Louisiana Congressman Cao Faces Recall Petition Over Stimulus Vote

[Duece]

Cao unseats Jefferson

type of shit makes me numb...

[SIZE=+2]Cao unseats Jefferson

[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]11:59 PM CST on Saturday, December 6, 2008

[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]WWLTV.com[/SIZE]

Associated Press
Joseph Cao

NEW ORLEANS - In a stunning victory, a little-known Vietnamese-American Republican candidate defeated nine-time Democratic Congressman William Jefferson in a majority African-American district with a very small number of Republican registered voters.

Anh ‘Joseph” Cao received 33,122 votes, or 49 percent to Jefferson’s 31,296, or 47 percent in the race for the Second Congressional District seat from Louisiana. He becomes the nation's first Vietnamese-American Congressman.

Jefferson, who is under federal indictment, blamed the low turnout on Hurricane Gustav’s delayed elections and the fact that his constituents had to turn out three times in three months.

“I’m sure some people thought I’d already won,” he said. “Many did not vote. Most of the people in the district supported us. I think some just ran out of gas.”

WWL-TV Political Analyst Clancy DuBos agreed with Jefferson’s assessment that he would have more likely succeeded had he been running against Cao on a ballot during the presidential race that featured Barack Obama, but he also said he thought that Jefferson’s legal troubles may have finally caught up with him.

“I think there was a large number of people in the community who were tired of holding their noses and voting for Mr. Jefferson,” he said.

Greg Rigamer, a political consultant for WWL-TV, said his analysis showed turnout in predominantly white sections of the district was double that in black areas. He said that helped push Cao to victory over Jefferson, who became Louisiana's first black congressman since Reconstruction when he took office in 1991.

"This is quite a feat," Rigamer said of Cao's victory.

DuBos said the loss was also a potential legal loss in that it took “the bargaining chip” of resignation off the table if Jefferson chose to try to negotiate a plea.

Cao seemed largely caught off guard with the win.

“I’m speechless right now,” he said before thanking a litany of people who he said contributed to his victory. "I came over here when I was eight years old, I had absolutely nothing. I didn't speak any English. The American dream is alive and well."

A barrage of election-day automated telephone calls on Cao's behalf flooded the district, including a pitch from the national Republican Party.

New Orleans voters had long been loyal to Jefferson, re-electing him in 2006 even after news of the bribery scandal broke. Late-night TV comics made him the butt of jokes after federal agents said they found $90,000 in alleged bribe money hidden in his freezer.

"People are innocent until proven guilty," said Faye Leggins, 54, an educator and Democrat who moved back to the city six months ago and still has fresh memories of Hurricane Katrina. She voted for Jefferson on Saturday. "He has enough seniority, so he can do a lot to redevelop this city."

But Republicans argued the scandal had cost Jefferson his clout in Congress. Election Day brought excitement to the state's usually low-key Vietnamese-American community, said David Nguyen, 45, a store manager and Cao supporter.

"The Vietnamese aren't much into politics," he said.

Turnout appeared light in the district, where two-thirds of voters are Democrats and 11 percent are Republicans. More than 60 percent are black.

Though he was the underdog, Cao received endorsements from some Democrat and green-conscious groups as well as the area's Vietnamese-American community. Cao came to the United States as a child after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and went on to earn degrees in philosophy, physics and law.

The election was one of two in Louisiana postponed because of Hurricane Gustav.

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Deuce,

How could this be allowed to happen ???

This should have been "fixed" during the primaries -- as in -- Jefferson should have been sent packing, already ! ? ! ? !

QueEx

 

[Greed]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Let me guess, you'd be better served by a Democratic congressman who keeps a year's salary in cash in his freezer, unexplained, than by a Republican?

Just to save time, is it because Cao isn't black, that he's asian specifically, he's not a Democrat, or because he's a Republican specifically?

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

I don't think its too hard to figure (1) what I said; and (2) what I meant. You wasted a lot of typing strokes.

QueEx

 

[Greed]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

I don't think its too hard to figure (1) what I said; and (2) what I meant. You wasted a lot of typing strokes.

