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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
Tennessee 5th district Congressman Jim Cooper has had an memorable week of voting.
Tuesday he was one of the few Democrats to vote against the fiscal cliff then Thursday he made another vote against party lines.
The Democratic Congressman chose a republican in the all important vote for speaker of the house who's not in congress, former General Colin Powell.
"My colleagues know I'm a blue dog Democrat. I try to do the right thing for the country," said Cooper.
Cooper says he chose Powell because he believes the House needs a leader who can work with both parties.
"Congress has rarely in all of American History been more broken," said Cooper. "That sort of broad appeal is really important to strengthen the institution because we need a functioning Congress and right now we do not have one."
Cooper says the recent decision not to vote on aid for Hurricane Sandy as an example of how the House is broken.
As for that fiscal cliff deal, Cooper says he voted against it because he couldn't support a bill that made the deficit worse.
"There were a lot of things in there that should not have been in that bill for example tax give-a-ways for NASCAR, motor sports, Hollywood film producers, Puerto Rican rum producers. Why is trash like that in the bill," said Cooper.
Vanderbilt Political Science professor Bruce Oppenheimer says the votes may get attention but they could also end up costing him key committee assignments.
"He's a very bright capable guy who in many ways should be more influential in Congress than he is," said Oppenheimer.
Tuesday he was one of the few Democrats to vote against the fiscal cliff then Thursday he made another vote against party lines.
The Democratic Congressman chose a republican in the all important vote for speaker of the house who's not in congress, former General Colin Powell.
"My colleagues know I'm a blue dog Democrat. I try to do the right thing for the country," said Cooper.
Cooper says he chose Powell because he believes the House needs a leader who can work with both parties.
"Congress has rarely in all of American History been more broken," said Cooper. "That sort of broad appeal is really important to strengthen the institution because we need a functioning Congress and right now we do not have one."
Cooper says the recent decision not to vote on aid for Hurricane Sandy as an example of how the House is broken.
As for that fiscal cliff deal, Cooper says he voted against it because he couldn't support a bill that made the deficit worse.
"There were a lot of things in there that should not have been in that bill for example tax give-a-ways for NASCAR, motor sports, Hollywood film producers, Puerto Rican rum producers. Why is trash like that in the bill," said Cooper.
Vanderbilt Political Science professor Bruce Oppenheimer says the votes may get attention but they could also end up costing him key committee assignments.
"He's a very bright capable guy who in many ways should be more influential in Congress than he is," said Oppenheimer.
Thursday, January 3 2013, 10:38 PM CST
Tennessee News
2 appellate court judges are stepping down
May 24, 2013 21:29 GMT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Two Tennessee appellate court judges have notified Gov. Bill Haslam that they will not run for another term on the bench in the August 2014 retention election.
Patricia J. Cottrell, a judge on the Court of Appeals, and Joseph M. Tipton, who sits on the Court of Criminal Appeals bench, will both leave after September of next year.
The announcements come after the state legislature left Tennessee without a way to replace judges who step down or die when a commission expires at the end of next month.
Members of the soon-to-be-defunct Judicial Nominating Commission will make recommendations for replacements to give to Haslam before the panel expires. Haslam will appoint the replacements from those recommendations.
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