Barack Obama

More Backlash For Wyden Than For Ryan On Controversial Medicare Plan

Brian Beutler | December 15, 2011, 3:35PM

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

Sen. Ron Wyden wants to assure his colleagues he hasn't undermined them politically. In a head-turning move, Wyden announced Wednesday that he's teamed up with House GOP budget chair Paul Ryan on a policy framework to partially privatize Medicare -- a move that stunned his fellow Democrats.

Setting aside the policy -- which would in essence turn Medicare into ObamaCare with a robust public option -- the very existence of the plan has deep implications for the 2012 elections, most of them bad for his own party.

Speaking to reporters Thursday after an event with Ryan, Wyden said the political ramifications are overblown.

"Nobody ducks their past votes and their previous statements," Wyden said. "That's just a given."

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2010 elections

The Goodbyes Of 2010: Politicians Who Are Going Home

Eric Kleefeld | December 31, 2010, 1:52PM

Russ Feingold

As the year 2010 comes to a close and the year 2011 begins, it's time to look back on some of the politicians who are leaving office because of defeat, retirement, or the strange spaces that seem to fall in between.

These are folks who had a presence on the political scene, either long or short, but who have made their marks in different ways on the political consciousness in their arrivals, their service and their ultimate departures.

As is the fashion with these sorts of lists we do around here, the folks we've chosen to highlight include the folks that we and you, our readers, think of as being great -- and others who are so bad that they're good. Of course, there are plenty of departing pols who aren't here. This is just a sampling.

So goodbye to 2010, and goodbye to these politicians. But who knows, perhaps we'll be seeing some of them again, soon.

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Entitlements

No More Third Rail? How The GOP Got Its Entitlement-Slashing Mojo Back

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2010, 1:15PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and John Boehner (R-OH).

One of the most fascinating political conundrums facing the GOP -- whether or how to avoid conservative over-reach -- might play out sooner than expected, when newly elected GOP members come to town. Despite their proclamations that they'll take a humble approach to governing in the next two years -- that they see the election as a referendum on Democrats, not a vote of confidence in themselves -- leading Republicans are already making plans to turn the classic third rails of politics into major political issues. And they're entering their new majority with as much bravado as they had under President Bush, when their last attempt to slash entitlements went down in flames.

"The third rail is not the third rail anymore," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the incoming House Budget chairman, told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast roundtable with reporters yesterday. "The political weaponization of entitlement reform is no longer as potent as it used to be, and the best evidence is this last election."

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2010 elections

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining: The GOP House Seats That Could Go Dem Tonight

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2010, 9:28AM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

So as we stare down the barrel of some big Democratic losses in the House today, let's look at another end of the equation. It's often noted that Republicans need to pick up 39 seats to win a majority, but it is also theoretically possible that they could pick up 39 seats and still not win control. Why? Because there are in fact a very small handful of seats that they hold that the Democrats could nevertheless pickup in even this bad year.

Keep in mind, these wave cycles often have a few seats that swing the other way. Even in 1994, Democrats picked up such seats as Maine-02 and Rhode Island-01. The 2006 midterm year was interesting, with Republican picking up nothing -- not one measly House seat -- but even in 2008 they won a couple seats back, such as Kansas-02 and Texas-22, even as they lost another net 21 seats.

So let's take a quick look at the Republican-held House seats that according to the leading ratings out there -- CQ, Cook Political Report, Rothenberg Political Report, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball -- are expected to go to the Dems.

To be honest, there aren't that many of them -- though who knows, there could be some surprises tonight. The criteria here are that the ratings guys all have these seats ranging from toss-up to leaning Dem to Dem favored. It's a short list, but each one of them would move back the goalpost for a Republican House. Then again, if the national GOP wave turns out to be as big as everyone says, it won't be too much of an issue -- though it surely means something to the Dem candidates in these individual districts.

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Joseph Cao

Cao Bucks Boehner, Claims Not To Know GOP Platform

Brian Beutler | October 20, 2010, 9:55AM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

In a televised debate Sunday, Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) punted on the question of whether he'd support either John Boehner or Nancy Pelosi for Speaker next Congress, claiming against credulity that he was unfamiliar with either House leaders' platforms.

"I will weigh those two names between Speaker Pelosi and John Boehner" Cao said. "I have not heard of their platforms. I have not read what they're looking for with respect to the country. So I will weigh those names, if those are the two names, and I will weigh them equally like I weigh other issues."

