With Blue Dog Democrats like Jim Cooper, who needs Republicans
By John Amato Thursday Jan 29, 2009 6:45amIt didn't take Blue Dog Jim Cooper too long to betray President Obama. What, eight days or so. Barack Obama started using Cooper last February for health care during the primary and Mike Lux issued a huge warning.
My concerns shifted into overdrive, though, when I noticed that the Obama campaign is now using Rep. Jim Cooper as a spokesperson/surrogate on health care.
I was part of the Clinton White House team on the health care reform issue in 1993/94, and no Democrat did more to destroy our chances in that fight than Jim Cooper. We had laid down a marker very early that we thought universal coverage was the most essential element to getting a good package, saying we were to happy to negotiate over the details but that universality was our bottom line.
Cooper, a leader of conservative Dems on the health care issue, instead of working with us, came out early and said universality was unimportant, and came out with a bill that did almost nothing in terms of covering the uninsured. He quickly became the leading spokesman on the Dem side for the insurance industry position, and undercut us at every possible opportunity, basically ending any hopes we had for a unified Democratic Party position. I was never so delighted to see a Democrat lose as when he went down in the 1994 GOP tide. Unfortunately, he came back, like a bad penny.
It is such a huge mistake for Obama to use a guy like this to defend their position on health care...read on
How did he betray President Obama you ask?
Special "F. You" Note: To Blue Dog Jim Cooper (D-TN-05), who back in December extracted from the Obama team the promise of the convening of a "fiscal responsibility summit," which he wanted to be included in the stimulus. Instead, Obama agreed two weeks in advance of the stimulus vote to convene such a summit in February, and I said Obama should have waited to see that Cooper and the Blue Dogs pony up on the stimulus before agreeing.
Well, Obama didn't wait, and Cooper (and five other Blue Dogs) didn't show. What a surprise.
There's still time to disinvite them, of course. Think that'll happen?
Jim Cooper voted against the stimulus plan.
(h/t Hullabaloo)
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SNORK
n/t
If this stimulus plan suceeds by at least creating desperately needed jobs, whores like Cooper will follow Obama...as usual.
They will claim the jobs occurred despite the plan, but because of their opposition.
I really enjoy hearing already how Repugs complain about 2/3rd of the plan. If I recall, 1/3 of the plan is tax cuts they smuggled in!
This plan generating employment is all that matters. The Republicans are not in power...all they care about is Obama failing and 2010 and 2012. And Cooper will follow if this plan marginally suceeds.
http://30daysout.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/...
Obama is still a Democrat. And that means he's pretty spineless.
Maybe not as spineless as those Jellyfish Reed and Pelosi, but pretty spineless none the less.
He'll continue to fold and capitulate to both Republicans and turncoat Democrats in the name of "bipartisanship", all the while getting shafted by those he chooses to ally himself with.
And I guess the Nation is "spineless" too. And go call Jim Webb spineless, tough guy.
I'm a Democrat and, believe me, I'm not spineless! I think you'll see that President Obama isn't spineless either. But I do agree with you that since Bush conned us into the Iraq War, the Democrats have been spineless. They should have been outraged by the Iraq invasion, by wiretapping, by torture, by the assault on our economy, etc. Obama is the consummate community organizer, remember. Let's just sit back and watch and enjoy a master at work.
but his refusal to hold members of the Bush Administration to account, his refusal to help bring DINO's like Lieberman into line, and his continual calls for bipartisanship in the face of overwhelming contempt from the Republicans, don't give me much hope.
Its really amazing the even though the stimulus bill passed without a single vote from the Republithugs. Obama it trying to use bipartisan persuasion in order to get things done. To call the Dems spineless is reaching quite a bit. The crooked and lying Republithugs are the ones who are spineless. This country is in a mess because of them and they are taking the position that now at this juncture that they have the right answers to fix this problem. They had more than 16 years to do something for this country. I do remember that when they controlled the majority, they ignored and did not reach across to the Dems. IMO if they want to be included then they need to make an appointment with the President from this point on when the next bill comes up that needs bipartisan support. The Dems don't need them to pass anything. Obama is trying to include them but since the Republithugs want Obama to fail, I feel he should stop courting them and do what he needs to dc.
The Republicans are aggressively pursuing their own goals, even in the face of public opinion, common sense, common decency and the welfare of the republic. That makes them amoral self-serving dicks, but I wouldn't call it spineless.
You've been programed into giving the Repukes credit for being "tough" even when it's without merit. This is the beginning of the 2010 and 2012 campaigns...they simply want their power back and Obama needs to fail for them to get it.
when they are led around by their noses by their leadership and don't have an independant thought. That's what republicans do.
If the Democrats are spineless then he is either complimenting the Republicans for being all balls or failing to notice they are all nuts.
When we're into the Bush depression for a few years with vast unemployment and loss of health benefits, people will continue to get sick. There'll be more foreclosures, bankruptcies, and general desperation. The Repugs and Dem/Repugs will have a harder time denying the need for universal health care.
I think we're already into the Bush depression. I know few people that aren't impacted by our current economic situation.
Or few who are not depressed that Bush was the Decider.
Nuff said.
instead of serving in amazon, remote area medical charity plug a little of the health services gap in tennessee. (read: congressman serves $ instead of constituents; volunteers see great need to treat TN residents)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/28/60m...
