In a historic vote last night, the House passed an amendment to repeal the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Earlier this week, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), the House’s third-ranking Republican, had “promised unified GOP opposition to lifting the ban” on gays serving openly in the military. “The American people don’t want the American military to be used to advance a liberal political agenda. And House Republicans will stand on that principle,” Pence said. But dismissing Pence’s leadership, five Republicans joined 229 Democrats to vote for the repeal:

The vote was 234 to 194.

Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ron Paul (R-TX), Joseph Cao (R-LA), Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL), and Charles Djou (R-HI) were the only Republicans to vote in favor of scrapping the law.

Not surprisingly, the right-wing has already begun attacking this group of five congressmen for voting their conscious and breaking party lines. “Five Republicans voted to join the radical gay lobby in pushing passage of Nancy Pelosi’s remaining priority item before the elections,” Human Events’ Connie Hair wrote this morning. Without directly naming the Republicans, Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) said voting for the bill showed “disrespect for military personnel by attempting to force through repeal.”

Last November, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) — who represents a heavily Democratic district — was the only Republican to vote for health care reform, saying at the time that it was “best for my constituents.” Cao switched his vote when the House took up the issue again in March and strongly condemned the bill as “at a par with slavery,” but it seems some conservatives are still holding his original vote against him. At the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, currently taking place in New Orleans, the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel reports than an “angry” Republican — who had supported Cao in the past — confronted the congressman about his health care vote. The woman was upset that Cao had raised money in “white suburbs” while supporting “liberal, spread-the-wealth, welfare, black” policies:

“He had fundraisers, he had meetings, all in the suburbs — the white suburbs,” said [Kim] Hasney [a photographer from Jefferson Parish], who attended one of those events. “He had nothing in the district. We got him elected. Then, he goes and says ‘but I have to represent my district,’ which is all liberal, giveaway, spread-the-wealth, welfare, black. We thought he would try to change the demographics of that district by supporting things that were not giveaway things. You know, supporting things that would get them out of the ghetto.” [...]

“I thought that was what he was going to do,” she said. “As a conservative Republican, bring a work ethic, bring a non-welfare ethic.”

Referencing a memo House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) released in 2008 praising Cao as “the future,” Matthew Yglesias writes, “We’re a long way from the days of ‘The Future is Cao.’”

Rep. Joseph Cao, a Republican representing New Orleans in Congress, voted repeatedly last night to kill health reform. Cao briefly supported health reform last November, when an amendment was added to the bill which altered current law and vastly restricted even private sector dollars from abortion insurance coverage. Staunch pro-life supporters — from a group of 59,000 Catholic nuns, to the Catholic Health Association, to Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) — supported the health reform bill passed last night and said it does not provide taxpayer funds to abortion services.

Regardless, Cao said he withdrew his support for health reform because of nonexistent abortion services. In an interview with the New Orleans Times-Picauyne, he further explained that the Senate bill contained abortion services “at a par with slavery.” Cao’s ugly comparison lacks substance and is insulting to his majority African American district. Statistics show that expanding health insurance coverage is “one of the most powerful tools for reducing the number of abortions” in industrialized countries. Furthermore, Cao is promoting a culture of death by trying to deny health reform to his New Orleans constituents:

– According to a report by the Center for American Progress, health reform makes a tremendous first step to eradicate the “medical apartheid” of health disparities faced by communities of color in America. The bill establishes demonstration programs to promote access to Medicare beneficiaries with limited English proficiency and provides incentives to encourage a range of needed health professionals to work in primary care settings, public health services, and in areas of workforce shortage.

– New Orleans is heavily uninsured. At about 24%, Cao’s district is 10% more uninsured than the national average. A Harvard study found that nearly 45,000 people die every year because of a lack of health insurance. Health reform will provide 31 million previously uninsured Americans with coverage, while ensuring those with coverage are never denied treatment because of their health status.

– Louisiana has a high level of infant mortalities, 9.8 per 1,000 live births. Health reform includes expanded prenatal care for low income women.

