go NOW!They should be impeached!!!

RATE THIS COMMENT:

(5)