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Cooper’s Comments To Liberadio(!) Continue To Stir Stew

By Kleinheider Posted on February 4, 2009 at 2:08 pm

Politico has the developing story of the fallout regarding the remarks made by Rep. Cooper concerning his vote against the House stimulus package:

“Mr. Cooper has clarified those remarks,” she said, motioning to an aide, who handed out copies of Cooper’s statements.

Privately, people close to Pelosi said they weren’t surprised he would take a swipe at her – but said they had received back-channel assurances from the White House that the substance of his remarks was untrue.

And a senior House leadership aide scoffed at Cooper’s claim, suggesting the congressman was merely grandstanding.

“The idea that he didn’t get information or was kept in dark is just not true,” said the aide. “We sent out reams of information. He spoke at one of the caucuses [about the bill].”

Fired back a source close to Cooper: “If he were grandstanding, he could probably pick a more appropriate venue than a small-audience local radio show.”

Cooper has made little secret of his lack of regard for Pelosi’s leadership and has earned the enmity of her loyalists for his propensity to speak candidly.

You gonna take that Mary and Freddie?

UPDATE: Mary Mancini reports that Obama’s spokesman has been asked at a press briefing about the comments.

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Comments

8 Responses to “Cooper’s Comments To Liberadio(!) Continue To Stir Stew”

  1. Sean Braisted writes
    February 4th, 2009 2:11 pm

    Or, he thought because it was a small audience local radio show, nobody would pick up on his comments and verify them….just a thought.

  2. Freddie O'Connell writes
    February 4th, 2009 2:19 pm

    We look forward to hearing from the congressman’s office how they were able to determine the size of our audience. Without access to Arbitron ratings through WRVU, we’re interested in accessing their data. Perhaps they will provide a concrete number of listeners that reveals we need a stimulus!

  3. GoldnI writes
    February 4th, 2009 2:51 pm

    Don’t take that lying down!

  4. DG writes
    February 4th, 2009 2:57 pm

    Ha! Small audience, my hind end.

  5. Rep. Cooper Says You Didn’t Hear What You Heard : Post Politics: Political News and Views in Tennessee writes
    February 4th, 2009 3:38 pm

    [...] Cooper’s Comments To Liberadio(!) Continue To Stir Stew : Post Politics: Political News and Vi… writes February 4th, 2009 2:08 pm [...]

  6. Mary Mancini writes
    February 4th, 2009 4:49 pm

    Meh. Congressman Cooper (and his staff) knew what he was doing and where he was doing it. They’re not political neophytes, you know. What are they going to say? “Yes, I was grandstanding. And I was doing it on the only talk show in my home state - which, by the way reaches all of Middle-Tennessee and has been on the air for over 4 years - that will give a platform to progressive idea. I tried the other stations but they were too busy giving their 180 hours per week of air time to to Senator Corker, Senator Alexander, Congressman Wamp and Congressman Blackburn”?

    Come to think of it, that would have been nice.

  7. Cooper tucks his blue dog tail at In Session | Politics & Government Blog | Tennessean.com writes
    February 5th, 2009 12:01 pm

    [...] started out as a quip U.S. Rep Jim Cooper made during an interview on Nashville radio station Liberadio(!) has snowballed into an intriguing tit-for-tat story between Cooper, Obama aides, and House Speaker [...]

  8. The Coopert Report » LIBERADIO(!) writes
    February 5th, 2009 12:59 pm

    [...] a position in the Obama administration, not angling for a position in the Obama administration, and grandstanding. For their part, the White House gave “back-channel assurances” to the Speaker’s [...]

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