QueEx

It more directed towards Duece, however, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt regarding what they meant and how I took it.

 

[HAR125LEM]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Being in New Orleans recently to visit some friends who are Vietnamese, only one of them bought this up in conversation. Most of those folks tend not to be too political or talk politics. But that community has been burgeoning very highly. So I'm sure that most of Cao's community came out for him, but didn't make a big deal out of it.

One of my Viet friends (who also voted for Obama) felt that New Orleans definitely needed a "change", and that Jefferson (Like Ray Nagin) sold the city short in the end. Especially after Hurricane Katrina. And all the "scandals" involving Jefferson ain't helped either.

My only question to her was if Cao sought any alliances, vigorously campaign for votes, etc. with members of the Black community in N.O. After I came home, I was searching Cao's (and other) sites for any information on this. I didn't come up with much. But I'd atttributed that to Cao not being a well known entity, and folks feeling he didn't have a chance.

Peeps from New Orleans,
Other than my recent visit,
School a Brother from Harlem with your thoughts.

 

[Duece]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Fucking database errors.
Personally I welcomed the idea of a young Cedric Richmond, advancing to Congress and becoming our next congressman. Bill Jefferson got thru the Jungle primary because he has strong African American support and honestly many blacks (including myself) did say "innocent until proven guilty). Jefferson's seniority was thought to be something that is highly needed in this Post-Katrina and whats what got him thru the Jungle primary. White folks who primarily believe "guilty until proven innocent" go behind Helena Moreno primarily because she was a white hispanic.

When he got the run off he had the advantage of having his runoff election on the same day as the Presidential election, so he had the Barack Bump sorta speak and he destroyed Moreno and people once again were assured that New Orleans still has a black majority. Because that race went directly down racial lines...
This time around blacks stayed home, it took me 45 minutes to vote in the presidential election, it took me less than 5 yesterday morning. Blacks stayed home, whites voted for Cao (simply because he's a non black) and Cao won.


Greed, I'm better served by an elected official who is sensitive to the black community because that is the community that I am apart of. New Orleans has not had a white politician who was sensitive to the black community since Moon Landrieu 30 years ago. Blacks in New Orleans very rarely trust politicians who don't have the same skin color as us because we know who whites feel about us, what they they think of us and how they treat us that is why we don't want them to lead us or govern over us. They voted for Moreno because she was white, they voted for Cao because he wasn't black.

Remember Greed, after Katrina it was the white folks that wanted to turn black neighborhoods into greenspace and keep people from coming back, shit with a track record like that why the fuck should we trust anybody who doesn't have the same color as us. Black elected officials are sometimes no better than white ones but we (the black community) just hope that their consciences would tell them to atleast try to do right by us atleast some of the time.

I will be watching Cao, he maybe asian and republican but his district is majority black, I want to see him at black churches and resturaunts, I want to hear him talk to Paul Beaulieu and John Slade on WBOK, I want him to know everything about the community which he serves to the bowlegged HS dropout on Leonidas to the family trynna rebuild on W. Laverne in the East.

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Always good to hear from you Deuce,

As you know, my experience with N.O., is no where near yours. However, let me see if I can make groceries, Yea -- here's my observations and thoughts, on the matter:

• Katrina, by chasing off so many black voters, has fucked-up New Orleans politics;

• New Orleans politics was fucked up before Katrina;

• Because of the corruption or at least the allegations of corruption, etc., associated with those who run/hold office -- good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens avoid running for office. Good Joe Citizens tend not to want any part of the b/s. Meanwhile, same-ole, same-oles and their friends and cronies who see politics as a source of income, keep showing up;

• Its hard for grassroots or politically unknown candidates to rise-up and win in New Orleans because (1) the history of that happening isn't good; and (2) most people Black people who run are "connected" to one of the two or three camps/factions in N.O.;

• Black districts, anywhere in the country, ought generally to be preserved;

• In order for Black districts to be preserved, we need good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens running for political office;

