November 15, 2007

Coddling Corruption

David Oatney thinks that the way Tennessee Democrats have handled the scandalous and criminal behavior by state Rep. Rob Briley and state Sen. Jerry Cooper bespeaks a party that has grown arrogantly comfortable with power.

Oatney's right, the Democrats have coddled Briley and Cooper rather than condemned their behavior. Have you read a single public statement by the Tennessee Democratic Party condemning Sen. Cooper for stealing nearly $95,000 in campaign funds? Have you read any statement from top House or Senate Democrats suggesting that Cooper's efforts to steer a $300,000 state grant to his own personal financial benefit - building a railway spur to some industrial land he owned, so he could sell it for a higher price - might have been just a tad abusive of his power?

No.

And you won't. Because Tennessee's top Democrats don't roll that way. They're perfectly happy to let bribe-taking lawmakers like Ward Crutchfield and Kathryn Bowers stay in the legislature, voting on legislation. If the monstrously corrupt Sen. John Ford hadn't resigned, they wouldn't have tried to push him out the door either.

Sen. Jerry Cooper was fined $120,000 yesterday by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance for stealing $94,350 from his campaign account over a two-year period. Showing just how little he respects the law and the authority that's supposed to enforce it, Sen. Cooper ignored a Registry request that he attend the hearing.

He ought to resign and let the people of the 14th District pick someone - Democrat or Republican - who has the integrity and honor that Sen. Jerry Cooper so obviously lacks. If Cooper doesn't resign, the Tennessee Democratic Party and top Democrats in state government, starting with Gov. Phil Bredesen, ought to be urging him to do so.

Don't hold your breath. The silence from Gov. Bredesen, from the Tennessee Democratic Party and from top Tennessee Democrats regarding Cooper speaks volumes about how little they really care about one of their own grossly abusing the public trust.

For Tennessee Democrats, it seems, corruption is just a cost of staying in power and coddling it in the name of retaining power is no vice.