Monday, 09/30/02
Cooper's fans showing up everywhere
By LEON ALLIGOOD
Staff Writer
Everywhere Jim Cooper goes, there are people like Janelle Glover.
''Your kids were so good in your commercial,'' said Glover, who approached the 5th District Democratic nominee at a meeting at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.
In the primary race against Gayle Ray, two of Cooper's three children compared their father's domestic skills to his abilities as a congressman. On making sure seniors have affordable health care, the kids rated him ''good.'' On cooking and fashion, the kids gave him a raised eyebrow and a ''well,'' meaning he wasn't so good. The ''good-well'' ad charmed viewers and made school celebrities of Mary, 12, and Jamie, 11.
''I can cook a lot better than they portrayed me,'' Cooper said, reaching to shake Glover's hand.
Cooper, the Democratic nominee for the 5th District race, is no stranger to Tennessee politics.
Born in Nashville and raised in Shelbyville, his father, Prentice Cooper, was a governor for six years. At the age of 28, two years out of Harvard Law School, Jim Cooper was elected to Congress, representing the 4th District. He served six terms before opting to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Al Gore.
That, he says, ''is when I underestimated Fred Thompson,'' who defeated Cooper by a 22% margin in a statewide vote.
Following his defeat, Cooper moved his wife, Martha, and children to Nashville and settled into a career as mortgage banker and adjunct professor at Vanderbilt's Owen School of Management. Occasionally, he volunteered to help out with party fund-raisers, but he otherwise held a low-profile position in politics.
Ironically, it was Thompson who played a major role in Cooper's comeback. The senator's decision not to run again caused a domino effect that left the 5th District seat open.
''We had a vote around the kitchen table, and everyone agreed I should run. I filed in April, an hour before the deadline,'' he said.
''I've been running since then.''
The exception was a week in June when he had colon cancer surgery. The operation was deemed a success, and he's had no recurring problems.
''I want to thank the Lord that it was caught early, and the surgeon got it all,'' Cooper told ministers gathered at the weekly Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.
''Amen'' and ''praise God'' was heard. The Rev. James Thomas put his arm around Cooper's shoulders and looked at the audience.
''We had a long talk, and I'm here to tell you we need somebody like him who can take it to those folks up there. Somebody who is sensitive to our community, so remember him,'' Thomas intoned.
If elected, Cooper said he would support many issues he supported during his earlier terms in Congress.
On education, he called for a federal statute ''to make sure states don't fall below a set of standards.''
On the economy, Cooper said nothing can be done about normal business cycles, ''but what we can try to do is make the trough between the cycles as shallow as possible.''
He's concerned about other issues, such as the security of intellectual property rights, improving tourism and protecting Social Security.
''One of things that convinced me to try again was that Congress was not performing up to its ability. I want to change that,'' he said.
After an eight-year absence, supporters are glad he's back.
Tom Green, a retiree and part-time business consultant, said Cooper's intellect and drive are needed more than ever in Washington.
''He's exactly the kind of guy we want there. He's got a brilliant mind, quick on his feet, but he can talk to anybody,'' said Green, watching Cooper make the rounds at a meat-and-three during the lunch hour.
If elected, history will be made. Cooper will become the first Tennessee congressman to serve two non-overlapping districts.
As his kids might say, he has done good — uh, well.
Monday, 09/30/02
Cooper has advantages in 5th District race
By LEON ALLIGOOD
Staff Writer
In terms of money, name recognition and political tradition, the 5th District congressional contest between Democrat Jim Cooper and Republican Robert Duvall is lopsided.
Cooper, a well-known former congressman, son of a former governor and a pro at running successful campaigns, is going against Republican Bob Duvall, a Nashville business executive with little of the name recognition Cooper enjoys and has been in only one race before running for Congress.
They are vying for the seat Bob Clement gave up to run for the U.S. Senate.
If Cooper, 48, is confident of winning, he's not saying so. He still maintains a daily schedule of campaign appearances after earning a decisive win in the Democratic primary. Cooper defeated Gayle Ray, former Davidson County sheriff.
If Duvall, 51, fears a Cooper landslide, he's staying mum, too. The Republican nominee is campaigning hard, shaking hands and explaining who he is and why he is qualified to be a congressman. He dislikes the notion he is a ''token candidate.''
The race, however, is not even on the radar screen of political observers in Washington. While other open-seat congressional races in Tennessee, particularly the 4th and 7th, have attracted attention, the 5th has received little press outside Nashville.
In the candidates' Aug. 15 reports to the Federal Election Commission, Cooper reported contributions of $655,669. During the same reporting period, Duvall reported contributions of less than $5,000.
Sometimes in life, one gets a second chance.
Through tenacious campaigning and a tight focus on issues that matter to real people, former Congressman Jim Cooper has given himself a shot at being the 5th Congressional District’s next representative to Congress.
