Blog Focus On Anh "Joseph" Cao
Blog Focus is Technorati's daily roundup of the top stories as told by the bloggers of the world. Each day five posts, no matter how popular or nascent, will be selected by editors to portray a general unscientific reaction to discussion points around the 'Net.
That oh-so-ballyhooed health care bill passed through the House over the weekend, making the 220-215 vote even more nail-biting than the LSU-Alabama football game. As long as we're talking about odd happenings in Louisiana, newbie congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao, the Republican who replaced the scandal-riddled William Jefferson, was the only member of the GOP to vote for the bill. That's the kind of thing that put you on the political map overnight.
The blogosphere couldn't get acquainted fast enough with this freshman representative, and why he was the only Republican to leave the phalanx of opposition:
• TIME Magazine | Swampland — So who is this guy? He emigrated from Vietnam when he was eight. He used to be a Catholic priest. And Jay Newton-Small digs up this nugget: "He holds the most Democratic seat – rated D+28 by the Cook Political Report – of any Republican." So he's practically a pro-life Democrat, one of many that had a last-minute change of heart.
• Liberty Chick — What won over Cao — and others — was the Stupak-Pitts amendment, which pretty much cut off any money from this bill to go toward abortions. But what Liberty Chick found to be the most interesting fact about him: "Cao sits on the National Advisory Council to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Nancy Pelosi’s office for that discussion. Pelosi got her health care vote, the Conference of Catholic Bishops got their abortion amendment…what shall we conclude Mr. Cao may have gotten out of the arrangement?"
• Kevster's Adventures — One pro-health care Catholic sure is looking up to him. "Congressman Anh "Joseph" Cao is a hero in my book and as I look at his face I see a good man and I'm thankful he is serving not only Louisiana, but the United States of America."
• The Reaction — But why isn't Michael J.W. Stickings applauding Cao on this? Mainly because he was looking out for his political future. "Joseph Cao, in other words, is hardly a profile in courage."
• PoliPundit — Looking at the glass half-full, PoliPundit sees Cao's "brilliant" vote in a positive light, even though his "yea" vote did have everything to do with survival. "Cao’s re-election chances have drastically improved overnight, and he can no longer be given up for dead. If he is re-elected, the first vote he casts will be for John Boehner as Speaker; it will be the vote that counts the most."
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