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Defending Cao ( Why was he the lone Republican to vote for the healthcare bill?)
American Spectator ^ | 11/8/2009 | Quinn Hillyer

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 111th; cao; healthcare; josephcao; neworleans; obamacare
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To: roses of sharon

Can’t we all agree that it is just simply corruption within our government system! That has become a major problem and I’m not sure that electing the opposite party will fix it. Ain’t that a bitch!

Seems to me that it just might take a revolution like the original patriots before things change. If this health bill passes and becomes law - well, it may well start that revolution - if not, it should! There are few things that concern Americans but when the Constitution is disregarded by both the Congress and the Courts - watch out!


81 posted on 11/08/2009 9:41:07 PM PST by Deagle
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To: 1COUNTER-MORTER-68

I never doubt what you say.


82 posted on 11/08/2009 9:42:58 PM PST by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life is tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: SeekAndFind
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.

I think this is the thing that bothers me about some in the pro-life movement (I am pro-life, BTW). Some are so singularly focused on this one issue that they don't see that there are many issues just as important, issues that threaten our very freedoms. Regardless of whether the abortion language is in there or not, this is still a very bad bill. Cao's district is 75% Dem? So what, you simply need to do the right thing and vote against this bill, then go back and face your constituents and tell them exactly why you voted against the bill. What would Cao have done if it came down to his vote being the tie breaker? We may yet find out that answer if this bill ever comes back to the House for a final vote.

83 posted on 11/08/2009 9:43:16 PM PST by Major Matt Mason (The DemocRat Party = Enemies of Freedom.)
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To: Jim Robinson
This letter is published to advise the federal government in Washington D.C. that this SOVEREIGN AMERICAN will NOT submit to the marxist/communist coup currently taking place in Washington, D.C., and will ACTIVELY OPPOSE IT.

This SOVEREIGN AMERICAN will IGNORE any laws, rules or regulations that come from Washington D.C. that further restrict the FREEDOM and LIBERTY of individuals, and will in the future IGNORE any PREVIOUS, UNConstitutional laws, rules or regulations that have restricted the FREEDOM and LIBERTY of individuals in this country.

Further, this SOVEREIGN AMERICAN will encourage others to ignore any laws, rules or regulations that restrict the FREEDOM and LIBERTY of any individual in this country.

Whether the laws relate to "health insurance mandates", gun laws, environmental law or any other "law" that restricts INDIVIDUAL Americans from utilizing their own personal property, or that restricts what we can eat, or how much, what we can drink, what type of toilet we are "required" to have, what we can or cannot say, what we can think, how we must provide "service" to ANYONE, how much we can donate to our favorite charities, who we can associate with, I'm here to tell you to take all your "demands," your "laws, rules and regulations" and print them out, then fold the printout until it is all sharp corners AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR COLLECTIVE ASSES! I WILL NOT COMPLY!

Toward FREEDOM!

84 posted on 11/08/2009 9:54:58 PM PST by Neil E. Wright (An OATH is FOREVER (NRA member) 3%)
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To: null and void

You will see. Cao is bringing home some bacon with zero consequences.

Smart move for Cao. Living in the French Quarter, you get more perspective of Cao’s district.


85 posted on 11/08/2009 9:56:52 PM PST by astuddis
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To: celtic gal
Speaking of donations..two days ago I got a call from the national RNC

I got a letter some time ago also. I sent it back with a STINGING letter, full of 4 letter words, saying pretty much the same as you. Needless to say, they got nothing from me.

86 posted on 11/08/2009 9:58:47 PM PST by Mark17
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To: Jim Robinson

Thank you... I’ve been waiting for your comments on this... unconstitutional, unAmerican....mess.


87 posted on 11/08/2009 10:03:02 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (BG x 2 (and a heartbeat was heard today....))
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To: SeekAndFind

The problem is that NOW the Dems can put part of the blame for the failure of this boondoggle on the GOP. In 2013 when this monstrosity is implemented the media will simply call it “bipartisan” and the idiots in this country will never remember that one idiot Republican voted for it. They’ll think the GOP supported it. It’s not like the media will be honest, and the GOP doesn’t have the ability or the balls to get an alternative message out.


88 posted on 11/08/2009 10:07:19 PM PST by Republic of Texas (Socialism Always Fails)
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To: LUV W

VC Sleeper agent?


89 posted on 11/08/2009 10:07:39 PM PST by MuttTheHoople (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/TeddyVWad.jpg)
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To: Jim Robinson
Keep your powder dry. Rebellion is brewing!! This tyranny will not stand!!

It sounds like your blood is getting close to boiling, like many of us. I put 20 years in the military resisting socialism/communism. I don't want all that time and effort to go to waste.

90 posted on 11/08/2009 10:08:43 PM PST by Mark17
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To: imahawk

thedeadpelican.com is the place to watch,,,

This “party jumping” is the standard in this state,,,

There is no other logical reason for Cao to do this...