Based on his experience, his excellent grasp of the challenges facing Wilson Countians and his ability to lead, the Mt. Juliet News endorses Jim Cooper in the Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional District race.
Cooper served Tennesseans as their 4th District Congressman in the 1980s and 1990s before losing a bid to be a U.S. Senator to Sen. Fred Thompson in 1994.
The loss of Cooper in any position to serve Tennesseans was a great loss as he was a bona fide star in the House of Representatives. What made Cooper a star was his ability and willingness to attack difficult issues, such as the national crisis of healthcare coverage and prescription drug costs.
Cooper’s vision on these problems is simple – average Americans should be able to afford healthcare. And Cooper is passionate enough to fight for that principle.
More importantly to Wilson Countians, Cooper knows how to represent a rural but growing county. He has done it before. He understands that in addition to joining the national debate on weighty matters like healthcare he must also serve each citizen in every county he represents.
He must help us find federal money for roads, help senior citizens with the Social Security and help veterans with their benefits.
Cooper has been a leader for Tennessee, and he can be a leader for Wilson County. He is the best choice in the Democratic field for Congress.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2002
CONTACT: Mike Kopp 255-4546
Caty Butcher 463-7372 or 347-1480
NASHVILLE – To protect America’s clean air, clean water and precious public lands, the Tennessee Chapter of Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest and largest environmental organization, has today announced its endorsement of Jim Cooper for Congress.
“At a time when Americans feel a special connection to our country, the people of the 5th District want leaders we can trust to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the wilderness we love,” said Caty Butcher, Chapter Political Chair. “Jim Cooper is a true environmental champion who not only takes a strong environmental stand on the issues but who has also made the courageous votes to protect the environment.”
Butcher said Sierra Club will lend its volunteer strength to Cooper’s campaign. “In this election voters will make clear choices to support those who will stand up for our health, our safety and our families over those who cater to big corporate interests at our families’ expense,” said Butcher. “As Americans learn how Enron influenced Vice President Cheney’s energy policy, people are increasingly leery of politicians who do the bidding of big corporate polluters, and they want to know who they can trust.”
“I am pleased to receive the support of Sierra Club and I am proud of the hard work of its members here and across the country who diligently serve as the stewards of our precious natural resources,” said Cooper. “During my previous 12 years in Congress I was actively engaged in the many major environmental initiatives of the time, from the creation of the Clean Air Act to energy conservation,” said Cooper. “Today the air we breathe and the water we drink are again under threat by interests that do not share our values of preserving that which we are borrowing from future generations. I am prepared to go back to Washington and continue the fight against those interests and to do what’s right to protect our natural resources.”
Cooper, who served in Congress from 1983 to 1995 from the neighboring 4th District, was rated by the League of Conservation Voters as Tennessee’s best congressman at protecting the environment. Cooper was one of the first in Congress to take action against the threat of climate change, and consistently supported energy conservation and alternative energy measures.
Cooper said he is strongly opposed to drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, is against opening up our national forests to the timber industry, opposes any effort to abandon strict water quality standards, and would fight against any efforts to relax air emission standards.
Sierra Club’s endorsement is a two-step, volunteer-driven process. Endorsement requests originate on the local level where candidates are thoroughly screened and often personally interviewed by Sierra Club volunteers. The state’s volunteer political committee then votes on whether to extend an endorsement at that time. Once approved by the state’s political committee, the endorsement is forwarded to the national volunteer Sierra Club Political Committee, which then votes on whether to approve the request at that time. Once this committee approves the request, the candidate is officially notified of their Sierra Club endorsement.
Sierra Club was founded in 1892 by John Muir and a group of other leading environmental advocates. The organization today has more than 700,000 members and is a strong voice nationally and internationally on environmental matters.
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Copied from the July 15, 2002 issue of the I-24 Exchange
IS IT JUST ME?
By Kerry R. McCarver
The political season is now in high gear with early voting going on through July 27 at the Election Office at 272 Frey Street in Ashland City.
For the candidates, it is a non-stop campaign filled with handshakes, forums, parades, picnics, barbecues, hot dogs, rallies and the day of decision on August 1.
Several candidates and readers have asked if the I-24 Exchange planned on any political endorsements. Many of you know for the most part, I am a one-man operation. Any endorsement would be my single endorsement and not a “thumbs up” of any conglomerate publishing company that operates outside of Cheatham County.
I don’t believe it is my responsibility to tell you who to vote for on the local level. It is the job of the candidates to meet and tell you why you should vote for them August 1. I watch the candidates at the political functions to see how hard they are working to gather votes. Who works as if they are always five votes behind?
I enjoyed the Pegram 4th of July parade watching the “parade strategy” of the candidates as they walked or rode by. Some candidates walked the route, shaking hands, stumping for every vote. Some rode and waved. I stood with Cheatham County Proud American Robert D. Perry and watched the parade go by which made the event a truly great holiday event.
