Representative Nathan Cooper (R) gets 15 months in the big house

You will recall that Republican State Representative Nathan Cooper pled guilty to federal charges that he steered temporary work visa to illegal aliens for his clients in in the trucking industry. Republicans love profiting off illegal aliens!!

This blog discussed Nathan Cooper several times. You know, things like Rep. Nathan Cooper and Rep. Jerry Nolte determining that abortion is the cause of illegal immigration. KC Blue Blog was the first to call on Cooper and the Republicans to give the tainted money he raised in a single golf tournament (65,000) to charity.

Fired Up pointed out the Cooper got half the sentence recommended by the federal sentencing guidelines, passed in part of 32 letters of support that were filed under seal. Don't you wonder which Republicans went to pat for their pal? Which Republican with ties to Blunt think we should go light on an attorney who uses his political power to help corporations profit off of low wage illegal immigrants?

I think Matt Blunt, who called for openness during Supreme Court nominations, should call for openness during the sentencing of some one who supports profitable illegal immigration. Surely Blunt's buddy, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway, would listen and petition the court to make the letters open.

Taking Back the Missouri House, one Steve Hodges at a Time

Democrats have the very real chance to take back the Missouri House in 2008. If for no other reason, Democrats come out in droves in presidential election years.

We can take it back, and put Rep. Paul LeVota in the Speaker's chair, if we have more Steve Hodges. Hodges is the State Representative in SE Missouri, East Prairie, 161st District. The Southeast Missourian and the East Prairie Eagle recently ran a story that outlined the race in 2006.

When term limits kept Lanie Black from running again for his 161st District Missouri House of Representatives seat last year, a political bout ensued that became a priority for both state party organizations.
In one corner: Gary Branum, a respected New Madrid County farmer running on Black's legacy of agriculture-based Republicanism, with Black as his trainer.

In the other: Steve Hodges, a well-known businessman, substitute teacher, high school football referee and former sports coach from East Prairie, running on a populist message of helping the disadvantaged in one of the poorest legislative districts in the state. Hodges' trainer was former governor Warren Hearnes and his wife, Betty, a statehouse veteran who held a seat for 10 years in what was then the 160th District.

Well, the Republicans are ticked. Republican Party Spokesman Paul Sloca has this to say:

"It's a very important race," Sloca said. "We feel confident about taking that back, because a Republican candidate is going to be running on a strong record of Republican accomplishments" in the areas of education, health care and illegal immigration.

Sloca calls Hodges' seat a "very, very vulnerable" Democratic seat that can be retaken in a "predominantly Republican" area, despite the Bootheel's long history of Democratic dominance.

What have the Republicans done for education, health care and illegal immigration? Higher education costs more in Missouri than it ever has, local school districts (like East Prairie) are getting less from the state funding formula, 100,000 poor folks were kicked off health insurance and the only thing that the Republicans have done on immigration is put Rep. Nathan Cooper (R) in jail for getting his rich Republican clients illegal immigrants to work for them.

Every seat counts. The difference between Republicans cutting Medicare to the poor and Andy Blunt pushing through ticket scalping for his brother to sign into law is putting a Democrat in the speaker's chair. We can't do it by electing Democrats in Brookside. We have to keep Hodges in his seat in the Bootheel. We have to pick up some seats in Clay County and Eastern Jackson County. We do that - while electing Jay Nixon to be our next Governor - and the nonsense stops.

Nolte (33) - Abortion Causes Illegal Immigration

As the Immigration issues continue to draw attention and as we discuss Rep. Jerry Nolte's (33rd) lack luster performance in Jefferson City, it is important to examine these issues along with abortion. What, abortion & immigration? Those two things are unrelated!!!

Recall that Rep. Nolte (R) - Mr. "limited activity"- is the vice chair of the immigration committee. That committee did not pass a single bill into law in 2007. 2006 wasn't a banner year, either. That was the year the immigration committee decided that abortion caused illegal immigration. This was the Special Committee to study immigration reform. Not a single Democrat signed the illogical report, but felon Nathan Cooper did, along with Rep. Nolte. Check out page 9 of the offical report by Nolte & Cooper.

Right there in black and white - 30 years of abortion causes illegal immigration. What about before Roe v. Wade? What about Nathan Cooper working for trucking companies to get illegal aliens into the US?

Rep. Nolte - we want to know where you stand!! You should either publicly take your name off this report, stating your disgust for your friend and felon Nathan Cooper or not run for office. Which one is it?

Felon Nathan Cooper to give Money to Charity

You will recall that Blog CCP reported on State Representative Nathan Cooper pleading guilty to a felony. KC Blue Blog started the beating of the drums to give the ill-gotten proceeds from a shady golf tournament to charity. Congrats, KC Blue Blog - it worked.

It was reported yesterday that Felon Nathan Cooper (R) is going to give the $65,000 in donations he squeezed from folks to charities. Also in the news is that the Missouri Supreme Court - a non-partisan group - went ahead an punched Nathan Cooper's ticket and took his law license. Cooper wanted to hold onto it until he was sentenced.

This is an interesting story because the U.S. Attorney that is handling this case is none other than the former Speaker of the House, Catherine Hanaway (a Republican candidate for the Missouri Attorney General). The time between the plea and the sentencing indicates that Cooper is looking for a deal - which means he needs to roll over on someone. Who will it be? Will Hanaway go light on a felon/lawyer/legislator? Will Hanaway let Cooper rat someone out or use this to score political points (and if so, points for the primary or points for the general)?

Republican Representative Cooper a Felon - Give the Dirty Money to Charity!!

Representative Nathan Cooper (R), from Southeast Missouri, has plead guilty to a felony for lying about immigration paperwork. Kinda of ironic that Republicans, especially Rep. Nolte from Gladstone, are harsh critics of the immigration, yet pass no substantive laws, and one of their own is breaking immigration law for Republican donors. Representative Cooper (R) will be resigning his political office.

Two days before pleading guilty to a felony in federal court, Representative Cooper (R) transferred over $65,000 from his campiagn account to the "Friends of the 158th." There is symbiotic relationship between the "Friends of the 158th" and the "Friends of Nathan Cooper." They have the same treasure (Victor Gunn), they write checks back and forth, they jointly hosted a golf tournament.

Nathan Cooper (R) served on the Joint Committee for Government Accountability. You can tell he learned alot there. According to Missouri Political News, Democrats were quick to respond to the incident. "First they started trading tax credits for campaign contributions, then they sold fee offices to political allies, and now we learn that Rep. Nathan Cooper — one of Matt Blunt’s top lieutenant in the legislature — has been handing out visas to illegal immigrants for personal gain," said Jack Cardetti, Missouri Democratic Party spokesman. "Today’s guilty plea pulls back the curtain on the culture of corruption created by Matt Blunt and his legislative allies. It’s no wonder that Missourians are ready for change." The Missouri GOP has issued no official response regarding the incident. According to the Associated Press, Cooper took in at least $50,000 from trucking industry clients in the scheme between 2004 and 2005.

Many folks are calling for Cooper's tainted money, which now sits in the "Friends of the 158th" to be donated to charity. I cannot imagine that any Republican would want to get a donation from the "Friends of the 158th." Why not refund the money to the donors? Because even before pleading guilty to a felony, Cooper wanted to help his Republican friends. Victor Gunn and Rep. Cooper made sure they got refunds from the "Friends of Nathan Cooper" committee for the federal guilty plea.

Give the money to charity!!! Where is Blunt?