Subject: Jim Cooper

• Cooper Launches Another Pointless Crusade

  June 25, 2008

• Post mentions Cooper for OMB

  November 6, 2008

• Our Contrarian Congressman Does It Again

  Liberals are throwing shit fits over the 11 Democrats who voted against the Obama stimulus package, and they're directing much of their venom at our own Congressman Jim Cooper. He earns a special "F. You" at DailyKos, which says he ought "to be marginalized" and urges somebody to run against him in his next primary. Ilissa Gold, who used to work for Cooper, calls him a "complete and utter hypocrite." Here's Cooper's explanation for his vote: "I love Obama, but I'm disappointed with Congress fo

  January 29, 2009

• Cooper Finds New Ways to Piss Off Everyone

  Congressman Jim Cooper should stop trying to explain why he was one of only 11 House Democrats to vote against Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill. Every time he opens his mouth, he steps on his dick. It's OK, congressman. You can stop talking about it now. To recap:

  February 5, 2009

• What Happens When Jim Cooper Opens His Mouth?

  Congressman Jim Cooper opened his mouth and--dammit to hell!--he stepped on his dick again. Even the Tennessean has taken notice: "There's a lot of pundits who are making a big deal out of it. I'm not their favorite member," Cooper says, digging a deeper hole for himself with the House leadership. "I think they wish Blue Dogs would go away or be quiet." We do too. The Tennessean headline is illuminating: "Cooper's Votes, Comments on Stimulus Attract Attention."More on the barking Blue Dogs.

  February 5, 2009

• Radio Ad Targets Jim Cooper on Stimulus Package

  The government employees union AFSCME has launched a radio ad targeting Jim Cooper's opposition to President Obama's stimulus package (you can hear it here). As attack ads go, this one's pretty gentle, basically urging Cooper not to sit on his ass while 20,000 people a day lose their jobs. (At least that was the figure for January.) Obviously the left is hoping that wayward Democrats fall in line. Still, it's hard to blame Cooper and Republicans for their opposition. The original package was a D

  February 11, 2009

• No Matter What You Might Hear, Cooper and Obama 'See Eye-to-Eye'

  Jim Cooper has been taking new hits lately on the liberal blogs after President Obama failed to invite our congressman to his fabulous "fiscal responsibility summit." The mighty Kos says, "There's no incumbent I'd love to see primaried more than Jim Cooper." Jane Hamsher says Obama agreed to host the summit because Cooper was pushing for one in December. "But when the list of invitees to the summit was released today, no Jim Cooper." For reasons, she points out Cooper's media bloopers of the pa

  February 24, 2009

• Is Jim Cooper's Health Care Plan Ahead of Its Time?

  Inventiveness? From a Tennessee Democrat? The sky will begin falling in 5, 4, 3...Though he faces criticism from within his own party for being too conservative, you can't say Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper is a man without ideas. He's getting some nice national press for his health care proposal. And this time, Cooper's not only siding with the staunch left; his plan is actually being called radical.It's essentially a variation of the single-payer system the left has been pushing for years. I

  March 17, 2009

• Nashville: A Pork-Starved City

  The City Paper today presents us with another example of our congressman hard at work for Nashville. Jim Cooper, who has taken a principled stand against pork-barrel spending and won't ask for any, is outraged that Congress won't fund a new federal courthouse here. He's so upset he's formed something called the Congressional Courthouse Caucus to demand action. Sorry, what? "We're pushing forward," Cooper told The City Paper. "We've formed the caucus to return some sanity to the building process

  April 6, 2009

• Words of the Week

  June 28, 2007

• Word of the Week

  March 31, 2005

• Media, Issues & Politics

  October 12, 2006

• Love-Hate Mail

  May 4, 2006

• Repeating History

  Cooper backs another half-a-loaf plan on medical benefits

  May 8, 2003

• Heavy Lifting

  Candidates backed by organized labor have little success

  September 12, 2002

• A List

  August 1, 2002

• News Briefly

  Taxes go up, up, up

  July 18, 2002

• A List

  June 13, 2002

• The Right Stuff

  Will 5th District voters buy Jim Cooper’s conservatism?

