Obama received support from ... a gun maker?

Here's a juicy little story about guns, hunting and politics:

USA Today ran an article Tuesday stating that Dan Cooper, chief executive of Cooper Arms in Montana, donated $3,300 to Barack Obama's presidential campaign and had donated to his 2004 Senate campaign after being "dazzled by Obama's speech at that year's Democratic National Convention."

Cooper Arms makes hunting rifles, and hunting gun owners — who largely support Republican John McCain and do not appreciate Obama's stance on gun control — went ballistic over the news in various Internet chat rooms.

Then came the first volley of damage control on the Cooper Arms website:

"Regarding the USA Today Article. Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc. did not contribute and does not support in any fashion the campaign of Senator Obama. Nine months ago Dan Cooper (personally) made an online donation to the campaign in an effort to help defeat Hillary Clinton and in protest of American plant closures and the shipping of jobs overseas.

"Three months ago he made yet another donation to the McCain campaign and the RNC totaling over twice that given to Obama campaign. There is no doubt that the article in USA Today has caused a considerable response. To this end we are encouraged and stand with our fellow NRA members and supporters of the Second Amendment and against those who oppose it."

That was earlier. As of late Wednesday, the statement on the Cooper Arms website read: 

"In response to the recent article highlighting Dan Cooper’s personal political donations, the board of directors, shareholders and employees of Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc would like to issue the following statement:

"The employees, shareholders and board of directors of Cooper Firearms of Montana do not share the personal political views of Dan Cooper.

"Although we all believe everyone has a right to vote and donate as they see fit, it has become apparent that the fallout may affect more than just Mr. Cooper. It may also affect the employees and the shareholders of Cooper Firearms.

"The board of directors has asked Mr. Cooper to resign as President of Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc.

"Daily operations will continue with the competent staff currently in place in Stevensville, MT producing the finest, most accurate rifles money can buy.

"Dan Cooper has spent all of his working life producing the highest quality rifles built here in the USA. He started with nothing but the American Dream and built that into firearms company anyone would be proud of. We firmly believe Dan stands by the 2nd amendment. We wish him all of the best in his future pursuits."

Justice, some might say, moves swiftly in Montana.

—Pete Thomas

Photo: Anne Cusak / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Bob]

Let me start by saying I WAS NOT for Obama. I own several guns, and several Coopers, and find most of this hard to take. Mr Cooper makes some of the best guns in the world. He has worked hard to make a very good firearm. There is nothing in his life that supports that he is for gun control, it is in fact the complete opposite. He has made and placed many rifles in to the world. I really believe that the Board of directors caved, before they saw what the end results would have been. This now leaves the door open as to what is in the future for cooper firearms. Maybe they fail, because of his lack of leadership, or the absence of the founder who's name appears on the firearms and has done so for many years. WHY do any of you so called gun supporters want to put a gun maker out the door. You say you support gun rights, but yet want to be part of forcing a true legend out the door, simply because of a choice he made that you do not agree with. That is kind of like cutting off the hand that supplies guns, to make sure he has only your views. Does this mean that if I was ANTI-GUN and want to cause problems all I need to do is, have other anti-gunners pretend to support guns, complain about the founder and get the person responsible for putting many arms into the market place removed. Then sit back and hopefully see the company fail. Gun makers all over have their own issues, let alone you so called gun supporters wanting to disrupt or close them down. I believe that Mr Cooper made the wrong choice, but I also believe that, the choice is his to make. I live near IL, and fully know what Obama supported, but this past weekend I went to a gun auction in Moline IL. where over 30 million dollars worth of guns was auctioned off. I believe we as a people are stronger than Obama. I want we the people to have the right to our views, and we the people includes Mr Cooper. I hate that a company like coopers caves to the loud just because they are loud. The loud may not always agree, with us gun owners. They needed to wait and see how the people really spoke in the form of lost sales, not more noise. But most of all, I believe that the action of the noisy may in this case be a slap in the face of gun owners, by wanting to force a true pioneer in gun making and a current manufacturer of very good firearms out the door. We need more quality gun makers, not less.

[sesquiculus]

To: Jon K.

I apologize for being too abstract for my audience. A common failing among we overeducated elitists.

Stated more concretely-- The second amendment is right there in the Bill of Rights with the first. Remeber, "The pen is mightier than the sword", etc. There are even better reasons for a govenment to limit freedom of the press than the right to keep and bear arms.

[Jon K.]

sesquiculus,

That was one of the more odd things I've read recently.