There are 47 Blue Dog Democrats, so the majority of them voted for the stimulus. I really don't have a problem with the Democratic party being a big tent party, or that Democrats are capable of independent and critical thought. I think it makes us the more creative, viable party. Would we really want Democrats to march in lockstep like the Repubs? What's the chance of the Democrats voting for or against anything 100%. If I were a Repub, I'd be spooked that their minds could be universally controlled.
Maybe Cooper voted with Boehner on this in the hopes of using his tanning bed.
double?
Cooper is hoping not.
LOL....In the old days we used to call them Dixecrats and of course the list would be comprised of southern Dems who should change their party affiliation. Consevatism has failed and is responsible for our current woes. Here is the list of Dems who voted against the bill...
1 Boyd FL 2
2 Bright Alabama 2
3 Cooper Tennessee 5
4 Ellsworth Indiana 8
5 Griffith Alabama 5
6 Kanjorski PA 11
7 Kratovil Maryland 1
8 Minnick Idaho 1
9 Peterson Minnesota 7
10 Shuler N C 11
11 Taylor Mississippi 4
... more than 11 democrats had voted against it
I'll swear, if I didn't believe Obama is a rational person, I'd say he's done very little but shoot himself in the foot since his inauguration.
Why is he making such BAD alliances and appointments to his cabinet? Are there no others available? In the distant past, I ran a very active and sizeable organization, and to get the talent I needed, I identified people who I thought were close to the philosophy and goals in place, reviewed the particulars with them, and got suggestions from them about who else to bring aboard. I CERTAINLY didn't find people willy-nilly who would screw up the works.
But then, I wasn't a community organizer, though there's nothing wrong with that if everybody's on the same page but just has to work out the best way to accomplish the mission.
We had goals to accomplish and no time or even a need to try to wring blood from stones. I haven't seen Obama's community organizing "bipartisan" skills bring much of value to fruition.
I know it's too early to make a judgment about the end results but damned if I'm not worried....
The only thing I can think of is that when he had that "Jiminy Cricket, I'm actually going to be the President of the United States!" moment he thought "I need to get folks who know how to run the country." Since the Carter administration was 3 decades old, the only ones left - unfortunately - were Clintonistas...and they quickly co-opted his administration's goals.
... a glossy 8x10 photo of Rush Limbaugh, signed with a big fat kiss and the words "You can't just suck, you have to swallow."
(Site monitor, delete this is it's deemed too crude.)
Incidentally, does anyone know if Cooper voted to rush $700 Billion to John Thain and pals?
ill try and search roll call.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml
His name appeared on the list of yeas. Do a document search for Cooper and you will find his name. He's the only Cooper in Congress.
EDIT: Meant Yeas not Nays
We have far too many DINOs in the Democratic Party.
I'm a Washington thinker; in the aspect that if I had my way, political parties wouldn't exist.
Vote out the Blue Dog Dick-Heads.
This is simply my opinion.
Actions, are based on basically a couple core principals, that being belief and desire.
Why does the republican party desire smaller federal intervention and prefer a smaller states rights organization?
Why are the Democrats normally blamed for larger federal intervention?
I believe it boils down to a simple set of ideologies. Before I looked, from a stereotypical assumption, I believe my theory to hold merit. Look at the statistical 2008 election map, it displays a certain ideology of the said state, as far as voter participation goes.
What group would be uncomfortable with the perceived infringement of their god given rights vs. those furnished by our Constitution? I think you may find, that a great many individuals have a problem reconciling the two.
Look at a rough picture of our nation's ideology > http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/...
Does anyone know of a similar statistical map, showing the stimulus fiat money application?
This influx of cash is desperately needed, though the prudent application is of individual interest, the question is, whose?
I believe the only one who can't lose, is the [BANKS]? I am not referring to the private ones. My best wishes to all...
Amended: FYI > http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id...
Mike's Blog Roundup
By Mike Finnigan Thursday Jan 29, 2009 8:00am
Thanks Mike... > http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/11...
Talk about being hypocritical. You's are lambasted the Repubs for voting partisan on the clusterf*ck bill, and then slapping the few Dems that voted against their own party. So if the Dems had voted lockstep, it would be ok, but the Repubs did it, and it's terrible? I know things have to be done and fast with the state of the economy globally, but rushing through this bill of mostly garbage won't cure anything. It'll cause more debt, oh big whoopie. It's admitted even by leftist economists like Krugman, that tax cuts don't work, and this bill does not spend properly on infastructure. Seems to me, you are all getting stuck on partisanship.
...only obstruction...kind of like you. At least Obama is trying to get the Nation working again, unlike you and your Conservative buddies. That racist turd Limbaugh was honest...the only hope for the Republicans is that Obama FAILS! They care only about power...they have never gave a shit about everyday Americans, whom they obviously despise. You sound like that fat prick Lou Dobbs, with the false claim that each party is equally culpable for this economic cesspool we're in.
Unless you've been in a coma the last fifteen years, you're the hypocrite.
it's the truth. Read your own damn posts if you don't believe it. Tell me something, if a better candidate in your jurisdiction was a Republican, would you vote for him/her?
Probably not, because you are a partisan hack just like the Republicans you pretend to despise.
I will never vote for, or support a party or group that actively promotes and benefits from race hatred and various forms of division.
Just because my agenda is far different from yours doesn't make it incorrect.
now re-read my post that you replied so angrily to. Now reread your post at 10:42. You just proved exactly what I said, so how am I wrong?
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