Cao: Abortion 'at a par with slavery'

Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-LA)—the only Republican in either chamber to vote in favor of health care reform in 2009—told the Times-Picayune Sunday that abortion is a "moral evil, at a par with slavery."

"Modern society has become desensitized to the issue," Cao said. "When you speak of abortion many people push it aside without really thinking about it.... For me abortion is such a moral evil, at a par with slavery, that I cannot in good conscience support a bill that seeks to expand it."

Cao called himself a "tormented soul" because he wanted to vote in favor of health care reform again Sunday night but believed he could not without the more stringent abortion language of the House's original Stupak-Pitts amendment.

In a bit of a bizarre move, Cao also is slated to give a press conference at the House Triangle Monday afternoon—a day after the House passed landmark health care legislation.

[Meredith Shiner]

Glenn Thrush is senior staff writer at Politico Magazine.