[sesquiculus]

Applying John K's argument to the 1st amendment

"The problem with newspapers is that paranoid people gravitate towards towards EXCESSIVE newspaper ownership. Why? Because they are deeply insecure, distrustful people who feel the need to overcompensate for their personal insecurity by going overboard and buying a chain of newpapers because they think the U.S government or the U.N. is going to kick in their doors any day and "take their precious printing presses!"

Healthy publishers own a few newspapers...., but don't feel the need to have a newspaper with them all the time, every place they go. Healthy publishers realize that a digital printer is enough for home publication. They don't need 12 newspapers including military newspapers such as "Stars and Stripes". They're reasonable.

I've had discussions with unhealthy newspaper owners. These are the kind of paranoid, insecure people filled with bravado who would rather publish an editorial than get a bloody nose in a fist fight. It just saddens me. They have deep psychological problems and anyone who notes that dysfunction is a "liberal slime."

It really sucks because there is a lot of value in newspapers and magazines, but these lunatic, paranoid newspaper-cult members who sit around with their personal printing presses railing against all government restraint are completely beyond reason."

[sesquiculus]

At least on social issues, I generally agree with Obama on abortion rights, teaching of evolution, Gay marriage, etc. I also firmly agree that the War on Drugs is really a civil war directed at black people.

Where I do not agree with him is his and the Democratic parties' views on "Reasonable gun control", which is just code for Prohibition. Unfortunately, many gun banners seek to make their frank clinical-phobia into law. This alone makes me vote for his opponent.

There are many voters like me. Irrational gun nuts ? Hardly. We figure that other matters can be corrected in the future. But once the second amendment gets de facto repealed, we will never get it back. So this is our issue.

Further, it is one that cuts across the political spectrum and unites us cultural liberals with the bible-thumping right. Usual estimates are that ouside the coasts and great lakes urban areas, being associated with firearms prohibition automatically costs you 3-7% of the vote, no matter what the other issues.

[kingtrev]

I am also a gun owner that supports Obama. Until today I'd never heard of Cooper Arms and frankly I have little need for a hunting rifle. However, as of today I am officially in the market for a Cooper Arms rifle. Even if it just sits in my garage for the next 20 years I'm going to buy one. The NRA can go straight to H.E.L.L. These spineless, pathetic worms on the Cooper Arms board can join them.

[Earl]

When you take a business public it is no longer YOUR business. You are now an employ of that business, and when any action of yours effects the well being of that corporation or it's share holders, you can be held accountable to the same. Mr. Cooper is an excellent business man, and as a private citizen he is welcome to further his personal views. BUT as a recognized figure head and major image maker for the company he built but no longer owned he is accountable in his role as company figure head for public image. He can do what ever he wants, but the company can do what every the want. No injustice was done here, only good business.

When you stand on a soap box, you better expect to hear from those who dessent with you.

[Jon K.]

The problem with guns is that paranoid people gravitate towards towards EXCESSIVE gun ownership. Why? Because they are deeply insecure, distrustful people who feel the need to overcompensate for their personal insecurity by going overboard and buying an arsenal because they think the U.S government or the U.N. is going to kick in their doors any day and "take their precious guns!"

Healthy gun owners own a few guns for hunting or personal protection, but don't feel the need to have a gun with them all the time, every place they go. Healthy gun owners realize that a shotgun is enough for home protection. They don't need 12 guns including military weaponry. They're reasonable.

I've had discussions with unhealthy gun owners. These are the kind of paranoid, insecure people fillled with bravado who would rather shoot a person than get a bloody nose in a fist fight. It just saddens me. They have deep psychological problems and anyone who notes that dysfunction is a "liberal slime."

It really sucks because there is a lot of value in hunting and marksmenship, but these lunatic, paranoid NRA-cult members who sit around with their personal arsenals railing against all government restraint are completely beyond reason.

[Northern Joe]

Posted by Trapper:
"and liberal slime that want to take away a God-given right"

You think god wrote the constitution? Wow, the brainwashing powers of the NRA must be strong. If anybody really believes that guns will ever stripped away fom US citizens you need to get out of your backwoods cabin every once in a while.

[Montana Hunter]

The United States of America is full of zealots. They fear god, they fear government, and they fear each other. They live in a dark world of despair; afraid that big brother is going to come in the middle of the night. They turn a blind eye to the Patriot Act that stole so many freedoms. They are coward of the first degree. Where were they when the Liberians were leading the charge for the preservation of our basic Constitutional Rights? They are not Americans; they are insecure, hypocritical, Republican blind mice following the leadership of fools. GOD BLESSES Dan Cooper and may she watch over him. May his entire cowardly foe choke on their dilly whackers.

