Posted on 11/08/2009 8:22:32 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Conservatives need to take a deep breath, relax, and stop bashing Joseph Cao. The man never claimed to be a fully committed economic conservative. He represents a district that is about 75 percent Democrat and 62 percent black (or thereabouts).
He SAID ALL ALONG, FOR MONTHS, that he would probably vote for health care reform if it included strong pro-life language such as the Stupak Amendment. He stuck to his guns, even though his district is not majority pro-life. He is a traditionalist Catholic, former Jesuit seminarian, and he stands up for the principles he holds dear, one of which is the sanctity of innocent life. He is willing to lose his office on behalf of that pro-life stance. And he has taken a leadership role in anti-Communist measures, meeting with the Dalai Lama when Obama wouldn't, and calling out the Vietnamese Communist government when too many these days refuse to recognize that Vietnam's mostly free market does NOT mean it is a free society. He is a thoughtful, principled, well-intentioned public servant.
He also represents a district that is fundamentally liberal. Congressmen have two roles: they are delegates, meaning their voters delegate to them the ability to use their judgment on complicated policy matters; and they are representatives, meaning they are there, specifically, to represent the will of their constituents. Serving in Congress is often a balancing act: When your district slightly favors one course of action but you strongly favor the opposite, you do what you believe and try to explain to your constituents why you bucked their wishes. That is being a delegate.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
Don’t ya just love it when a supposedly Conservative publication tries to justify a rogue Republican vote? Well, sorry folks (hey you guys in the Spectator crowd), you are just simply wrong again.
Either you vote for Constitutional laws are get the heck out of this Congress! Yes, that includes you sissy Republicans that can’t stand to be in the minority - even when they are right.
I am ashamed of the Spectator and if I had a subscription, I would drop it.
Blue Dogs are in the same position, and many of the voted against the bill because they represent more conservative districts.
As in he could have proven himself a RINO on his first time out of the gate and vote with the democrats?.... No, wait a minute..... That's exactly what he did.
Smells like a damned leftie to me. Eeeeuwww...
Staffers and campaign organizers more like, or family.
B/S. His primary and sworn duty is to defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God! I don’t care if he’s democrat or Republican or what his greedy constituents may want to steal from the US Treasury. If he’s not going to defend the constitution then he should resign his office (or be run out of town on a rail!).
This bill is unconstitutional! And I hope and pray that if it makes it through the senate and becomes law, that we citizens unite to defy it!! They cannot arrest 150 million of us!! And if they try, then it WILL be time!!
I also hope and pray that we have at least some governors who have the intestinal fortitude to say NOT in MY state!!The feds will NOT march into MY state and arrest MY good citizens for simply defying unconstitutional federal tyranny!! Not as long as I’m alive they wont!
Keep your powder dry. Rebellion is brewing!! This tyranny will not stand!!
Great points
All the abortion funding will be put back in when it goes to committee. What a Rube!
If I was a Republican planning to run in a liberal district, I would just run as a conservative and let the chips fall where they may be. That's what Republicans need to start doing, especially in the Northeast.
Cao's vote is inexcusable.
Yep and when Cao complains, the Rats will tell him, “You F’d up, you trusted us.”
“What power is given the Deims ? “
I hope you’re a Democrat. The Conservative side has already met its quota for fools.
Wow, you live in a difficult district, Duncan Hunter is my Congressman.
VC IN THE WIRE!!!...
Okay. I concede that.
But part of what bothers me is how I hear the tale told. In MSM stories about Blue Dogs, it seems to be that they are afraid of future elections. They are pragmatic. They need to make certain votes in order to assure their own futures. It just the sensible thing to do for now.
Republicans in Liberal districts, on the other hand, have a moral obligation to do the right thing (and vote like a Liberal).
I see a double standard in how this is typically presented.
I would say that's true...except when the constituents want something that is clearly unconstitutional!
So sorry, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then ....
Let him run as a democrat.
I agree with all you said and I voted for bush2 as well(twice).
Good one
You nailed it. More “Party Uber Alles” BS.
“Off hand, I cannot think of a recent Democrat who acquiesced to the Conservative leanings of the district which they represent.”
How about the 39 Dems from conservative districts who voted AGAINST the PelosiObamaCare bill ? They don’t count?
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