• Because good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens tend not to, and didn't, emerge during the primaries, the Jefferson problem couldn't get "Fixed" as, in my opinion, it should have been;

• Because the Jefferson problem couldn't get 'fixed', Joseph Cao came up against a predictably very week candidate (the Black community may say innocent until proven guilty, but it is no where near excited about Jefferson) at a non-general election where turnout is historically low to nil;

• You get what you pay for. By not not 'fixing' the impending fiasco before it came down to the Jefferson-Cao showdown, the community deserves what it got; and, now gets to re-evaluate itself and its commitment to self-determination. Maybe then, good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens will see the need, no, the necessity, to participate in earnest -- or, on the other hand, Mr. Cao gets the chance to show us how we don't need us to represent us;

• Katrina has fucked-up New Orleans politics; but

• New Orleans politics was fucked up before Katrina.

What that district really needed was a good JOfromtheNO ?

QueEx

 

[thoughtone]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

I don't think its too hard to figure (1) what I said; and (2) what I meant. You wasted a lot of typing strokes.

QueEx

QueEx, you should know by now the lack of credibility of Greed. Just follow the US economy thread and draw out conclusions of his mind set and the eventual reality of his ideology.

 

[Greed]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

I didn't call him guilty or not guilty, but there is one obvious reason why the black community is in the shape it is in down there. The voters there didn't even bother demanding an explanation for such an odd situation. It's fine to give him the benefit of the doubt, but why the complete unconditional amnesty before the trial. How the hell does a man like that have "strong African-American support."

Another reason the community is shit down there is you actually view a black church visit by a politician as substantive and counts as some measure of proof that a politician is sensitive to the community. It means nothing and Cao shouldn't even bother wasting his time with the type of voter that values such a thing because they aren't going to vote for him anyway in 2010. If Cao wants to get re-elected, then he should focus on the constituency that cares about results and just hope to God that actually accounts for the majority of people in that district, even if its only a minority of black people in that district.

 

[Cock Head Jones]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Cao said something in a CNN interview that I've never heard a US politician say.

He said (and this isn't an exact quote) that "were were hoping for low voter turnout and that's what we got"

I've seen plenty of campaigns hope for low turnout or low voter registration since new voters usually want to vote for new leaders. I've never seen it talked about publicly though.

 

[Duece]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Always good to hear from you Deuce,

As you know, my experience with N.O., is no where near yours. However, let me see if I can make groceries, Yea -- here's my observations and thoughts, on the matter:

1. Katrina, by chasing off so many black voters, has fucked-up New Orleans politics;
2. New Orleans politics was fucked up before Katrina;
3. Because of the corruption or at least the allegations of corruption, etc., associated with those who run/hold office -- good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens avoid running for office. Good Joe Citizens tend not to want any part of the b/s. Meanwhile, same-ole, same-oles and their friends and cronies who see politics as a source of income, keep showing up;
4. Its hard for grassroots or politically unknown candidates to rise-up and win in New Orleans because (1) the history of that happening isn't good; and (2) most people Black people who run are "connected" to one of the two or three camps/factions in N.O.;
5. Black districts, anywhere in the country, ought generally to be preserved;
6. In order for Black districts to be preserved, we need good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens running for political office;
7. Because good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens tend not to, and didn't, emerge during the primaries, the Jefferson problem couldn't get "Fixed" as, in my opinion, it should have been;
8. Because the Jefferson problem couldn't get 'fixed', Joseph Cao came up against a predictably very week candidate (the Black community may say innocent until proven guilty, but it is no where near excited about Jefferson) at a non-general election where turnout is historically low to nil;
9. You get what you pay for. By not not 'fixing' the impending fiasco before it came down to the Jefferson-Cao showdown, the community deserves what it got; and, now gets to re-evaluate itself and its commitment to self-determination. Maybe then, good, solid, smart, genuinely caring citizens will see the need, no, the necessity, to participate in earnest -- or, on the other hand, Mr. Cao gets the chance to show us how we don't need us to represent us;
10. Katrina has fucked-up New Orleans politics; but
11. New Orleans politics was fucked up before Katrina.

