Speaker Pelosi Takes A Pass On Rebutting Cooper On Liberadio(!)
Posted on February 5, 2009 at 1:07 pmOne half of the dynamic duo that exposed the open wound of Democratic politics by interviewing Jim Cooper shares her view of the still developing controversy.
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Up In Pelosi’s Grill
Posted on at 7:51 amThe Politico again reports that Liberadiogate just makes clear what role Rep. Jim Cooper will play in national politics for the next few years — Nancy Pelosi’s worst nightmare:
But whether he wants to talk about it or not, the radio incident thrusts Cooper into the very public role of burr in Pelosi’s saddle. Every party has its itches to scratch. Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake, a fiscal scold who crusades against earmarks, embarrassed GOP leaders over the years by highlighting projects they endorsed. North Carolina Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. became the Republican voice against the war in Iraq. Sens. Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint, in their own way, cause grief for their leaders.
Cooper now joins the ranks — but in reality, he’s been there before.
He locked horns with Hillary Clinton over health care reform in 1992 and 1993, during his first 12-year stint in the House, and he has questioned the readiness of his party to handle governing with a Democratic president. Late last year, he broke from many of his fellow fiscal conservatives in the Blue Dog Caucus to back California Rep. Henry A. Waxman for chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.
But that Blue Dog Caucus remains his base of power in the House. In a Wall Street Journal interview earlier this year, Cooper said that if he and his fellow Blue Dogs “were to ally with the Republicans, we could swing any vote in the House of Representatives” — a not-so-subtle threat to any party leader.
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Rep. Cooper Says You Didn’t Hear What You Heard
Posted on February 4, 2009 at 11:55 amDavidson County’s congressman denies what you can plainly hear him say in this Liberadio(!) interview, that Obama’s people, in a subtle, unofficial way, sanctioned his vote against the stimulus package in the House:
“At no point did any member of President Obama’s staff encourage me to vote against the House economic recovery bill. I told them I believed that the bill had too much long-term spending and didn’t meet the president’s goal of getting 75% of the money into the economy within 18 months. After the conversation, I felt encouraged that the administration understood those concerns and shared my longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility.”
Compare that with this:
Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I actually got some quiet encouragement from the Obama folks for what I’m doing. They know its a messy bill and they wanted a clean bill.
Now, I got in terrible trouble with our leadership because they don’t care what’s in the bill, they just want it pass and they want it to be unanimous. They don’t mind the partisan fighting cause that’s what they are used to. In fact, they’re really good at it. And they’re a little bit worried about what a post-partisan future might look like.
If members actually had to read the bills and figure out whether they are any good or not. We’re just told how to vote. We’re treated like mushrooms most of the time.
SEE ALSO: Cooper continues damage control, belittles radio audience.
The Coop Is Loose
Posted on February 3, 2009 at 2:53 pmUPDATE: Cooper now says his words below don’t mean what you think.
With the withdrawal of Tom Daschle’s name from consideration for Health and Human Services chief, the obligatory speculation regarding whom the next nominee shall be necessarily follows.
Some folks like Howard Dean. Others have less controversial choices.
The Office of Management and Budget was, of course, the main job folks thought Congressman Jim Cooper would end up in if he chose to go to Washington. HHS, however, would not be a bad fit either, considering the congressman’s interest in healthcare.
And FYI for those of you who are operating under the misimpression that the Congressman is on the outs with the new administration for his vote against the stimulus need only to take a listen to Cooper’s interview yesterday with Liberadio(!):
Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I actually got some quiet encouragement from the Obama folks for what I’m doing. They know its a messy bill and they wanted a clean bill.
Now, I got in terrible trouble with our leadership because they don’t care what’s in the bill, they just want it pass and they want it to be unanimous. They don’t mind the partisan fighting cause that’s what they are used to. In fact, they’re really good at it. And they’re a little bit worried about what a post-partisan future might look like.
If members actually had to read the bills and figure out whether they are any good or not. We’re just told how to vote. We’re treated like mushrooms most of the time.
Of course, while this is evidence that Coop is still working inside the proverbial Obama circle it is also more evidence why he would never, ever take a job with the administration.
Why go on the inside when, as an independent operator in Congress, he can serve his own agenda AND play good cop or bad cop for the Obama administration depending on the need?
UPDATES:
Politico places Coop on the short list
Nate Rau with some thoughts
Daily Kos links up
Hey Donkey, Say Hello To Your Mother For Me
Posted on December 14, 2008 at 6:42 pmFreddie O’Connell and Mary Mancini will interview both candidates to succeed Gray Sasser as chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party at the same time tomorrow on Liberadio(!). Check it out bright and early at 7am on 91.1 FM WRVU.
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