On Tuesday’s NBC Nightly News, correspondent Ron Mott filed a report featuring incoming Republican Congressman Joseph Cao, the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress, and the man who defeated corrupt former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson in heavily Democratic New Orleans. Brian Williams introduced Mott’s piece: "There was new ground broken on Capitol Hill today, where the first Vietnamese-American Congressman in the history of this republic was sworn in. Joseph Cao of Louisiana is also the first Republican in more than a century to win the seat representing New Orleans."
Mott recounted Cao’s escape from Vietnam and his victory against Jefferson, who was involved in a bribery scandal: "The 41-year-old Republican Congressman, Joseph Cao, is now a standout on Capitol Hill, traveling a very long way to get there. As a boy, he was among tens of thousands airlifted out of Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, without his parents, who feared he was killed at the airport. ... He later studied for the priesthood, eventually became a lawyer, and then last year, took on a political institution in New Orleans, Democrat William Jefferson, embroiled in a bribery scandal."
Below is a complete transcript of the story from the Tuesday, January 6, NBC Nightly News:
BRIAN WILLIAMS: There was new ground broken on Capitol Hill today, where the first Vietnamese-American Congressman in the history of this republic was sworn in. Joseph Cao of Louisiana is also the first Republican in more than a century to win the seat representing New Orleans. NBC's Ron Mott has more on this extraordinary journey.
RON MOTT: At 5'2", he can be hard to spot in a crowd.
REP. JOSEPH CAO (R-LA), ADDRESSING A CROWD: The people of the second district have spoken.
MOTT: The 41-year-old Republican Congressman, Joseph Cao, is now a standout on Capitol Hill, traveling a very long way to get there. As a boy, he was among tens of thousands airlifted out of Vietnam after the fall of Saigon, without his parents, who feared he was killed at the airport.
CAO: They found out later that we were still alive, so when they came over in 1991, it was a very momentous moment for our family.
MOTT: He later studied for the priesthood, eventually became a lawyer, and then last year, took on a political institution in New Orleans, Democrat William Jefferson, embroiled in a bribery scandal.
CAO: When I first qualified, I didn't think that I really had a chance. I told my wife, I said, "Honey, I qualified to run for congress." And she looked at me, she said, "You must be crazy."
SILAS LEE, POLITICAL ANALYST: A perfect storm of unknown factors.
MOTT: Some political analysts, though, didn't find it crazy at all, especially with Hurricane Gustav pushing the election back a month, reducing voter turnout.
LEE: So the disparity in resources, Gustav, voter confusion, all came together and created a perfect opportunity for a newcomer to defeat a nine-term sitting Congressman.
MOTT: There was near-unanimous support for Cao in the Vietnamese community of New Orleans, but even here, there was plenty of skepticism about his chances against such a political heavyweight. That skepticism was shattered the night he won. Cao's pastor said his parishioner goes to Washington carrying the high hopes of many.
FATHER VIEN NGUYEN, MARY QUEEN OF VIETNAM CHURCH: All of the Vietnamese-Americans in this country, more than a million of them, are rooting for him.
MOTT: Yet some question whether Cao is a one-term wonder.
CAO: I hope that in two years, that they will see the things that I have done and that the people will vote me back into office.
MOTT: A tall order perhaps, though he says he’s up to the task. Ron Mott, NBC News, New Orleans.
—Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Better ask Lucifer to check the thermostat.
January 6, 2009 - 23:03 ET by mizflame98The MSM wrote a positive story on a Republican. I'm about to pass out.
Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration
http://www.despair.com/government.html
mizflame...Exactly
January 6, 2009 - 23:16 ET by bigtimermizflame...Exactly right...a shocker.
They must have had to do the ...see we do positive stories about the other side now and then routine to prove they aren't biased.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Btw...as an aside, where
January 7, 2009 - 00:05 ET by bigtimerBtw...as an aside, where were all the stories about this man and his bio before now, let alone the election?
I knew about this somewhat, but I am a political junkie, as for the msm of all venues, where was the story...talk about bias/hypocrisy.
Nice they do these stories after the repubs are far down, it's safe now...they will do some here and there, after-all, fair and balanced is what it it all about.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
I see the most important
January 6, 2009 - 23:05 ET by thebutlerdiditI see the most important thing, the fact that Jefferson is a crook isn't the most important reason that Cao won.
LEE: So the disparity in resources, Gustav, voter confusion, all came together and created a perfect opportunity for a newcomer to defeat a nine-term sitting Congressman.
BTW, could there have been more disparaging short comments made about this man? Well, it probably won't matter, he is only going to be a 1 termer most likely, according to them. Yeah! Way to support a immigrant!
Noticed it too
January 6, 2009 - 23:17 ET by MichelleCButler~
I noticed the same thing you did. Cao's election is just an aberration to them and not voters legitimately throwing out a corrupt representative.
Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July. Democrats believe every day is April 15th ~ Ronald Reagan
Mott's idea of journalism:
January 6, 2009 - 23:09 ET by umpeteMott's idea of journalism: Wrap up by saying the short Cao faces a "tall order," in seeking re-election. Must be patting himself on the back for that one....I'm sure they'll look deep for Cao's flaws before too long....notice not one question about why he chose to be a republican.
Plain as the nose on one's face.
January 7, 2009 - 03:06 ET by mizflame98I'd think that the Fall of Saigon would alter anyone's political views. Kind of like how the rise of Castro seems to influence Cubans to vote Republican. Yup, Those liberal-run secularist governments have a way of doing that to people.
Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration
http://www.despair.com/government.html
I would like to thank all the voters
January 6, 2009 - 23:22 ET by cocodrieI would like to thank all the voters who voted for Joseph Cao. I believe he will make us proud.
I would also like to thank all the cemetaries that kept their gates closed during this election.
We really are racist down here, we have a Vietnamese congressman and an Indian governor.
Now it's time for Mass, NV, Ca, and Penn to get it in gear
January 6, 2009 - 23:42 ET by general companyWe really are racist down here, we have a Vietnamese congressman and an Indian governor.
That we are my friend, slowly but surely removing the vile creatures that have been representing us to the rest of the country. I to, thank all who did not vote for cold cash Jefferson
"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg
Wow, great story !
January 6, 2009 - 23:57 ET by BlazerWow, great story ! Bravo!
Listening to the patriotic-American left and the MSM all these years, I was sure all those poor-poor souls around the world that have had their families raped while getting bombarded with daisy-cutters and napalm by the capitalist Zionist puppet, The United States Of America for the last fifty yrs., would surely come back here to seek retribution and cold-blooded revenge on us, not seek to represent us in Congress and make our lives better.
Especially as an evil neo-con Rethuglican.
Somebody lied to me.
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
Proud of Cao
January 7, 2009 - 02:10 ET by KC MulvilleYou gotta love ex-Jesuits, don't you?
Off Topic, but Heartwarming
January 7, 2009 - 03:24 ET by nofateSince there's not much coming out of Iraq, anymore I decided to put this here since there is a slight Viet Nam connection. I got this in an e-mail today with a request to pass it on. It's a little dated and I know, it's Charles Gibson, grrrr, but ignore that and you'll be rewarded.
Comments?
"The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."
michaelyon-online.com
nofate
January 7, 2009 - 12:15 ET by BlondeYou should have posted a Kleenex alert.
Great stuff!
Thank you.
Holy Carp, they actually
January 7, 2009 - 12:03 ET by UtherpendHoly Carp, they actually used the party affilitation of Cold Cash in the report.
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you."