– Cao’s district has high rates of obesity and diabetes. Among many provisions aimed at decreasing chronic illness and promoting health lifestyles, health reform guarantees that all insurance companies offer free preventive care.

Despite promising to be an independent voice, Cao has now voted in lockstep against the stimulus, the President’s progressive budget, clean energy reform, financial reform, and health reform. Notably, shortly before the vote last night, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) hosted a $500-per-person fundraiser for him at the Capitol Hill Club.

Last month, President Obama visted New Orleans for the first time since taking office and touted his administration’s focus on assisting the area’s still on-going recovery effort four years after Hurricane Katrina. “I’m pleased to report that we’ve made good progress,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve made progress.”

But conservatives such as Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) criticized Obama’s visit calling it a “drive-through daiquiri summit,” while others “criticized the president for not touring the battered wetlands.”

Yesterday during an interview with Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) — the lone Republican to vote for the House health care bill last week — Washington Times radio channeled the GOP criticism. “He didn’t even stick around very long during his trip,” the host said. But Cao defended what the administration has done for the area:

CAO: Well, I just want to set the record straight, that even though the President only visited New Orleans once since his election, it was a brief stay, but this administration has been tremendous for the people of the 2nd district. Secretary Napolitano has been down here three or four times, the secretary of HUD, the secretary of Education, they have been down here numerous times. [...]

So I guess for me, it’s not that important to have the visit of the President, its much more important for me that I have a good working relationship with the administration and have the commitment…from the administration to push all the recovery issues of the 2nd District forward and they have been doing that in the last 9 months.

Listen here:

Paul Rainwater, the executive director of the state-run Louisiana Recovery Authority, agrees with Cao’s approach. “I would say it’s more important to have your cabinet secretaries down here,” he said last month. Indeed, the White House said there were 22 visits by senior administration officials to the area from March to August, 13 of them by cabinet secretaries.

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) was solely responsible for dashing the Republican leadership’s hopes of having all 177 of its members vote against historic health care legislation on Saturday. Cao broke with his party and voted with Democrats after speaking personally to President Obama and pressing for more federal funds for his district, which is still struggling after Hurricane Katrina. In a statement, Cao explained that the needs of his constituents trumped partisan politicking:

I read the versions of the House [health reform] bill. I listened to the countless stories of Orleans and Jefferson Parish citizens whose health care costs are exploding — if they are able to obtain health care at all. Louisianans needs real options for primary care, for mental health care, and for expanded health care for seniors and children. [...]

I have always said that I would put aside partisan wrangling to do the business of the people. My vote tonight was based on my priority of doing what is best for my constituents.

The reaction to Cao from the right wing has been swift and fierce, with some comparing the only non-Hispanic minority in the GOP caucus to Mao Tse Tung and calling him racial epithets. Rep. Don Young (R-AK) — who has defended Cao’s vote — had to stand beside him during Saturday’s roll call, “fending off his GOP colleagues who might have twisted Cao’s arms.” Last week, RNC Chairman Michael Steele made clear that moderates who don’t walk the Party line have no place in the GOP:

So candidates who live in moderate to slightly liberal districts have got to walk a little bit carefully here, because you do not want to put yourself in a position where you’re crossing that line on conservative principles, fiscal principles, because we’ll come after you.

Cao “chuckled” in response to Steele’s comments, pointing out that his vision would essentially lead the party toward a path of political suicide. “He has the right to come after those members who do not conform to party lines,” said Cao, “but I would hope that he would work with us in order to adjust to the needs of the district and to hold a seat that the Republican party would need.”

These far right statements represent a dramatic shift from where the GOP said it was heading just a year ago. After Cao won in his majority-Democratic district, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) sent out a memo reading “The Future is Cao“:

As House Republicans look ahead to the next two years, the Cao victory is a symbol of what can be achieved when we think big, present a positive alternative, and work aggressively to earn the trust of the American people.

The GOP seems to no longer be interested in presenting “positive” alternatives or thinking “big.” Its alternative health care legislation didn’t even bar insurers from denying people based upon pre-existing conditions — a top priority of the American public. Additionally, instead of candidates like Cao, far-right candidates who are the darlings of the Tea Party movement (e.g. Doug Hoffman in the NY-23 special election) are winning out over moderates.