  May 9, 2002

• Common Sense, Please

  The anti-lottery campaign is no more polluted than anyone else’s

  April 25, 2002

• Cooper Derides Colleagues as Hillbilly Dumbasses in the Washington Post

  Wipe that smile off your face!There he goes again. Jim Cooper is making friends and influencing people as only he can, this time telling the Washington Post that a lot of his hillbilly colleagues in Congress are big dumbasses who don't know the difference between Medicaid and Medicare. Routinely. for example, a lot of my rural friends will say we can't recruit doctors to rural areas because Medicare pays too little. But Medicare pays pretty much market rate. Medicaid pays much less than that.

  June 10, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Congressman Cooper Discusses Life as a Nerd and More

  On the coming redistricting fight. Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick: "We'll be just as fair to them as they've been to us." Democratic Party chair Chip Forrester: "His statement certainly reflects the zealotry Republicans have adopted." ... The governor signs into law the new way we're picking judges and bills extending unemployment benefits and creating a statewide residential building code. ... Frist touts new education initiative. ... Andy Sher adds it up and finds the legislature passed 18 g

  June 29, 2009

• Cooper: 'Back to the Drawing Board' on Health Care

  With the director of the Congressional Budget Office warning the legislative proposals so far wouldn't slow the growth of health spending, Congressman Jim Cooper says, "It's a time to go back to the drawing board and come up with better legislation that supports the president's goals."

  July 20, 2009

• Cooper Says Health Reform Can't Add to Deficit

  On Bloomberg News, Congressman Jim Cooper insists the Blue Dogs are the good guys in the health care debate. "We believe we're helping the president achieve his goals." In another interview on MSNBC, Cooper lays out what he wants: He says the bill has to be "deficit neutral" in less than 10 years and "bend the cost curve in the right direction." He says he personally favors a public plan, and taxing health benefits. He says Medicaid can't be completely free forever to the states.

  July 23, 2009

• Are Jim Cooper & Friends About to Kill Health Care Reform?

  If health care reform fails, the blame squarely falls on the shoulders of this man​Word from Washington gets worse by the day concerning meaningful health care reform. Blue Dog Democrats, including Nashville's own Jim Cooper, are doing their best to sabotage the "meaningful" part. In sense, these conservative Democrats -- largely Southern or rural -- have legitimate beefs. Since Republicans have no plan of their own -- save for occasionally emerging from their holes to scream "socialism!" -- B

  July 29, 2009

• Cooper: the Scrooge of the Health Care Debate

  ​Jim Cooper is the star of a favorable report in the Economist headlined "What now for Obamacare?" Here's how the article begins: "It's a lot easier to be Santa than Scrooge," harrumphs Jim Cooper. The congressman from Tennessee is complaining about the health-reform plan unveiled in July by the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives. He thinks it is a populist initiative that will end up fueling rather than curbing America's runaway health inflation. Such tough talk would

  July 30, 2009

• MoveOn Tries to Pressure Cooper

  ​MoveOn is trying to put the heat on Jim Cooper over health care reform. Lord knows, he needs it. But since he's one of the Blue Dogs working to weaken the president's public health insurance option, why would he sign a letter of outrage over the deal? Pith is confused. Anyway, here's MoveOn's email blast to the Coop's constituents: The heart of President Obama's health-care reform plan--the public health insurance option--is under attack. And your representative, Jim Cooper, has a chance to

  July 31, 2009

• Cooper on the Hot Seat in Health Care Debate

  ​The long, hot summer has only just begun for members of Congress. With the House already in recess and the Senate soon to follow, the health-care brawl is shifting from Washington to town hall meetings all over the country. Jim Cooper's sweating already, as well he should. As a Blue Dog Democrat and purported health-care expert, he's more than a little responsible for the delay in voting in Washington. That has given the insurance industry, talk radio blowhards and all the rest of the pr

  August 3, 2009

• Jim Cooper's hot seat

  August 6, 2009

• Tennessee Blue Dogs Under Attack for Hiding from Mobs

  ​This August congressional recess is like a wrestlemania match, isn't it? Health-care reform foes won the first round by generating crowds to shout down congressmen at town hall meetings. Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the talk radio clowns were gleefully marveling at the overwhelming opposition to socialized medicine. But then the media painted these crowds as ignorant and rude and bent on preventing civil discourse. Round Two goes to the libtards. Now, it's Round Three, and it looks like the