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LA-02

Obama Cuts First General Election Ad For Cao Opponent Cedric Richmond

Brian Beutler | October 3, 2010, 2:50PM

People watching the Saints game in Louisiana today will be treated to the first endorsement ad President Obama's cut this general election season. In the segment, Obama endorses Cedric Richmond, who's challenging Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) to represent Louisiana's 2nd District, encompassing most of the city of New Orleans.

According to Real Clear Politics the seat leans Democratic, and a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poll last month had Richmond up 10 points over Cao.

You can see the ad below.

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Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | June 18, 2010, 4:43PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT).

• Fox News Sunday: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

• NBC, Meet The Press: Gov. Haley Barbour (R-MS), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), former Shell Oil Company president John Hofmeister, Katty Kay of the BBC, TARP Executive Compensation Special Master Ken Feinberg.

Earmarks

Three Congressmen Defy GOP Earmark Ban, Face Losing Committee Seats

Rachel Slajda | April 1, 2010, 12:37PM

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Three Republican congressmen have defied their party's decision to ban all earmarks for one year, a move that could cost them their committee posts.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Reps. Anh "Joseph" Cao of Louisiana and Ron Paul of Texas have joined Rep. Don Young (AK) in requesting earmarks for the 2011 fiscal year, despite a House Republican caucus vote this month to institute a moratorium on earmarks for one year.

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Democrats

Pelosi Picks Off No Votes -- But Has Yet To Woo Toughest Reps On Health Care

Brian Beutler | March 18, 2010, 6:01PM

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

The past day and a half have gone pretty well for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Yesterday saw a number of in-play Democrats come out in support the final health care reform package, and netted her her first commitment from a member--Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)--who voted against the House health care bill in November. Today, the Congressional Budget Office gave the legislation a winning score, and she won more commitments, and her second and third converts from no-to-yes: Reps. Bart Gordon (D-TN) and Betsy Markey (D-CO).

But here's the rub: Pelosi still lacks the votes to pass it. Some former supporters of reform continue to say they'll vote against the current legislation. And though many members are coming around, very few of them are in the elusive pool from which Pelosi needs to draw: Members who voted against reform in round one.

And she's running out of easy pick-ups.

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Joseph Cao

Americans United To Run Another Ad Praising GOP Rep. Joseph Cao

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 11:31AM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) is getting more support for his status as the only House Republican to support health care reform -- from the pro-Barack Obama, labor-backed group Americans United For Change.

Americans United has already run an ad in support of Cao, as part of their ad campaigns praising key swing members who voted in favor of the bill. And they'll be having another one soon, too, the Hotline reports.

Cao is widely seen as a vulnerable incumbent going into 2010, having been elected in an upset against an indicted (and later convicted) Democratic incumbent in a district that voted 75% for Barack Obama.

Organizing for America

TPMDC Exclusive: Inside DNC's Organizing For America

Christina Bellantoni | November 11, 2009, 8:15AM

Nine months ago when the Democrats who ran Barack's Obama campaign created Organizing for America, no one was sure exactly how it would work or whether it was possible to harness the enthusiasm for the new president and translate it into action.

But nearing the anniversary of Obama's election, OFA has strengthened into a (smaller) mirror of the campaign, with volunteers in every single Congressional district and staff on the ground in every state but Oklahoma.

They also are growing the Obama donor base.

TPMDC has learned that 24.7 percent of the donations made online to OFA are new donors - people who didn't give during the campaign. That's a pretty striking figure give that a record 3 million people donated during 2007 and 2008.

Organizationally, the boots-on-the-ground, Washington outsider vibe has translated into real results as well. Saturday morning, an OFA volunteer in Louisiana flagged for the team that Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) might end up supporting health care.

The administration had been talking to Cao behind the scenes, but it was the volunteer who emailed OFA staffers to report that the Republican's office wasn't saying he was against the bill which opened the floodgates. OFA volunteers made 550 calls to the district office on Saturday in the hours before he became the lone Republican to back the bill.

In an exclusive interview with TPMDC, OFA officials laid out their metrics so far and stressed the results have exceeded expectations.

It was no surprise that Mitch Stewart, OFA's director, and Jeremy Bird, the deputy director, remained on message at all times. They told me nearly a dozen times the OFA mission is to support the president's agenda, and downplayed any disappointment that Obama voters couldn't make the difference in last week's state races in Virginia and New Jersey.

But the wide-ranging interview did lift the curtain on the organization, officially deemed a special project of the Democratic National Committee.

As I detailed earlier this year, OFA and the DNC share a building and merged finances, but keep many things separate. Among those are the list of email supporters, which stood at 13 million at the end of the long campaign. (They won't disclose its size today.)

