Congressman Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, meet Dan Rather, former anchor for CBS News.
Both of you seem to have been involved in an out-of-body, out-of-mind experience. And Rep. Cooper, yours has already outdone Rather's story about his mugging in New York. It would be most entertaining to watch, except for the people of Nashville and your congressional district who are suffering for your failings.
From watching WSMV-TV and reading Jeff Woods' blog on the Nashville Scene website, Congressman, you've gone further than any politician has dared go in pushing legislative oversight that won't even affect his or her congressional district for the better. And you're even using someone's else password to get protected information about America's most pressing threat -- Rural Electric Cooperatives.
Gosh, I guessed bin Laden. Wrong, again.
Finally we learn from former U.S. Rep. Glenn English -- from my home state of Oklahoma -- that you're under FBI investigation. Sorry, Rep. Cooper, but ol' Glenn is a straight shooter from my knowledge of him during his days in Congress. If he says you're under investigation by the FBI, then your constituents should believe it.
Holy Smokes, Congressman! What are you going to do for a befuddling encore, endorse Sen. John McCain for president?
You already weirded us out by standing up on stage with the darling of the extreme right, "Congressman" Marsha Blackburn, and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in praising Sheriff Daron Hall's 287(g) deportation program of Hispanic immigrants. This kiss of the ass of the anti-immigrant crowd is something that not even the most pandering Democrat would dare to do. But there you were, a puppet on the stage for this Republican buffoonery and historical nastiness. While Democratic insiders say you now realize your mistake, we've not heard a word of apology from your mouth or any action to remove your endorsement of the heinous 287(g).
But you are speaking out against those big bad RECs. It always easier to tackle an issue and special interest not in your congressional district. I understand no one is tackling the fruit fly problem in Fresno. Interested?
Nashvillians are receiving the poorest of representation in Washington, not only from Cooper but Alexander and Sen. Bob Corker as well. No one is representing your progressive values. No one is speaking up for the most vulnerable among us. No one has the passion to use his or her bully pulpit to demand attention to what's affecting your lives and stamping out your ideals.
For you his constituents, Don Quixote Cooper is out jousting with the windmills of the Rural Electric Cooperatives and using someone else's password to get into a restricted website. Meanwhile, Tennessee's Democratic Party is in shambles, TennCare is being whittled down to nothing by the governor and Metro public schools are one year away from being taken over by the state. The state takeover will be like a blind man leading a one-legged fellow across a swollen river. Heaven help the children.
So, Rep. Cooper, what do you have to say for yourself concerning this latest eccentricity besides all the ones before? More importantly, what do Nashvillians have to say about lacking a voice in Congress that speaks for them and their values on what a nation and community should be?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
As I'm sure you know, Rep. Blackburn and most conservatives are not "anti-immigrant." They only oppose illegal immigration (with every other sensible citizen, I hope). This is a very important distinction and I hope you were not intentional in your distortion.
Cato,
Thank you for your response and reading my post. I appreciate both.
As to my anti-immigrant note, it was very intentional. I write so based on personal experiences not rhetorical, political claims.
The 287(g) program has led to racial profiling of Hispanics here, legal or not. That is offensive, considering that my uncle, now 86, was a World War II hero as a middle gunner on a B-17. He rescued two members of his crew before the plane crashed. He then was hidden by the Dutch Underground.
The 287(g) program has led to the deportation of heads of households of families legally here and children born in this country. The families are left without their main source of income and they're made into single parent households.
There are more personal experiences I could write about that are consequences of policy supported by Rep. Blackburn. But do not take my word for it. I invite you to come down to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Nashville. For you, I will assemble a group of Hispanic mothers and children legally here. I will let them tell their story. And if you have any influence with Rep. Blackburn, please ask her to come along. We will treat her with respect, as is a custom of our culture no matter if we disagree with someone. I will bring with me Father Joseph Patrick Breen, pastor of St. Edward Catholic Church. He himself is the grandson of immigrants. And he is very disturbed by the 287g program in Nashville. He also has many personal stories, including appeals from local business owners who want to help the damaged families of their workers.
Please consider my opportunity to be made aware of the personal consequences of wrong public policy. It always is a benefit when we stretch our boundaries. I did so for several years in speaking to conservative groups across Tennessee and talking face to face about immigration reform. You'd have been surprised at the common ground we found.
With best regards,
Tim Chavez
Post a Comment