[Thomas Mc]

Fired from the company you founded for supporting a presidential candidate?

Wow, I guess this really IS Nazi Germany!

[Joe]

Ask a Tasmanian.

[30]

John Pulliam - though I doubt you'll read this: Obama supported a ban on "cop killer ammunition". That included ALL rifle ammo. Why? Because almost all hunting rifles can go through a bullet proof vest.

Kristian - your "hunting rifle" with a scope is already loaded with cop-killer bullets. A .30-06 or a .243 or even a little .22 Magnum will go right through a vest. With that scope it's a "SNIPER RIFLE" to those who would ban guns.

The 2nd Amendment isn't about hunting. It's about our rights as citizens to protect ourselves from threats that may be foreign tyranny, domestic tyranny, or criminals. The 2nd Amendment is part of the bill of rights - not GRANTED by government, but PRE-EXISTING, NATURAL RIGHTS. The founders simply enumerated them.

No free man or woman should ever be disbarred the use of arms.

[Red]

Any gun owner who supports that freedom-hating degenerate Obama deserves...Obama for president.

But I don't deserve him.

I'm not going to support a company that supports Obama.

You guys can vote for Obama if you want but don't get all snotty when I take my business elsewhere.

[Mike in Montana]

Hope your cowardly actions backfire on you Cooper. Never heard of your co. but was going to buy one of your guns to support you backing your founder, regardless of politics, until you caved to hysteria. Will never buy a Cooper now.

[icr]

Various thoughts:

Does Cooper think he could open up a gun business in Obama's Chicago? Even if he made Bill Ayers or a mobster like Tony Reszko a partner?

In his his statement re this matter Cooper seems to think that Obama will be some sort of protectionist. That's contrary to what he implied at the infamous meeting at San Francisco's Billionaire's Row. Also, Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee was revealed to have privately told Canadian officials that Obama's talk about renegotiating NAFTA was, in effect, boob bait for the bubbas

Obama voted for reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act in 2006.

Vote for some third-party candidate for POTUS. If enough people do that it might scare the ruling elites.

[Mike Cole]

Dan Cooper is a man of principle and honor, just like his father. Dan will come out of this lynching a stronger and wiser man. Dan, many people love you and admire you for your honesty and integrity. You are my hero.

[Jonathan Pulliam]

Way to go Dan Cooper! I support Obama & 2nd amendment too. If he starts up a new company, I've got a couple of suggestions:

6.5 x 55 Swede Cal. Controlled-round feed bolt rifle, Cap. 5
26.5" Med. weight Chrome Moly Krieger barrel, 1 in 7.75" rifling twist, dual cryo treated.
Premium Laminated Walnut Stock w/ebony forend, checkered steel buttplate.
Checkered bolt knob. 1/4 MOA iron sights. 8 lbs. all-up weight loaded.

Go Obama!

[John]

"Still not getting the point? "Lawful gun owners" think they're being unfairly punished if a law is passed that requires gun registration. Yeah, it's a little hassle for someone who legally owns a gun. But when a criminal is caught using a gun to commit a crime, and they obtained that gun illegally, that gun registration law provides another penalty that we can prosecute them for, maybe keep that violent criminal off the streets for another year. "

Two points
1. Gun registration has been repeatedly used as an implement to facilitate gun confiscation.

2. Doesn't work like that, Victoria (Australia) has had registration and licencing of handguns since the 1920's. In a Victorian court a few years ago, a convicted felon, with priors for firearms and drug offences was brought up on illegal possession charges after Police found an unlicenced pistol in his car. His defence councel claimed as the serial number had been removed, police could not prove the gun was illlegal, guess what shit-for -brains, he got let off.

[John]

"Does anyone care what Dan Cooper has to say?? "

No, he supports Obama, in supporting Obama he has betrayed those who trusted him and who supported his business.

I suggest it was a cynical stunt by Cooper hoping that they'd ban the type of rifles he makes last and he might make money from people who, if Obama is elected are forced to buy a bolt-action as a semi would be illegal.

Regardless of his reasons, Cooper's opinions are irrelevant to this discussion

[Gunny]

It's painful to read so many posts by so many people who eat-up the NRA's propaganda.

All you idiots trying to play lawyer think that any legislation about guns will result in your guns being taken away because someone thinks of a 1-in-100 exception to a statement. Well, nimrods, that's not how the law works. You don't go to court and get nailed to the wall by 12 of your fellow citizens because of drivel like "technically a 30-30 round can be fired from certain handguns" - a jury of your peers is reasonable enough to interpret the intent of law from such absurd exceptions.