What that district really needed was a good JOfromtheNO ?

QueEx

I'ma try not to bounce around too much but Iagree with you points but I'ma focus on number 9.

I think fixing the Jefferson fiasco fell partly on Jefferson and those who ran in the Jungle primary.

IMO Bill Jefferson should've dropped out to deal with this legal problems and called a meeting in a "smoke fill room" with the jungle primary candiates Cedric Richmond, Kenya Smith, James Carter and Troy Carter and have them come to a conclusion on who is the best person to run against Helena Moreno, because whites are gonna back Morena simply because she's white, so the black candidates should've cut deals amongst each other and then choose who's best to push out.
Example lets say they go with Cedric Richmond...Cedric goes to against Moreno and wins, so Cedric supports James Carter when he attempts to run for mayor in a little over a year, he kicks some money to Troy Carter's non-profits and gets Kenya Smith a job. Point is Jefferson clears his name and the 2nd District can retain a Black congressman and a young one at that. It's a win-win, Blacks who vote along racial lines will support Cedric automaticly, blacks who are iffy on Jefferson won't be so iffy and maybe Cedric can impress some whites----that would have been especially good considering Joseph Cao was a democrat turned independent and then turned republican and pretty much is looking like a tool for the White, Blue Blood, Uptown, Tulane graduate elists.
Hell Jay Batt is the one who pushed Cao to run and after Katrina whitefolks were so pissed with Batt that they hung up signs that said "Anybody but Batt". Cao wins the election and he's on stage with Jay Batt, Stacey Head and Jackie Clarkson, the two latter are current city concilwomen whom the black community reviles. Looks like a fucking tool to me..


But.....that aint happen (the blue text) and this is what we got. Shit I'm starting to understand why Dutch Morial called Bill Jefferson "Dollar Bill"..I believe if Bill really gave a damn about this district, he would've set his ass down and had that smoke filled room meeting..if Bill could clear his name then he could plan his next move..

 

[Duece]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Cao said something in a CNN interview that I've never heard a US politician say.

He said (and this isn't an exact quote) that "were were hoping for low voter turnout and that's what we got"

I've seen plenty of campaigns hope for low turnout or low voter registration since new voters usually want to vote for new leaders. I've never seen it talked about publicly though.

After Katrina the fear amongst many blacks is that New Orleans would turn into San Antonio, TX. 60% Hispanic and 35% white and 5% black. You had Mexicans walking around saying "Nueva New Orleans" and people freaked, shit the FBI even thought that the MS-13 was gonna set up shop in New Orleans...and what blacks thought was that after nearly 30 years of political power, we would lose it and we would be just relics of a by-gone-era. Well that aint happen, none of that happened. Blacks came back and still are coming back and the recent presidential election proved that Blacks are still the outright majority in New Orleans probably to the tune of 60 plus percent. But the thing that many politically sound blacks are figuring out that if voter turn out is in the teens (like it was this weekend) New Orleans can be 80% black and we'll still not control a damn thing.

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

I'ma try not to bounce around too much but Iagree with you points but I'ma focus on number 9.

I think fixing the Jefferson fiasco fell partly on Jefferson and those who ran in the Jungle primary.

IMO Bill Jefferson should've dropped out to deal with this legal problems and called a meeting in a "smoke fill room" with the jungle primary candiates Cedric Richmond, Kenya Smith, James Carter and Troy Carter and have them come to a conclusion on who is the best person to run against Helena Moreno, because whites are gonna back Morena simply because she's white, so the black candidates should've cut deals amongst each other and then choose who's best to push out.
Example lets say they go with Cedric Richmond...Cedric goes to against Moreno and wins, so Cedric supports James Carter when he attempts to run for mayor in a little over a year, he kicks some money to Troy Carter's non-profits and gets Kenya Smith a job. Point is Jefferson clears his name and the 2nd District can retain a Black congressman and a young one at that. It's a win-win, Blacks who vote along racial lines will support Cedric automaticly, blacks who are iffy on Jefferson won't be so iffy and maybe Cedric can impress some whites----that would have been especially good considering Joseph Cao was a democrat turned independent and then turned republican and pretty much is looking like a tool for the White, Blue Blood, Uptown, Tulane graduate elists.
Hell Jay Batt is the one who pushed Cao to run and after Katrina whitefolks were so pissed with Batt that they hung up signs that said "Anybody but Batt". Cao wins the election and he's on stage with Jay Batt, Stacey Head and Jackie Clarkson, the two latter are current city concilwomen whom the black community reviles. Looks like a fucking tool to me..


