GOP Rep. Cao: 'I love the president'

[ccharles000]

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-La.) said he loves President Obama on a personal level, and believes that the president likes him very much, too.

Cao, a Republican elected in 2008 in a heavily Democratic district in New Orleans, said that he gets along very well with Obama on a personal level, though many other GOP lawmakers are more critical of the president.

"I love the president, and I believe he truly likes me," Cao told the New Orleans Times-Picayune in a profile published on Thursday.

Cao has backed Obama on several major initiatives, voting for Wall Street reform and a repeal of the ban on openly gay and lesbian members serving in the military. Cao also voted for healthcare reform the first time in the House, but pulled his support after restrictions on funding for abortion were weakened in the final version of the legislation.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/116895-gop-rep-cao-i-love-the-president

[impik]

1. "more critical of the president"???

How about "bunch of stupid racists"?

[DemocraticPilgrim]

2. It's nice to see a little Republican love, after 2 years stone cold scorched earth. Maybe there is

some hope afterall, I like to be an optimist. OK, maybe too optimistic.

[ClarkUSA]

3. It's politically advantageous for him to say so, given he's in a very blue district. n/t

[pnorman]

5. Given his life story, I'm inclined to take him at his word.

Why he chose to run as a Republican? Probably a lot of racism remaining in his local Democratic politics. Historically, the Republicans in the deep south were "The Party Of Lincoln".

[ClarkUSA]

6. I'm dubious. If he "loves" Obama so much, why is he still a Republican?

It's campaign season. Cao sure hasn't voiced his Obama "love" before this month and I doubt he'll say it again if he's re-elected until September 2012. Let's face it: he's kicking off a tough re-election campaign. He's facing a credible Democratic challenger and he's trying to peel off enough Democratic votes to win re-election by blatant pandering.

<<Why he chose to run as a Republican? Probably a lot of racism remaining in his local Democratic politics.>>

Nope, that's not it. Vietnamese pols usually run as Republicans because they are very socially conservative due to their uber-Catholicism.

[Clio the Leo]

4. Cao got a nice round of applause from the crowd who came to see the President last week...

.... when he introduced him. Not as large of cheer as Melancon got, but certainly nothing like the BOOOOOOS!!!! Vitter got.

(which the President promptly chastised the crowd for doing)