You jack-holes also go into a full-on panic at the prospect of any additional gun regulations. Any additional regulation instantly leads to the destruction of America, democracy, and sweet-baby Jesus. If that's true, why didn't all that happen at any of the previous hundreds of times that local, state and federal gun regulations were enacted? Really, get busy and start explaining it - I'm very interested to hear how you dopes ignore two hundred years of legislative history in this country and make it seem like we've never had any gun regulations passed EVER before.

And stop spewing that retarded logic that gun control laws aren't necessary because criminals don't follow laws to begin with. Well, so we shouldn't make rape or theft or arson illegal, right? Because rapists, thieves and arsonists are criminals who don't follow laws, right? Laws aren't passed just to prevent illegal activity - they're passed so people can be prosecuted and punished after they break the law.

Still not getting the point? "Lawful gun owners" think they're being unfairly punished if a law is passed that requires gun registration. Yeah, it's a little hassle for someone who legally owns a gun. But when a criminal is caught using a gun to commit a crime, and they obtained that gun illegally, that gun registration law provides another penalty that we can prosecute them for, maybe keep that violent criminal off the streets for another year.

Also, I really don't want to see another scared, insecure, pathetic fool use this quote:

"He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither." - Ben Franklin

I bet a bunch of you morons support the Patriot Act though. Now THAT is an example of exactly what he was warning people about. You frightened little sheep. You let a special interest group that only cares about gun scare you into voting for a particular presidential candidate. YOU are the idiots who have sacrificed your freedom to vote so you can feel security about gun ownership. YOU are the FRIGGIN' IDIOTS who deserve neither one.

I don't know if God will let you keep your guns in heaven, so I'm sure the NRA is against heaven too. Have fun in hell, suckers!

[Mark Anderson]

Thomas Jefferson supported redistribution of wealth via a graduated income tax. He also bragged to John Adams in a letter, that he helped to establish a law in Virginia that did not allow property to be bequeathed to just one relative, it had to be divided.
He was all about meritocracy and not Republican aristocracy. The way contemporary conservatives use the term Socialism, it would perfectly define Thomas Jefferson. To quote Ring Lardner "You could look it up". The best revenge is to vote for Obama and win, and guess what? NRA members will still get to keep their guns, some of them are paranoid, but the for the most part it's really just about fund raising. Happy hunting.

[Trapper]

'' because theres a hell of a lot more things that are more important in this country then buying into the NRA's belief that there is a liberal hiding under the bed waiting to grab or haul off your gun(s). I dont think that having a high capacity magazine is more important then getting this country back on its feet.''

If there is no Second Amendment, you can kiss any of the other amendments ,and this country, goodbye. Having high capacity magazines is important to get this country on its feet. Again, you Fudd's will be whining when they come for your Remingtons.
Our Second Amendment rights are our liberty's teeth. If we could only ask the ole boys under General Washington how those firearms of the day gained our liberty. They were the ''modern arms'' of the time. As the AR/15 is the modern arm of our time.
If ''spread the wealth'' is what you want, guns so restricted that the lowly .22 will be a luxery to own, free welfare health care to all, then by all means, vote for the ''messiah''. I will not cover your back or Cooper's back when the shtf.
If we dont hang together, we will hang separately.
We have not had a decent president since Theodore Roosevelt.
I would only hope for another Thomas Jefferson minded soul to run for office.

[candace imbody]

Good God help us all. Dan makes a bad judgement call...and all of you are perfect??? I say it's all of your rights to not buy the Cooper. It's Dan's right to support who he believes in, and maybe he knows something you don't. I know him better than you, he works hard, loves and supports his country and his friends and family. Let USA Today put a negative spin to give bias support their democratic presidentiial candidate(how much did you read about the McCain campaign in that publication?)....and let Dan and his lifetime passion take one for the team. Does anyone care what Dan Cooper has to say?? Or is he guilty until proven innocent???

[Doug]

Asking an Australian gun owner is indeed a good suggestion.

Obama is a hoplophobe of the first order - as is former P.M. John Howard.
They both harbour an irrational hatred of firearms and contempt for those
who would own them. Witness Obama's "bitter clingers" statement.

Dan Cooper chose to support someone who has contempt for him and
his way of life...as do other self-deluded "gun-owning Democrats".
Stupid is as stupid does, but the Cooper Arms board made the right
call in asking Dan to step down. "Getting the country back on its feet"
should NEVER involve the loss of essential liberties.

Vote your freedom away, "gun owning Democrats" - but don't expect
sympathy when your hunting rifles become "sniper rifles" and are
banned.