But "clean as a whistle" is fawning overstatement if you shift the question to supporting the Bush administration's agenda and accepting corporate PAC money. Yesterday, "The Whistle's" Independent opponent in November, Ginny Welsch, sent me a very interesting comparison of herself and Jim Cooper, which included the following point:
The Nation magazine says, "Whether the issue is peace or prosperity… [The Good] Cooper takes the side of a White House that has consistently been at odds with both those goals." That’s no surprise: 83% of Jim Cooper’s contributors are pro-corporate PACs.Like I said, he is not doing anything illegal all cozied up to George Bush and pro-corporate culture, but calling him "clean" makes "clean" look ugly for those of us with standards that rise above the difference between legal and illegal.
Gaddamnit Mike!
ReplyDeleteThis is about control of the house. It seems you are not voting independent here to keep from choosing the lesser of two evils; it seems it is more about trying to vote for the best possible candidate.
While I agree with you ideologically here, right now elections are too important to risk critical mass.
Please, for the sake of the future for my kids, don't vote for someone who can't win in November.
I rarely (if ever) vote independent and so when I do, I put a lot of thought into the decision beforehand (I swallowed hard and voted for Kerry twice and then blamed Ralph Nader for the loss; so, I understand the import of getting Democratic control of things). I have considered Jim Cooper's voting record and his financial commitments and I have come to the conclusion that he is never going vote Democratically, even with a majority. As far as I am concerned he is just another Republican, so voting for him would be voting for the other side. And I have to tell you, if Dems do get a majority, I have to wonder whether Cooper might consider changing parties to help out the Bush Administration, which he has supported. 99% of the time and as long as the Democratic Party remains a viable opposition, I'll vote Democrat. My vote for Ginny Welsch falls within that 1% for which I make an exception. And Jim Cooper has done quite a bit to make me make that exception.
ReplyDeleteSorry it has taken me so long to reply, I haven't been online much.
ReplyDeleteCooper may switch sides; Corker will not. Those are the only two candidates that stand a chance of winning. A Democratic speaker has broader implications than a single representative's vote (and I know you already know that). Please, Cooper is Tennessee's only chance of helping have a blue house.