But.....that aint happen (the blue text) and this is what we got. Shit I'm starting to understand why Dutch Morial called Bill Jefferson "Dollar Bill"..I believe if Bill really gave a damn about this district, he would've set his ass down and had that smoke filled room meeting..if Bill could clear his name then he could plan his next move..

Thanks for your honesty, Bro. I think that your description in blue says it all. Clearly, Jefferson should have stepped down. Since that was too much to expect from him, those you named should have acted like they had real balls: offer to let Jefferson resign, on terms he looks less culpable if necessary, or unite behind a candidate (or two) to take him down. Simple.

I know, the problem with that (because I know some of the characters you named) is that people are more concerned with $$$ (which is what got Jefferson's ass in trouble in the first place) and political turf and the quest for power. Still (because the $$$/turf/power combination is not unique to New Orleans) real politicians with real politician balls would have forced the issue on Jefferson -- because the result (Cao or someone similar) was entirely predictable.

In other words, this was an either (resign) or (we unite to take you down) situation; and not a capitulate and allow the default (Cao) candidate win. Anthing less meant the rest of the so-called Black political structure didn't care very much about the "people" they claim to represent.


QueEx

 

[Duece]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Ok so a week and a half later, the opinions of Cao are mixed in the black community. He did not talk to WBOK, but he did talk to 690 and WWL. So blacks felt slighted, Cao also asked to join the Congressional Black Caucus, they said no. Some blacks are saying, "Give the man a chance" while others are just counting the time. What I have noticed amongst alot of people that they agree with my blue text outline and have been echoing it. Because now we have a non-black Republican over a district which is 60% black and 80% democrat. People know this shit a fluke, and people also know that Cao's political party and politics is what got this country in the shit it's in right now. So it's widely agreed across the black community that we are going to have to bite this bullet and get prepared for the Mayoral election which is looming and hope that we can mobilize the returning citizens

And mobilzing those returning citizens is gonna be doubly important because honestly most of those returning citizens are poor and when I say poor I mean housing project poor and they don't watch the news, at 5pm they aint watching channel 4, 6, 8 or 26. They watchin 106 and Park, only time they turn on the news is if somebody they know got killed or what not. So what we willl have to educate them and tell that, "Hey look you've been displaced longer than anybody, it took yall to the end of the decade to get back, they wanted yall to NEVER come back so it's very important for you to stay abreast as to what is going on this post-katrina world and vote".

Shit for some of them, the next time they even goto the polls will be 2012 to vote for Barack Obama again. --> Sad but true.


But above all, let me go back to to my now infamous blue text, New Orleans is at make or break time and as I said people have been echoing my blue text and what that means is simply this was a blatantly obvious chance for all of those Black candidates to team up and say "Jeff take care of your legal shit and we'll send somebody else to DC who can really do some good for the 2nd District." and as you said "
[/FONT]Anthing less meant the rest of the so-called Black political structure didn't care very much about the "people" they claim to represent"

I guess it's time for me to bite this bullet.

 

[Duece]

Congressman Joseph “Anh”Cao, a Republican, who defeated William “Bill” Jefferson is facing a recall petition because of his vote on the Barack Obama stimulus package. The recall has been initiated by a group of ministers.

Cao had indicated that he would be voting in favor of the controversial legislation but instead voted against it.

Papers have been filed with the Office of the Louisiana Secretary of State which started the process requiring sufficient signatures to force a recall election for the office held by Representative Cao.

