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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Shock Horror: Rep. Jim Cooper Is A Politician
Posted on at 7:21 amJeff Woods puts a recent controversy in historical context:
In 1994, when Cooper was running for the Senate, Bill Clinton was the president and wildly unpopular in Tennessee. Across the state, Cooper made a point of painting himself as a maverick, desperately distancing himself from the president. But then one evening, I watched Cooper give an interview on a black radio station in Nashville. Clinton remained very popular with blacks, if no one else, and Cooper told listeners, “I have voted with President Clinton 90 percent of the time.”
It was an audacious display of hypocrisy. Cooper plays the upright guardian of the public interest but he’s no different than most politicians, just a lot squirrelier. A big phony, he tailors what he says to suit his audience. That’s what he’s doing here. He wants to oppose wasteful spending, but he doesn’t want to buck the popular new president. He’s not agile enough to walk that tightrope.
Cooper Contro Reveals Larger Battle
Posted on February 4, 2009 at 4:12 pmEd Morrissey on the battle revealed by Liberadiogate:
Some have speculated that Barack Obama would have to go to war with Nancy Pelosi if he really wanted to push for bipartisanship on Capitol Hill. The stimulus package was the first and most critical piece of Obama’s domestic agenda, and Pelosi not only blocked Republicans from negotiating its terms, she filled it with non-stimulus spending that turned it into an omnibus appropriation bill, full of objectionable projects and embarrassing components, like contraceptive spending.
(TFJ: Red Dawn)
Cooper’s Comments To Liberadio(!) Continue To Stir Stew
Posted on at 2:08 pmPolitico 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.
Rep. Cooper Says You Didn’t Hear What You Heard
Posted on 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
Recent Comments
a medal is well deserved …
A medal is not net neccessary, mega kudos will do
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