Rep. Anh 'Joseph' Cao apologizes for taking words of praise out of context
Published: Friday, June 25, 2010, 8:15 PM
Bruce Nolan, The Times-Picayune
U.S. Rep Anh "Joseph" Cao, heading into a difficult re-election campaign, has apologized to New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond for sending out a fundraising letter that strongly implies that Aymond and the local Catholic Church have endorsed him for re-election.
In response, Aymond said he will release a clarification through the Clarion Herald, a Catholic newspaper, underscoring the church's neutrality in the November election. At issue is a direct mailer that the Republican congressman recently sent to 10,000 constituents in his largely Democratic 2nd Congressional District. The outer envelope features a prominent, boxed quotation from Aymond praising Cao's courage for "standing solidly for the values espoused by Jesus and the church in spite of personal criticism."
An enclosed letter from Cao solicits campaign donations, largely on the strength of the anti-abortion implications of his "no" vote on health care reform last spring.
Aymond's testimonial is accurate, but it came months ago in a general commentary on the passage of the health care reform bill, although that is not made clear to recipients.
Fenn French, Cao's campaign manager, said in an interview that using Aymond's praise out of context was a mistake.
"We should have been more clear. We do take responsibility for the misunderstanding," French said. "We did not intend that it look like a political endorsement."
Aymond said he was distressed when he saw the mailer because he read it as an implied personal endorsement.
"We support issues, not candidates," he said.
He said he called Cao's office, and Cao later returned the call and apologized.
Aymond's quote dates to late March, when he praised Cao's "no" vote in the Clarion Herald immediately after the health care debate.
Aymond and other Catholic bishops vigorously opposed the Obama administration's plan because they feared it would lead to public financing of abortion.
Some bishops, including Aymond, lobbied their representatives before the vote. Cao, a lawyer and former Jesuit seminarian, said he anguished over the vote because he knew his district wanted health care reform. But he said could not vote yes because of what he believed were the implications for public financing of abortion.
The Catholic Church, like others, is free to urge members to consider moral issues when choosing a candidate. But churches and pastors cannot take partisan positions on behalf of particular candidates without risking their tax-exempt status.
Many, although not all, refrain from partisan politics not only because of the tax implications, but also to protect their integrity and independence of their mission.
In 1996, retired Archbishop Philip Hannan famously announced "that no Catholic should vote for" President Bill Clinton or Mary Landrieu, then running for the Senate, because of their support for abortion rights. But within hours of that announcement, the archdiocese issued a statement asserting that it is neutral regarding candidates in elections and that Hannan, in retirement, was speaking for himself.
Showing posts with label Joseph Cao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph Cao. Show all posts
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Representative Cao gets support of Archbishop Aymond
A lot has been said and written about Congressman Cao voting for health care after the pro-life Stupak ammendment was approved. Cao, who is a Republican representing a 70% or more Democratic district, is being excoriated by many a Republican; some who are Catholic. Cao has said repeatedly that he could vote for health care as long as the pro-life ammendment was added. He has embraced the fact that a larger percentage of his district could benefit from some of the universal health care proposals.
In the weeks leading up to the vote, and again on the Monday after the fallout began, Cao has consulted with New Orleans Archbishop, Gregory Aymond. This is documented in the Clarion Herald, the archdiocesan newspaper. "I mentioned to him my prayerful support, and I also mentioned to him that if there was anything that we could do spiritually for him, we certainly wanted to do that," said Aymond. He continued,"to take a stance that is unpopular with one's own party is indeed noble and faith-filled." Aymond also went on to say that Cao is "a lifetime Catholic who takes very seriously his faith and his personal relationship with Christ and the church."
For all my Republican Catholic friends who want Democratic Catholics to stand up with faith first over party; may I suggest that goes both ways. Cao has insisted, and Archbishop Aymond seems to be saying too that Cao put his faith and his understanding of Catholic social justice ahead of party. Of course the problem for Cao is he stood up to the Grand Old Party and that just won't get you a lot of Christian charity.
Sometimes it would do the politicos of the world who want to make sure the world knows their faith, that they brush up on Catholic teaching. Yes, the many pro-abort Democrats are always dead wrong. But when one guy defends life but supports the people of his district, disagree but don't fall into sin yourself!
In the weeks leading up to the vote, and again on the Monday after the fallout began, Cao has consulted with New Orleans Archbishop, Gregory Aymond. This is documented in the Clarion Herald, the archdiocesan newspaper. "I mentioned to him my prayerful support, and I also mentioned to him that if there was anything that we could do spiritually for him, we certainly wanted to do that," said Aymond. He continued,"to take a stance that is unpopular with one's own party is indeed noble and faith-filled." Aymond also went on to say that Cao is "a lifetime Catholic who takes very seriously his faith and his personal relationship with Christ and the church."