Cao represents a majority African American community many who were outraged by Cao’s vote. Cao made national news with his victory over Bill Jefferson.

One elected official, State Representative Juan A. LaFonta, Democrat of District 96 told Bayoubuzz that he does not know about the existence of the petition but that he would sign it.

“We don’t need Cao to be Steve Scalise”, said LaFonta. Scalise is a Republican who represents a neighboring conservative Congressional District. “People are starving and Cao needs to represent the people of the district”, LaFonta said.

Cao is Vietnamese and has been hailed by many in the media as a new face of the Republican Party.

The group of ministers who filed the petition want to make sure that he faces a recall which could be a very daunting act, if not impossible act in Louisiana based upon the state’s history

I really hope HAR125LEM see's this and not to play "get back" with him. But the people for the most gave Cao a chance and the issue was will he vote with his party or vote for what is good for New Orleans, so far he has stayed with his party. Also his mysterious "poll" is an issue also. Cao claims that 55% dont want a stimulus package.


http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louis..._Recall_Petition_Over_Stimulus_Vote__8406.asp

 

[QueEx]

<font size="5"><center>
Group Says It Will Seek Cao Recall In Federal Courts</font size><font size="4">
Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said
state law does not permit recalls of federal officials</font size></center>


WDSU
March 5, 2009


NEW ORLEANS -- After being rebuffed by state law, a group says it will pursue its effort to recall U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao in federal court.

The petition drive was started by two black ministers only weeks after Cao took office in January. But on Tuesday, the group says Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said state law does not permit recalls of federal officials.

On Wednesday, the ministers said they would push ahead and try to get their case before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cao represents the mostly Democratic 2nd Congressional District of New Orleans and his December election was a stunner. He upset the once-powerful 18-year incumbent William Jefferson, a Democrat who was the state's first African-American congressman since Reconstruction.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.

http://www.wdsu.com/politics/18861881/detail.html

 

[QueEx]

<font size="4"><center>
Cao critic: pro-stimulus group plans D.C. trip</font size></center>


The Advertiser
March 25, 2009

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A critic of New Orleans' newest congressman says a group will head to Washington next week to express appreciation for the stimulus package President Barack Obama pushed through Congress last month.

New Orleans minister Toris Young said Tuesday the trip is a reaction to the vote by Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (Gow) against the stimulus.

Cao, a Republican, has defended his vote, saying the bill was too expensive and that it created fewer jobs in his 2nd Congressional District than in any other district.

Young is a leader of a recall effort against Cao, who took office in January. Louisiana's attorney general and others say there is no legal way to recall a congressman but Young says his group will press the matter in court.


http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090325/NEWS01/90325002

 

[Greed]

The lone Republican vote.

 

[QueEx]

After months of acrimonious partisanship, Democrats closed ranks on a 220-215 vote that included 39 defections, mostly from the party's conservative ranks. But the bill attracted a surprise Republican convert: Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana, who represents the Democratic-leaning district of New Orleans and had been the target of a last-minute White House lobbying campaign. GOP House leaders had predicted their members would unanimously oppose the bill.
​

 

[thoughtone]

After months of acrimonious partisanship, Democrats closed ranks on a 220-215 vote that included 39 defections, mostly from the party's conservative ranks. But the bill attracted a surprise Republican convert: Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana, who represents the Democratic-leaning district of New Orleans and had been the target of a last-minute White House lobbying campaign. GOP House leaders had predicted their members would unanimously oppose the bill.
​

So the GOP lost in New York Congressional 23 and the republican voted with the Democrats in Louisiana 2nd Congressional. Have the republicans sold their 'new' message to the people?

 

[muckraker10021]

If the "headline" unemployment number , currently 10.2% - (as of November 2009) - starts declining going into the 2010 November elections, Congressman Cao who represents New Orleans, Louisiana will switch parties and join the Democrats.

