Cooper’s Choice

By Kleinheider Posted on November 17, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Brad Schrade explains why those hoping to run for an open 5th District congressional district seat are likely to be disappointed:

Some are surprised that Cooper’s name has been mentioned, even in anonymous press reports, as a possibility for director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Not because Cooper is unqualified, but because he has strong beliefs that could put him at odds with the administration on some issues. If he is named to the post, those pushing for a conservative approach to spending would see it as a good sign.

Not only would Barack Obama not necessarily want a loose cannon at OMB. Cooper would likely not want to be subject to constant reigning in by the new president.

Yes, Jim Cooper supported Barack Obama early and vociferously but that does not mean that he and Obama are ideologically simpatico. Cooper supported Obama early as much out of spite of the Clintons than due to any great enthusiasm he had for Obama. There is a long history there, after all.

It made no sense politically to remain neutral in the primary. Cooper would have been on the outs if the Clintons had won so the man stood up and got behind someone who had a chance to take down the family.

Cooper is a fiscal hawk. Now, current circumstances may lead Obama to be, but that does not seem to be his natural inclination. It may be an oft-parroted tagline by the Right but the truth is Barack Obama is, in fact, one of the most liberal candidates elected to the Presidency.

Obama wants to use the power of government to right wrongs and alleviate injustice. Cooper wants the government to do those things but only through the prism of fiscal responsibility.

As one of Obama’s crew in the Congress, he can have much more influence on politics than he can at OMB. Congress, after all, are the lawmakers and the budget architects. The president can submit budgets and make recommendations but it is up to the Congress to actually pull the trigger. In the Congress, Cooper will have more opportunities to massage what Obama suggests and proposes to suit his world view.

At OMB, he is simply a spoke on a wheel. His job at OMB would be, ultimately, to do what the heck Obama tells him to do.

Given the givens, why would Cooper give up a lifetime congressional seat for a job that forces him to uproot his family and move to Washington DC for a job that gives him no freedom and is only (best case) an eight year appointment.

Does OMB Director Cooper sound logical? Does it sound like a good fit? Sure, on paper. But in reality, Cooper can have just as much, and likely more, power and influence over the issues that matter to him as a member of Obama’s crew in the Congress than he could toiling away as a member of the President’s cabinet.

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