For all my Republican Catholic friends who want Democratic Catholics to stand up with faith first over party; may I suggest that goes both ways. Cao has insisted, and Archbishop Aymond seems to be saying too that Cao put his faith and his understanding of Catholic social justice ahead of party. Of course the problem for Cao is he stood up to the Grand Old Party and that just won't get you a lot of Christian charity.
Sometimes it would do the politicos of the world who want to make sure the world knows their faith, that they brush up on Catholic teaching. Yes, the many pro-abort Democrats are always dead wrong. But when one guy defends life but supports the people of his district, disagree but don't fall into sin yourself!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Health care and one lone Republican (Catholic too)
Several months ago I penned an article in support of Rep. Joseph Cao and his "line in the sand" on voting for or against health care reform. You can find that article in the blog archives on the far left hand column of this blog. Cao clearly explained his position not from a democrat or republican or political point of view, but from the standpoint of faith. As a Catholic who studied for the priesthood he was unwilling to give any impetus to abortion funding. He clearly states that if that could be addressed he may be compelled to back universal health care. By now everyone knows that the house bill passed with only 1 Republican voting for it; Cao!
Living right next door to his district I have listened today as Republicans from this area have done just about everything but burn him in effigy. I must admit, while I'm not sure how I feel about all the pros and cons about health care, I found Cao's vote somewhat courageous. Of course I do not know what goes on behind the scenes but he has stood tall and explained his vote.
Then tonight I found this gem. Listed below is a defense of Cao's actions from Quin Hillyer, a conservative blogger and contributor to American Spectator, not exactly a liberal rag. Please read on:
Defending Cao
By Quin Hillyer on 11.8.09 @ 12:59PM
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. But when you are ambivalent about an issue, even slightly against a course of action but only slightly, and your constituents STRONGLY favor the course of action, then your responsibility is to accurately reflect -- to REPRESENT -- the will of your constituents and vote in favor.
As Cao is no expert on things economic, and believes that something has to be done for the uninsured, and is neither convinced that the Pelosi bill is the right approach but ALSO not convinced that it is wrong, he then felt an obligation to act as a representative. There is no shame in that.
Meanwhile, note that Cao did not hold out for just some ridiculous pork project favored by big-money lobbyists; he instead asked for help with local issues caused by THE GREATEST NATURAL CATASTROPHE THAT EVER HIT THIS NATION. These are not roads to nowhere; they are health issues for a still-recovering population. Agree or disagree with his request, it is not outlandish.
Ronald Reagan understood that sometimes local issues prevail. He played the game brilliantly. Remember that to pass one of his big initiatives -- either the Reagan-Kemp-Roth tax cut or the major Gramm-Latta spending cuts, I can't remember which -- it was Reagan's willingness to horse-trade that led Democratic then-Rep. John Breaux of Louisiana to boast about some protection he got for the sugar cane industry. Asked if his vote had been for sale, Breaux cracked: "No, of course it isn't for sale, but it is for rent!"
What Cao did was nowhere near as cynical as that; but conservatives loved it when Breaux did it, because it brought him to Reagan's side on a key vote.
But again, ALL ALONG, for months, Cao had said his line in the sand was abortion financing, and openly said he would likely vote for a bill that blocked such financing. In short, he did the honorable thing by saying where he stood and sticking with it. No, of course I don't like his vote. But give the man a break: He's an honorable, incredibly hard-working, inspirational young representative who is doing his darnedest to do a good job in a district ordinarily incredibly hostile to conservatives and Republicans of all stripes.
More power to him.
Living right next door to his district I have listened today as Republicans from this area have done just about everything but burn him in effigy. I must admit, while I'm not sure how I feel about all the pros and cons about health care, I found Cao's vote somewhat courageous. Of course I do not know what goes on behind the scenes but he has stood tall and explained his vote.
Then tonight I found this gem. Listed below is a defense of Cao's actions from Quin Hillyer, a conservative blogger and contributor to American Spectator, not exactly a liberal rag. Please read on:
Defending Cao
By Quin Hillyer on 11.8.09 @ 12:59PM
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. But when you are ambivalent about an issue, even slightly against a course of action but only slightly, and your constituents STRONGLY favor the course of action, then your responsibility is to accurately reflect -- to REPRESENT -- the will of your constituents and vote in favor.
As Cao is no expert on things economic, and believes that something has to be done for the uninsured, and is neither convinced that the Pelosi bill is the right approach but ALSO not convinced that it is wrong, he then felt an obligation to act as a representative. There is no shame in that.
Meanwhile, note that Cao did not hold out for just some ridiculous pork project favored by big-money lobbyists; he instead asked for help with local issues caused by THE GREATEST NATURAL CATASTROPHE THAT EVER HIT THIS NATION. These are not roads to nowhere; they are health issues for a still-recovering population. Agree or disagree with his request, it is not outlandish.