 

[QueEx]

<font size="4">
<center>
In the end, Cao said he could not vote for the bill
because he believes it will lead to more abortions.
He explained he had to vote no "to prevent the
expansion of abortion, an absolute moral evil."
</font size>
</center>


<IFRAME SRC="http://www.wwl.com/pages/6628909.php?contentType=4&contentId=5790082" WIDTH=780 HEIGHT=1500>
<A HREF="http://www.wwl.com/pages/6628909.php?contentType=4&contentId=5790082">link</A>

</IFRAME>

<font size="4"><center>

Maybe the people of this New Orleans Congressional
District will do to Mr. Cao what they should have
done to Money in Freezer Jefferson.
Send him packing.

</font size>

</center>

 

[Duece]

Cedric Richmond is the first out of the gate to oppose Cao...

 

[Blu Diablo]

Good luck brotha Duece and everyone in this district impacted by these politics. The sad truth is that this is a common recurring theme with black folks and politics in a lot of urban centers.

When I read the blue font in one of your previous posts it reminds me of shit that used to go on (still goes on) back home. I grew up in the North Jersey area, my hometown is predominantly black but political representation typically is Italian or Hispanic. WHEN there are elected black officials, they allow themselves to get caught up in back room/shady ass deal, get exposed for it, and then we're right back to the same shit.

Couple that with a majority population that, like you mentioned, doesn't keep themselves informed, and you have a population that's left complaining that no one represents them and their needs but they still remain politically apathetic.

It's amazing that we as a people can effectively elect a President, but leave so much on the table in our own districts.

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

If Cao wants to get re-elected, then he should focus on the constituency that cares about results and just hope to God that actually accounts for the majority of people in that district, even if its only a minority of black people in that district.

Well, looks like it didn't take too long to get a read on his, "focus". Without debating the merits of the Healthcare Act, no one could deny that the African Americans residing in that district stand to benefit greatly. Mr. Cao, however, whose own family is a glaring example of need, gave the thinest of excuses for voting against the interest of the people of his congressional district. Cao didn't even bother hanging his hat on any of the other party-line reasons for opposing the bill. He chose the one that had been the most refuted: the bill promoted abortion. His candidacy should suffer the same fate, this year.

QueEx

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

<font size="4">
Duece,

</font size><font size="3">
Is this Cao's turn to be unseated ???</font size>

<IFRAME SRC="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/house/la/louisiana_2nd_district_cao_vs_richmond-1301.html" WIDTH=780 HEIGHT=1500>
<A HREF="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/house/la/louisiana_2nd_district_cao_vs_richmond-1301.html">link</A>

</IFRAME>

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

<font size="4">
Richmond Leading Cao By 10 In Dem Poll</font size>


National Journal
By Jeremy P. Jacobs
September 21, 2010


State Rep. Cedric Richmond (D) has a 10-point lead over Rep. Joseph Cao (R) in one of
the Democrats' best pick up opportunities of the cycle, according to Richmond's internal
campaign polling.

The polling, leaked to Hotline On Call, shows Richmond leading Cao 45% to 35%. Democrats
note that Cao's 35% is one of the lowest re-elect numbers they have seen for an
incumbent this cycle.

Of course, the survey results should be viewed skeptically because they are from a
Democratic polling firm. They suggest, however, that Cao still faces a tough slog in a New
Orleans district that gave Pres. Obama 75% in '08. The Richmond campaign also recently
received a boost from Obama, who endorsed him last week.

Illustrating the uphill fight for Cao is just how Democratic the district is leaning. According
to the survey, 2 out of 3 votes self identify as Democrats, while less than 2 in 10 say they
are Republicans. Pres. Obama also has strikingly strong numbers in the district, with 74% of
respondents viewing the president favorably.

The survey was conducted for the Richmond campaign by Anzalone Liszt Research from
Sept. 12 to 15. It has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%.


http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/09/richmond_leadin.php

 

[Gunner]

http://www.nola.com/



Its possible in New Orleans. Most would vote for anyone with a D behind their name. Any new Democrat would serve the people better than this character!