Cheatham County has already won on one front that I wrote about earlier this year. We will indeed have a Cheatham Countian as a State Representative come November. Democrat Jerry Hamlin from Ashland City and Republican Phillip Johnson from Pegram are unopposed in August and will square off in the General Election in November.
With the redrawn lines, Cheatham was finally placed in one state house district, but we also lost on another front, with the county literally split down the middle between the 5th and 7th Congressional Districts.
When Cheatham County was completely in the 7th District, we were part of a district that gerrymanders from Robertson and Montgomery Counties to near Memphis.
West Cheatham and Kingston Springs are still part of the sprawling 7th district while Pleasant View, East Cheatham, Ashland City and Pegram are now included in the 5th District with Nashville and part of Wilson County.
I have been impressed with only one congressional candidate, Jim Cooper. Cooper has the previous experience as congressman, so he would not have to figure out where and what to do in his first Washington term.
I met and interviewed Mr. Cooper when he visited Pleasant View City Hall in a campaign visit. From what little I knew about Cooper from his TV appearances, I had formed an opinion that Cooper was a stiff shirt cardboard politician with canned answers and little independent thought on the issues.
After meeting with Cooper, I found he was extremely personable with a great sense of humor. Cooper did not shy from any issue discussed, which has become a campaign strategy for too many candidates in an election year. Television does not do this man justice. Cooper has made several visits to Cheatham County campaigning and established a headquarters in Ashland City. Cooper said if elected he will bring a congressional office to Cheatham County which would be the first ever for the county.
I believe strategies of the other congressional candidates is to win in Metro Davidson County and not to worry much about how Cheatham County will vote. If we don’t see them during the election, how much will we see them if elected?
I watched Jim Cooper walking and campaigning in the parade, only weeks after surgery. In that July morning heat, I saw a man with a mission and passion that is driven to win.
I want a congressman that will not be on a first-term learning curve, but more importantly, know where Pleasant View is located if we need him.
Our half of Cheatham County deserves a Congressman like Jim Cooper has already proven to be.
JULY 11 - 17, 2002 -- EDITORIAL
Endorsements
Voters go to the polls Aug. 1 to take part in both a general election for Metro offices and primaries for state and federal seats.
Our editorial board has interviewed many of the candidates. And we have endorsed those we think would best represent the people of Davidson County. We encourage all voters to participate in this election. If you don't, you have no right to complain. (We'll be checking our letters to the editor about this editorial against the voter registration rolls.) Early voting starts this week--July 12, to be exact.
U.S. Congress, 5th District
Democrat Jim Cooper is the best choice to represent this district, for this single reason: He knows the issues. A former congressman from Tennessee, Cooper distinguished himself in Washington as the state's 4th congressional representative. He was an expert on health care, telecommunications, cable TV regulation and countless other subjects. Cooper is pro-consumer, opposes frivolous amendments to the U.S. Constitution and isn't afraid to go after powerful people and institutions when they screw up. Most importantly, Cooper has the confidence to take positions that go against conventional wisdom or political expedience. Were Cooper to be elected, we think he would be one of the more influential members of Congress within perhaps two terms.
Source: http://www.nashvillescene.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?story=This_Week:News:Editorial
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, July 9, 2002
CONTACT: Mike Kopp 255-4546
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE ENDORSE JIM COOPER FOR CONGRESS
NASHVILLE – The Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest organization of law enforcement professionals, today endorsed Jim Cooper to be the next Congressman for the 5th District, which includes Davidson and parts of Cheatham and Wilson counties.
“With so much at stake today in the areas of public safety and homeland security, we need Jim Cooper to be our voice in Washington,” said Calvin E. Hullett, President of FOP Andrew Jackson Lodge #5 during a news conference at the FOP’s local headquarters. “Jim Cooper knows the issues, and with his experience, he will hit the ground running to make a difference for law enforcement professionals and for the people in the communities we serve.”
Hullett pointed out that Cooper’s experience as a Congressman for 12 years in the neighboring 4th District is vital to being effective today. “With Jim’s background we don’t have to wait several years for our next Congressman to get up to speed on the complex and challenging issues in Washington,” he said. “Jim’s experience, coupled with his commitment to support the issues and concerns that we share, makes him the hands down choice for the job.”
Cooper said he was “humbled and honored to receive the endorsement of law enforcement professionals.”
“We all need to work closely together to ensure that we do what we can to protect our communities from those who would threaten our very freedoms,” said Cooper. “I pledge to be a good public servant and to do what I can from Day One to be an effective, strong voice to those who have dedicated their lives in the service of others.”
The FOP, organized in 1915, represents law enforcement professionals in 40 states and two foreign countries. Its membership nationwide and here in the 5th District include rank and file police officers and other law enforcement professionals who work each day to protect and defend the people who live and work in our local communities.
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