Ronald Reagan understood that sometimes local issues prevail. He played the game brilliantly. Remember that to pass one of his big initiatives -- either the Reagan-Kemp-Roth tax cut or the major Gramm-Latta spending cuts, I can't remember which -- it was Reagan's willingness to horse-trade that led Democratic then-Rep. John Breaux of Louisiana to boast about some protection he got for the sugar cane industry. Asked if his vote had been for sale, Breaux cracked: "No, of course it isn't for sale, but it is for rent!"
What Cao did was nowhere near as cynical as that; but conservatives loved it when Breaux did it, because it brought him to Reagan's side on a key vote.
But again, ALL ALONG, for months, Cao had said his line in the sand was abortion financing, and openly said he would likely vote for a bill that blocked such financing. In short, he did the honorable thing by saying where he stood and sticking with it. No, of course I don't like his vote. But give the man a break: He's an honorable, incredibly hard-working, inspirational young representative who is doing his darnedest to do a good job in a district ordinarily incredibly hostile to conservatives and Republicans of all stripes.
More power to him.
Monday, August 3, 2009
A Catholic politician that acts Catholic!!!
This is so refreshing; a Catholic politician acting "Catholic". And he is from my home archdiocese. Way to go Rep. Cao!!! Read on:
New Orleans, La., Aug 3, 2009 / 02:06 pm (CNA).- Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, (R-New Orleans), the first Vietnamese-American congressman and a Catholic, announced this past weekend that, because of the “stealth mandate” for abortion still present in the Health Care bill, he prefers to “save his soul” rather than vote in favor of it.
Cao, the only member of the Louisiana House delegation who had not weighed in on where he stands on the health reform bill, told the Times-Picayune on Saturday that he cannot support any bill that permits public money to be spent on abortion.
“At the end of the day if the health care reform bill does not have strong language prohibiting the use of federal funding for abortion, then the bill is really a no-go for me,” said Cao, who spent time in formation to be a Jesuit priest.
“Being a Jesuit, I very much adhere to the notion of social justice,” Cao said. “I do fully understand the need of providing everyone with access to health care, but to me personally, I cannot be privy to a law that will allow the potential of destroying thousands of innocent lives,” he explained to the Louisiana newspaper.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Cao will be one of seven Republican members of Congress targeted with radio ads that will play on radio stations with largely African-American audiences, urging him to support Obama's health reform efforts.
“I know that voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career,” Cao said, “but I have to live with myself, and I always reflect on the phrase of the New Testament, ‘How does it profit a man's life to gain the world but to lose his soul.’”
Cao is the first native of Vietnam to serve in Congress and the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890. He won in a district that usually votes overwhelmingly Democratic.
The poorest member of Louisiana's delegation, and a devout Roman Catholic, Cao served as a board member for Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church's Community Development Corporation which assists Vietnamese-Americans with hurricane relief, and is a member of the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Cao also told the Times-Picayune that he is still undecided about the merits of including a public option in any health reform redesign. He believes that it may ultimately lead to the destruction of the private insurance market and a "government takeover" of health insurance.
New Orleans, La., Aug 3, 2009 / 02:06 pm (CNA).- Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, (R-New Orleans), the first Vietnamese-American congressman and a Catholic, announced this past weekend that, because of the “stealth mandate” for abortion still present in the Health Care bill, he prefers to “save his soul” rather than vote in favor of it.
Cao, the only member of the Louisiana House delegation who had not weighed in on where he stands on the health reform bill, told the Times-Picayune on Saturday that he cannot support any bill that permits public money to be spent on abortion.
“At the end of the day if the health care reform bill does not have strong language prohibiting the use of federal funding for abortion, then the bill is really a no-go for me,” said Cao, who spent time in formation to be a Jesuit priest.
“Being a Jesuit, I very much adhere to the notion of social justice,” Cao said. “I do fully understand the need of providing everyone with access to health care, but to me personally, I cannot be privy to a law that will allow the potential of destroying thousands of innocent lives,” he explained to the Louisiana newspaper.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced that Cao will be one of seven Republican members of Congress targeted with radio ads that will play on radio stations with largely African-American audiences, urging him to support Obama's health reform efforts.
“I know that voting against the health care bill will probably be the death of my political career,” Cao said, “but I have to live with myself, and I always reflect on the phrase of the New Testament, ‘How does it profit a man's life to gain the world but to lose his soul.’”
Cao is the first native of Vietnam to serve in Congress and the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890. He won in a district that usually votes overwhelmingly Democratic.
The poorest member of Louisiana's delegation, and a devout Roman Catholic, Cao served as a board member for Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church's Community Development Corporation which assists Vietnamese-Americans with hurricane relief, and is a member of the National Advisory Council of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Cao also told the Times-Picayune that he is still undecided about the merits of including a public option in any health reform redesign. He believes that it may ultimately lead to the destruction of the private insurance market and a "government takeover" of health insurance.
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