So if the “future is Cao,” when will Republicans follow his lead and put their constituents’ interests over those of Republican leaders and right-wing pundits?

In response to President Obama’s national address in February, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal pointedly went after stimulus funding for high-speed rail projects as “wasteful spending.” But in August, state officials began drafting plans to request $300 million in stimulus funds to develop a high-speed rail between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. An official in the state Department of Transportation and Development called the project “a very valuable economic incubator.” The plan had the backing of Louisiana legislators such as Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (R), who was pressing Jindal to request the money. Jindal, however, let the midnight Friday deadline pass, allowing his right-wing ideology to win out:

Jindal aides have said the administration is not applying because of concerns about the project’s ongoing costs. They said the state would incur an annual $18 million bill to run the rail system once it became operational. [...]

But U.S. Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-New Orleans, on Friday called on Jindal to apply for the money. Since all U.S. taxpayers will foot the bill for the stimulus spending, Cao said, the state’s elected officials should see that Louisiana gets its fair share. “It’s our duty to obtain as much as we can to rebuild this region,” Cao said at a news conference at his city’s train station.

He acknowledged “a real concern” about the state’s responsibility for paying the annual costs, but said the overall project would be “an $180 million win for the state of Louisiana.”

Earlier on Friday, Cao had still been optimistic that Jindal would file application for the funding, which was all ready to go. “We’re counting on his leadership in this goal to go beyond any party lines and do what’s right for Louisiana,” Cao said.

Despite voting against the Economic Recovery Act, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) is now working to bring Recovery Act money into his district. Last week, the Times-Picayune reported that Cao has been meeting with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to apply to “use stimulus money for additional streetcar expansions and road repairs.” Cao boasted that he is now working to “channel” the money that he opposed to his district:

“Whenever I meet with the mayor it goes extremely well,” Cao said. “Our focus has always been and is today about the recovery issues of the 2nd District. We are trying to look at federal monies that the state has and channeling more of that money to the district.”

Earlier this year, Cao indicated that he would vote for the Economic Recovery Act. “I will vote for it because the 2nd Congressional District needs a stimulus package,” Cao told local reporters at the time. Of course, Cao ultimately joined every single other House Republican in opposing the Recovery Act.

A review of FEC records reveals that the Republican leadership has rewarded Cao for his willingness to tow the party line:

– After voting against the Recovery Act on January 28, House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) PAC gave Cao a check for $5,000 two days later. [FEC, accessed 8/3/09]

– Cao indicated that he was considering voting in favor of clean energy economy legislation Waxman-Markey. However when it came to the House floor for a vote on June 26, Cao voted against it. Four days later, Boehner handed Cao $2,000. [FEC, accessed 8/3/09]

The GOP’s arm-twisting of Cao has also included regular phone calls from Republican Whip Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA). On the day of the stimulus vote, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), the Republican deputy whip, “stood near Cao during the entire vote.”

The political game for Cao has become predictable: pretend to support progressive legislation, then vote with the right-wing against the bill. For the stimulus, the budget, and climate change legislation, Cao postured like a moderate, then bowed to pressure and voted as a conservative. At least with the stimulus, Cao’s work “channeling” the money for his district is an acknowledgment that he was wrong to vote against it.

Yesterday, the Times-Picayune reported that Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao (LA) is one of the few Republicans in Congress who have agreed that the door to possible prosecutions for torture architects in the Bush administration should be left open:

But on Monday, Obama, while maintaining that CIA operatives should be spared legal scrutiny, said: “With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the attorney general, within the perimeters of various laws.”

Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, R-New Orleans, whose father, a former South Vietnamese Army officer who spent seven years in a North Vietnamese re-education camp after the fall of South Vietnam, expressed a similar view.

“I agree we have to look to the future, not the past, but if people broke the law, I believe that no one is above the law and if people violate the law they have to face the consequences of what the law dictates.”