91 posted on 11/08/2009 10:11:51 PM PST by 1COUNTER-MORTER-68 (THROWING ANOTHER BULLET-RIDDLED TV IN THE PILE OUT BACK~~~~~)
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To: cherry
I won't nitpick every decision otherwise decent conservatives make....
the rat cabal....that is who we need to go after....

AMEN!!

92 posted on 11/08/2009 10:12:15 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: SeekAndFind

No defense, none. You let them get away once with this backstabbing, they get all the adoring state-run media coverage, and they become Lindsey Graham or Arlen Specter.

If we want a Republican to represent William Jefferson’s (Democrat - Louisiana) district, and are willing to compromise to the point that the ‘big tent’ must include voters like that, then we compromise to the point that the GOP does not represent voters in places where we need to win.

And THAT, y’all, is how rot-gut commies like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barak Obama take over our country.

No compromise! None!


93 posted on 11/08/2009 10:17:50 PM PST by advance_copy (Stand for life or nothing at all)
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To: SeekAndFind

“He is a traditionalist Catholic, former Jesuit seminarian”

I think I read somewhere that the Jesuit order has been disbanded five times by various Popes during its approximately 500 year history.


94 posted on 11/08/2009 10:25:56 PM PST by haroldeveryman
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To: SeekAndFind

I blame the folks who devised the Stupack-Pitts Amendment and “my Bishops”, the USCCB, for providing plausible deniability and political groundcover for this mess.

This bill would be a trojan horse, by which the Democrats will do what they do best; kill unborn US citizens.

To this I might add that if the bill does become a law that you and I will end up footing the bill for the abortions. To add some paradox to this scenario, we won’t even get the cheapest, cut rate baby killing that money can buy. One third of the billions will be graft, which will flow back to the death cult, so that they can fund and susidize more of the same.

Why the Catholic Conference of Bishops favor capitulation and appeasement to this horde of sodomites and baby killers is beyond me. It is truly a disgrace!!


95 posted on 11/08/2009 10:30:06 PM PST by incredulous joe ("Live Free or Fight")
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To: Tzimisce

Don’t sweat it, principled conservative or cowardly capitulator, his constituents will cut him to pieces in the mid-terms. The people of his district will elect a Dem to replace Cao, who, even as a one termer, will have one of those really nice healthcare plans and pensions.


96 posted on 11/08/2009 10:36:23 PM PST by incredulous joe ("Live Free or Fight")
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To: Jim Robinson
His primary and sworn duty is to defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God!
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!

Thanks for the ping and your input, Jim. It is amazing to me how few are mentioning the constitutionality not only of the bill, but Cao's vote as well. Perhaps it is time for a refresher from the "Statement by FR's Founder" to staighten folks out.

This was my post from a thread this morning.

The government takeover of our health care system is unconstitutional, period! To vote the alleged wishes of 638,562 scum sucking leeches while selling 330,000,000 into communism cannot be justified, IMHO.

The Oath of Office for all members of Congress states:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

No where in that oath does it say they are to support their constituents rather than the Constitution. Being on record to enslave the country into communism is never a good thing.
129 posted on Sunday, November 08, 2009 9:22:27 AM by Just A Nobody

97 posted on 11/08/2009 10:39:13 PM PST by Just A Nobody ( (Better Dead than RED! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA))
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To: ClearCase_guy

“Off hand, I cannot think of a recent Democrat who acquiesced to the Conservative leanings of the district which they represent”

Frank Kratovil, here in Merlin, many a Free State Freep melted his phone lines and contacted this freshman.

He is a liberal and I am guessing that he would have otherwise supported the bill, except that he won his race in a conservative district by a few hundred votes.

It is quite possible that he may have been given a “hall pass” by the whip ~ to vote against the bill once they realized that they had the votes.


98 posted on 11/08/2009 10:42:19 PM PST by incredulous joe ("Live Free or Fight")
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To: Neil E. Wright
I have some items to add, per your request, on the thread you posted. Sorry for the delay, but I was in DC on Thursday.
99 posted on 11/08/2009 10:52:31 PM PST by Just A Nobody ( (Better Dead than RED! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA))
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To: incredulous joe; Jim Robinson
Frank Kratovil...

Yes, I checked to see if his name was on the no list. Thursday, as I was entering the Cannon Building, a friend of the FReeprs (Eloise) told me she had been to his office and he promised he was voting no.

While making calls yesterday I went ahead and called his office. They informed me he had stated he would vote no. I then asked if he meant it this time and informed the staffer that last February he had assured a group of patriots, right there in his own office, that he would be voting no on the Porkulus bill, but had in fact voted for Porkulus.

The staffer reiterated the congressman's commitment to vote no and advised me to check the roll call once the vote had taken place. I assured him I would indeed be following up and was relieved to see his name on the NO list.

100 posted on 11/08/2009 11:05:18 PM PST by Just A Nobody ( (Better Dead than RED! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA))
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