By voting for ObamaCare, Cao became a footnote

A congressman who occupies the seat previously held by William Jefferson, one of the most noteworthy crooks in the history of the U.S. Congress, obviously has to make a name for himself.

After all, the next election is only a year away and Cao's district in Louisiana is not famous as a gathering place for Vietnamese immigrants.

Its previous congressman became fanous for somethng that only a nanny state would make a fuss about: instead of storing food in his refrigerator, he stuffed it with cash.

Comedians said it was cold cash, but the authorities said it was hot - proceeds of a bribery scheme. Before the argument was settled, Cao defeated Jefferson, winning 49.6 percent of the vote, to  Jefferson's 46.8 percent.

In August, Jefferson was convicted on 11 of 16 corruption charges and faces up to 150 years in prison.

Midway through his first term, Cao's prospects aren't great.

According to Wikipedia, Cao is "the first Vietnamese American, as well as the first native of Vietnam, to serve in Congress, and the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890; his district usually votes overwhelmingly Democratic.

"Cao is the poorest member of Louisiana's delegation (including the state's two senators) in Congress: as of 2009 his assets were no greater than $195,000 and his potential liabilities mounting to $215,000, including student loans for himself and his wife."

His tenure, on other words, is tenuous. So what did he do to make a name for himself?

He voted for the Democrat-sponsored ObamaCare bill in the U.S. House, the only Republican to do so. His chances of remaining in the House are no better than the Obamacare bill's chances of survival in the Senate.

In that situation, becoming a footnote in history may be worth a shot.