  August 11, 2009

• Love-Hate Mail

  August 13, 2009

• Cooper Cancels But Teabaggers Vow to Disrupt School's Opening Day Anyway

  Jim Cooper: "The key is to be calm and thoughtful and figure out what works for everybody. ... The media prefers covering fights as opposed to substance, and it's really the substance that gets things done." Calm and thoughtful aren't the words you would use to describe Tom Kovach, state chairman of something called America's Independent Party. He's the guy who was organizing a protest of Jim Cooper's scheduled appearance Friday morning at West End Middle School. Cooper caught wind of the pro

  August 12, 2009

• The Problem with Jim Cooper's Heath Care Plans

  Jim Cooper: He's assuming we'll all get raises​Why Nashville Congressman Jim Cooper is wrong on health care, according to reader Terri Merritts: The problem with the Wynden-Bennett health care legislation that Jim Cooper favors is that it supposes too much. Employees moving out of worker health plans "supposedly" would get pay raises from their bosses that would match the cost of their new overpriced private health care plan so they could easily pay for it with no financial loss. If Jim

  August 18, 2009

• Nashville Doctors Outraged Over Cooper's Insults During Private Meeting

  During a doctors' meeting, Jim Cooper impersonates Don Rickles.​Some of Nashville's physicians are outraged at Jim Cooper and circulating an email accusing the congressman of "arrogance, disdain and disregard" for the healing profession. Oh my! They say Cooper treated them rudely during a private meeting about health care reform. According to the email, Cooper unleashed his inner Don Rickles, throwing one insult after another at the physicians, who are members of the Anesthesia Medical Group.

  August 25, 2009

• What's the Uproar, Docs?

  August 27, 2009

• Here's What We Miss Out On If Jim Cooper Has His Way

  ​From the Committee on Energy and Commerce, here's a breakdown of what America's Affordable Health Choices Act would mean for Rep. Jim Cooper's district. Of course, the plight of small businesspeople, the uninsured, the one-catastrophic-illness-away-from-bankruptcy families and the slipping-through-the-cracks-of-Medicare-Part-D elderly in Middle Tennessee are all pretty small potatoes compared to the deep pockets of the health insurance industry.Here's what Cooper is doing his damnedest to dep

  August 27, 2009

• Love-Hate Mail

  September 3, 2009

• Cooper Under Attack by Firedoglake; Voters Ask, 'What's a Firedoglake?'

  Oh my, these liberal bloggers really know how to play rough, don't they? In their relentless quest to unseat Jim Cooper, they have produced these two vicious YouTube attack videos. What will Nashville's voters do when they learn that Cooper is catching flak from Ed and Rachel on MSNBC, or that he's hated by the world-famous Firedoglake? We tremble to think.

  October 6, 2009

• Wanted Jim Cooper: $1 Million Reward

  Tremble in fear before the mighty Kos​Those powerful progressive bloggers who think they run the political universe have put a $1 million bounty on the head of Jim Cooper. That's the only news from the story in today's Tennessean, which finally got around to writing about this two weeks after everybody else did. In paragraph 12, Ben Tribbett, director of the brand spanking new Accountability Now political action committee, says he can raise $1 million through the progressive network to suppor

  October 11, 2009

• Morning Roundup: Le Freak, C'est Absent?

  Where in the world is Jevon Kearse? If he wasn't watching the Titans-Colts trampling from the sidelines, can't say we blame him. ...Jim Cooper tells the New York Times that "the lobbyists are winning" the health-care debate. ...The death of a 12-year-old Providence Christian Academy student saddens Murfreesboro. ...Rex finds one place where Gaylord and the Music City Center can share common ground: Jimmy Kelly's. ...Tonight's the night new WSMV co-anchor Bob Sellers joins Demetria Kalodimos at t

  October 12, 2009

• How Rep. Jim Cooper became a fighter—and a target—in the health care wars

  October 29, 2009

• Molly Secours Goes to Washington for "Tennessee Tuesday"

  ​You may remember the tale of Nashvillian Molly Secours, a filmmaker, writer and activist who wound up in the crosshairs of the two biggest issues of the last year--health care reform and the foreclosure fiasco--when she found herself simultaneously battling uterine cancer and fighting to refinance her house so she wouldn't lose it to the bank. In July, Secours headed to Washington to join Nancy Pelosi at a Capitol Hill press conference that was broadcast on CNN. This week, she headed bac

  November 5, 2009

• Jim Cooper: Mr. Compromise!