This time, state Rep. Cedric Richmond can be honest: James Gill
Published: Wednesday, September 01, 2010, 7:00 AM
James Gill

The Times-Picayune
Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans
Well, the truth will be always be embellished somewhat on the campaign trail, but this time there is no need for Richmond to lie under oath. It was a different story when he ran for the New Orleans City Council in 2005 and falsified his qualifying papers. The state Supreme Court not only kicked him out of the race, but suspended his law license.

That episode might be a major impediment were Richmond seeking a position where integrity is a basic requirement. But since he is only running for Congress, every Democratic office holder of any consequence in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes endorsed him for Saturday's primary, which he won hands-down.
Richmond will be fancied to reclaim the seat for the Democrats, who figure it is only on loan to Anh "Joseph" Cao. This has always been a Democratic seat, and Cao's victory two years ago was an anomaly, the theory goes.
It all broke for the Republicans because the incumbent William Jefferson, though yet to be convicted, was universally regarded as a professional criminal with a sideline in legislating. Even then, Jefferson figured he might have won had voters not been confused. Evidently many of them failed to turn out for the general election because they assumed the game was over when Jefferson won a runoff in the Democratic primary.
Cao may be no pushover, however. Some of his votes -- against health insurance reform and President Barack Obama's economic prodigalities, for instance -- have not endeared him to his constituents on the left. But perhaps Congress would be held in higher esteem if more of its members refused to sacrifice principle for expediency.
The national mood generally gives Republicans an advantage right now, although Louisiana's second congressional district is hardly a typical one. Still, Cao has committed no indiscretions to diminish the advantages of incumbency.
It is impossible to imagine, for example, that he would ever get in a barroom brawl over a pool table. The news that Richmond had done so in Baton Rouge broke during the primary campaign, without any obvious effect on the outcome, and no doubt state legislators have suffered worse after-hours indignities than that. Still, it is possible we will hear more about that episode in the general election campaign.
It does sometimes happen that upstanding characters find themselves duking it out in a saloon, but upstanding characters, attorneys or not, never put their names to false declarations. That Richmond has done so did not faze any of the Democratic Party's leading lights. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and DA Leon Cannizzarro are among a slew of officials vouching for him.
Cao will be glad they did. Richmond is much easier to discredit than the candidates he beat in the primary, because, when he ran for the City Council five years ago, he was not content with a little campaign hyperbole. Instead he magically transported his domestic arrangements across district lines. Lacking the required "domicile" among the voters he proposed to represent, he falsified his qualifying papers.
This was not a shrewd move, because the opposition in any campaign is always on the look-out for dirt, and Richmond's fraud was easy to see through. Piles of documents suggested that the address he gave as his domicile over the previous two years was a false one. The clincher was that Richmond had listed a different domicile when he ran for re-election to the Legislature less than two years earlier.
Although the Supreme Court later suspended Richmond from the practice of law for six months, his "inexperience" was cited as a mitigating factor. What a joke. Richmond must have been told before first grade that it is wrong to lie, and here he was seven years out of law school.
But perhaps he did need to grow up at that. When the Supreme Court earlier disqualified him from the City Council election, he urged his supporters to pay no attention and cast a meaningless vote for him anyway.
Clearly Richmond had much to learn about public service. His main mentor at the time was Jefferson.
James Gill is a columnist for The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at jgill@timespicayune.com or at 504.826.3318.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

Deuce,

How could this be allowed to happen ???

This should have been "fixed" during the primaries -- as in -- Jefferson should have been sent packing, already ! ? ! ? !

QueEx

 

[QueEx]

Re: Cao unseats Jefferson

<font size="4">
Cedric Richmond wins 2nd District
House race; Joseph Cao concedes</font size>

Cedric Richmond

Joseph Cao


Republican U.S. Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao's history-making turn on Capitol Hill was
halted after one term as state Rep. Cedric Richmond restored the Democratic
Party's longstanding hold on the 2nd Congressional District.

FULL STORY

 

[thoughtone]

Cao was just filling space until Jefferson's old term was up. That was a democratic seat.