Campaign geeks may like the transcript of our interview, and come along after the jump to delve into how OFA is doing.

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Joseph Cao

Club For Growth: Challenging Cao In GOP Primary 'Would Be A Waste Of Money' For His District

Eric Kleefeld | November 9, 2009, 1:21PM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) may have an interesting built-in line of defense against Republicans who would want to seek retribution over his vote for the health care bill: His overwhelmingly Democratic district.

I asked Club For Growth executive director David Keating, whose group has often supported insurgent conservatives -- Marco Rubio, Pat Toomey, Stephen Laffey and Doug Hoffman, just to name a few -- whether the group might support a primary against Cao. "Our PAC doesn't plan on backing any primary challengers to him," said Keating, "because it would be a waste of money, probably, for the general election."

Cao's district, centered around New Orleans, voted 75%-23% for Barack Obama in November 2008, by far the most Democratic district to be currently represented by a Republican. Cao won a shocking 50%-47% victory in a specially scheduled December election (due to hurricane damage) against Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who was then under indictment and was later convicted on corruption charges.

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Joseph Cao

Cao To Steele: Come And Get Me -- Just Remember You Need My District

Versha Sharma | November 8, 2009, 1:26PM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), the lone GOP vote for the House health reform bill that passed late last night, has responded to RNC Chairman Michael Steele's warnings about stepping outside of party lines. (WATCH Steele: "We'll come after you.")

Cao told CNN that Steele retains "the right to come after those members who do not conform to party lines, 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." He represents the second congressional district of Louisiana, a solidly Democratic district that includes New Orleans. Cao said earlier today that he put the needs of his district over what was popular with his own party.

Cao's opponent was former Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), who was under indictment on corruption charges at the time of the election, widely seen as the sole reason the Republican was able to triumph in this specific district. His unique victory was celebrated by Steele and other GOP leaders, a fact which the young lawmaker is not letting party leadership soon forget.

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Health Care

Obama Says He's Grateful For Lawmakers Who Took 'Courageous' Health Care Vote

Christina Bellantoni | November 8, 2009, 1:18PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama today said "millions of Americans whose lives will change" when health care reform finally becomes law are grateful to the House for passing a sweeping overhaul bill late last night.

"Given the heated and often misleading rhetoric," Obama said during a brief statement in the Rose Garden, he wanted to recognize the "courageous vote" and add his own gratitude to the House "for taking us this far."

Obama, who spent the night at the Camp David presidential retreat, said he'd called a Montana woman this morning to thank her for telling him about her health care struggle, telling her that the bill pass in part because of her willingness to share her story.

He lauded "extraordinary activism" of those fighting for health care, as his campaign arm Organizing for America put together thank-you welcoming parties for supportive lawmakers as they arrived at their home airports today.

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Joseph Cao

Who Is Joseph Cao?

Eric Kleefeld | November 8, 2009, 12:01AM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

So who is Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), the one Republican who voted yes on the House Democrats' health care bill?

Cao was first elected to Congress in 2008 from the solidly-Democratic New Orleans district, winning a shocking victory against Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who was then under indictment (and was later convicted) on corruption charges. Over the course of his life, he was a child refugee from Vietnam, a former Jesuit seminarian, and an attorney.

Cao's district voted 75%-23% for Barack Obama in 2008, but Cao was able to beat Jefferson in a December election (held at that time because of the rescheduling of some Louisiana Congressional elections, due to a hurricane). Cao had held out on voting for this bill -- he is strongly pro-life and wanted full assurances that abortion would not be funded -- but his vote for final passage, after the passage of the Stupak Amendment, could give him a positive card to play with his Democratic constituents.

Ironically, right after Cao was elected, the House GOP boasted of his upset win as a sign of the GOP's comeback, and that he presented a path to future victories. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) declared: "The Future Is Cao."

Joseph Cao

Cao Raises Big Money -- And Spends Almost All Of It

Eric Kleefeld | October 15, 2009, 4:42PM

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA)

Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA), a freshman from the heavily Democratic New Orleans-based district, had a solid fundraising quarter of $384,113.67 -- and spent nearly all of it.

Cao spent $376,536.64 in the quarter, about 98% of his receipts, leaving him with $351,134.43 cash on hand -- practically the same as he had at the start of the quarter.

Cao's itemized disbursements show that much of the money was spent on direct mail and fundraising fees.

Cao was elected in a huge upset over the then-indicted (later convicted) Democratic Rep. Bill Jefferson, and is certain to the Democrats' top target in 2010.