  ​In a surprise as the House opens debate on health care reform, Rep. Jim Cooper has announced he's deserting many of his Blue Dog buddies to vote yes. I will vote yes on H.R. 3962. My vote is not an endorsement of all the provisions of the bill because I find much of the bill to be deeply flawed. There is little chance that H.R. 3962 will become law due to the long legislative process. My reason for voting yes is to advance the cause of health care reform by forcing the Senate to act. Witho

  November 7, 2009

• Battle of New Orleans Commemoration at The Hermitage

  January 7, 2010

• The Curse of the Pickup Truck

  How could anyone forget Ol' Fred's pickup?​According to this Fox News blogger, here's the lesson for Democrats from Scott Brown's victory in the Massachusetts Senate race: "never mess with a candidate who drives a pickup truck when you're trying to pass health care reform." That's right, Democrats should have remembered ol' Fred and his pickup truck and what happened to Jim Cooper and his health care plan when they tried to pass a health care plan while Scott Brown was riding around Massa

  January 21, 2010

• Morning Roundup: A Dismal Economic Report and Other Depressing News

  ​Economists say it'll take two more years for Tennessee's economy to recover. ... Hospitals agree to tax themselves to avert TennCare cuts. ... Truckers vote I-40 through Tennessee the best road in the U.S. Who knew? ... Lawmakers want to know why a report ranks a state home for youth among the top in the nation for sexual abuse. ... The House joins the Senate in overriding the governor on the calorie counting bill. ... Advocacy group announces slate of fair-tax bills. ... A new program of

  February 9, 2010

• And the Award for Best Use of Google Maps by a Tennessee Politician Goes to...

  Jim Cooper for putting together this map of all the different places around the 5th District that have gotten stimulus funds. OK, in fairness, the award should probably go to Tyler Allard, who seems to have done the grunt work. But let's not get into semantics. It's a really nice use of the medium and provides a lot of information to constituents in an easy to digest fashion. View Economic Recovery At Work in Tennessee's 5th District in a larger map

  February 18, 2010

• The Hill Whip Count: Jim Cooper 'Undecided' on Health-Care Reform Bill

  ​As of this morning, The Hill's survey of House Democrats' current positions on health-care reform puts Congressman Jim Cooper squarely in the undecided slot. The whip count, based on a review of news reports and interviews with congressional aides and legislators, also notes that Coop's relationship with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been "up-and-down," and that he voted for the Stupak anti-abortion measure. It's pretty remarkable that such a minuscule piece of a sweeping reform effort

  March 11, 2010

• Morning Roundup

  Rest in peace Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson and Pfc. Jason M. Kropat. These young men, Ft. Campbell soldiers, are the latest American lives lost in Afghanistan. ... ​Preds go down hard last night. ... John Rich will serenade Country Music Marathoners at the arena's post-race concert. ... School custodians fight to keep their jobs from being outsourced. Batter up...again. The Sounds want to get back to talks for a new ballpark. ...The money quote here: "Grease don't bother me."Also, you could scr

  March 12, 2010

• Morning Roundup

  Rest in peace Sgt. Jonathan J. Richardson and Pfc. Jason M. Kropat. These young men, Ft. Campbell soldiers, are the latest American lives lost in Afghanistan. ...​Preds go down hard last night. ... John Rich will serenade Country Music Marathoners at the arena's post-race concert. ... School custodians fight to keep their jobs from being outsourced. Batter up...again. The Sounds want to get back to talks for a new ballpark. ...The money quote here: "Grease don't bother me." Vice President Joe

  March 12, 2010