Joseph Cao receives a check for $1,000 from a donor at a lunch. (Photo by Ninette Cheng/NWAW)
How much do you expect the first and only Vietnamese American congressman to raise money in Seattle after flying more than 2,000 miles?
Seattle has a strong track record when it comes to giving money to Asian American elected officials from other states. But poor Congressman Joseph Cao from Louisiana raised only about $1,300 from 60 guests at a lunch on July 26.
Never mind that he had spent two days in Seattle, including participating in the Torchlight Parade. For his re-election campaign, he’s a Republican facing four Democrat challengers in an overwhelmingly African American district.
Money is critical to his campaign. He doesn’t have much time before his reelection this fall. If he raised $1 per mile, he should have received roughly $2,000.
Even that amount would be embarrassing to talk about. He left with a basket without eggs. I hope he doesn’t think Seattle’s Asian community has given him the cold shoulder.
One Vietnamese American said if he had gone to California instead, he would have raised thousands.
So why didn’t more people attend the lunch? The host, Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, did not reach out to the Asian community.
“He wasn’t promoted right,” a Vietnamese American said.
The Northwest Asian Weekly received only an e-mail about Cao’s visit only a couple days before he came.
When Joseph was part of the parade float, I could not see him at first. There was no written sign to introduce who he was on the float car. A petite man, Joseph was literally buried. ♦
Ms. Ng,
Ninette Cheng, your journalist, was at the meeting with Congressman Cao. She wrote an article about the meeting & posted on 8/05. Here are a few questions for you:
1. Why are you not using your own reliable source, Ninette, but rather take information from an unknown street people, or come up with your own conclusion???
2. How can a same newspaper write a knowledgeable piece with all the right facts & information in one week then turns around to write such a trashy piece of untrue information???
3. Did you know that the congressman couldn’t confirm his extended time for Seattle visit until Monday 7/26, a total of 4 days before his arrival for a scheduled appearance in the Torchlight parade???
4. Did you know that, b/c of the timing, it’s hardly a fund raising event but rather a meet & greet event to celebrate, promote, and support our 1st Vietnamese American Congressman???
5. Did you know that it’s the congressman’s decision to walk with the Vietnamese Community in the parade rather than riding in a car along side with other VIP???
6. Were you even there at the luncheon meeting to ask questions, to interview Congressman Cao to find out what really happened??? I know YOU WERE NOT THERE, MS Ng, or BOTHER TO FIND OUT THE REAL REASONS.
7. Here is the most important question for YOU, Ms Ng, YOU dislike and purposely putting down the Vietnamese Community and the Vietnamese people, aren’t you????
It certainly is obviously so.
Dear Ms. Ng,
I applaud for you writing this blog, but I must regret your captured of the event was not accurate. We all felt that WAVA President Trong Pham did a great job, and had explained that WAVA was not favoring Demorcrate or Republican party. Plus, this is not a fundraising event, as we all paid $15/person for the dim sum. That amount just enough to cover the foods at the venue, Tea Palace. I recall any fundraising event ticket is always more than $150 or more, if I recall correctly. We all very PROUD of the work that President Trong Pham did for the community, regardless of race/ethnics. His message was pretty clear. I beg you to revise your blog to reflect the “actual” of the event.
All,
The blog was not accurate to what actually happened at the event.
I recalled Assunta was not at the event; hence, listening to this “Vietnamese American” person and wrote this blog was not due JUSTICE to the WAVA President TRONG as well as the people who attended the function.
I must admire and commence the President of WAVA, Trong Pham, who did the best he can with less than one week notice that the COngressman team contacted President Trong about his arrival to Seattle. IF you were to read his “evite,” E-mail IDs, including all ethnics and organizations have been reached out for this event. The title and message were to come out and meet the Congressman Cao at Tea Palace restaurant. It was not a fundraising event at all. Trong’s contribution to the Congressman Cao was purely personal decision, not as a WAVA President nor asking the people who attended to get our of our checkbook. Also, President Trong did say that WAVA was providing a medium for us to meet the Congressman as WAVA is not favoring left wing or right wing whatsoever. Please NOTE THAT!
If I were to take on the tremendous task (less than one week notice) that WAVA President Trong took on, I couldn’t do a better job than he DID for Congressman Cao. WAVA and the President Trong deserve recognition for the effort to allow politicians (Rossi, Lee, Dash, etc.), businessmen/women, community leaders to speak and meet the Congressman Cao.
The Cao for Congress team has always enjoyed a great deal of support from the Seattle area. While the aforementioned fundraiser was smaller than similar events held in the past, Congressman Cao was thankful for the opportunity to interact with supporters in a more intimate setting. If you were unable to attend, and would like to contribute to our efforts, please visit http://www.CaoForCongress.com/donate/