Second Amendment Blog
More on Cooper Arms
Posted by:Sebastian on 
Oct 28th, 2008 | 
Filed under: 2008 Election, Guns
Cooper Arms, who’s CEO we talked about earlier, have updated their web site:
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.
There’s one problem with this claim, the USA Today article was an interview. Dan Cooper was quoted as supporting Senator Obama. He was also quoted as being “chief executive of Cooper Arms, a small Montana company that makes hunting rifles.” I appreciate that Cooper Arms didn’t donate to Senator Obama, since corporate contributions to candidates for public office are illegal, but the man who runs the company, and represents himself as its CEO, did. But what about the other claims? Fortunatly, John McCain keeps his entire donor list online:
Cooper Donations from Montana
You will notice there’s no donation from a Dan Cooper. Now, it’s possible that he donated to McCain’s camp after September 1st, which means his donation went to the RNC, rather than the McCain camp. But we look up his donation history on OpenSecrets.org:
Cooper Donations
Of course, there’s not to be found the donation for 3,300 that was mentioned in the USA Today article. I’m not buying Cooper Arms spin on this. They need to explain why their CEO is on record, in an article that he was pretty clearly interviewed for, as supporting Barack Obama this election. I can understand why the employees of Cooper Arms might want to minimize the damage something like this could do to their company, but there are consequences to be suffered by the poor decisions of their CEO, who should have thought about his company before endorsing a candidate who has voted to ban guns, and common hunting ammunition.
Related posts:
October 28th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
The irony is that they will pay no matter what. If Obama is elected the company will suffer for all the obvious reasons, and even if Obama is not elected they will suffer by losing customers. I, for one, will not be able to buy from Cooper arms until there is some explaining done, and if that is satisfactory I will put them low on my list of companies to patronize.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Why he did not keep his big mouth and wallet shut is beyond me.
October 29th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Dan Cooper IS the registered agent for Cooper Firearms of Montana, Inc, according to the records kept by the Montana Secretary of State. I would think if anyone else owned stock in Cooper Firearms, they would have him explain why he made the questionable choice of linking the corporation to his personal political opinions. It’s a poor business decision.
An Obama administration and a Congress controlled by Democrats will cause more American jobs to be lost with increased regulation, higher income and capital-gains taxes, price ceilings, even more spending on questionable social welfare programs, and trade restrictions.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:05 am
[...] Update: Not convinced. [...]
October 29th, 2008 at 9:53 am
[...] Sebastian has another take on the Cooper response. He makes some good points as always. Given how the media has been in the tank for Obama all year, it is probably always good to dig deep into anything they report. In any event, Cooper will likely think twice about talking to the media in the future. [...]
October 29th, 2008 at 10:03 am
The complete list for all candidates is found here as well:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/campaign-finance/search-contributions.html
It shows all the contributions by zip code, with 59870 for Cooper.
No contribution to McCain is listed.
Bill
October 29th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Cutting off your nose to spite your face….
CEO of Cooper Arms supports Barack Obama:Dan Cooper, a proud member of the National Rifle Association, hasbacked Republicans for most of his life. He’s the chief executive of Cooper Arms, a small Montana company that makes hunting rifles.I have no p…
October 29th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Besides taking a look at Dan Cooper somebody should also take a look at Larry Potterfield at MidwayUSA. I don’t trust him at all!
October 29th, 2008 at 10:28 am
MidwayUSA is a big donor to NRA. I doubt there’s any problem there. What makes you not trust him?
October 29th, 2008 at 10:45 am
I did a search of the Federal Election Commission database earlier this morning, which includes “soft money” contributions to political parties. Indeed there is no record of Cooper donating anything to the McCain campaign or the Republican party.
It also shows his home addresses. There’s a home in California and Ohio–not one in Montana.
I pity his employees, who no doubt are taking most, if not all, of the phone, e-mail, and fax heat. They need change. The president and CEO should take full responsibility, not the Montana-based employees.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Potterfield’s wife is recorded as giving solely to Republican candidates. No donations to anyone from Larry.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:16 am
BTW, Brenda and Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA have donated thousands to pro-Second Amendment candidates in Missouri. I will continue to redistribute wealth to to them and their employees, all fine people, as I have done since the inception of their mail-order business.
I have a MidwayUSA order right in front of me. The add-a-buck option to the NRA that MidwayUSA and a growing number of other companies such as Brownells offers to customers is always a plus for me. And I’ve never seen an NRA contribution can sitting on the sporting goods counter at Wal-Mart. Gun stores that support the Second Amendment in any way such as funding 4-H shooting sports deserve our wealth.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Sebastian,
Thanks for taking the time to actually dig into this and discover if there’s any “there” there. I prefer knowing the truth about someone’s actions before I grab my torch and pitchfork and join the angry villagers.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Somerled makes a good point. All of my gun business is with the local dealers in the Richmond area (Dance’s Sporting Goods, Greentop and Degoffs are my favorites) that support Friends of NRA events and they always allow me to put pro-gun political flyers in their stores. Cabela’s, Gander Mountain, and Bass Pro Shops get a lot of my hunting supplies business and all three in some part support either NRA’s efforts or the shooting sports with their money. I’m not a Wal-mart basher but they don’t do anything for gun rights and buying guns and shooting supplies from them doesn’t help our cause.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:58 am
[...] however, can’t find any evidence that the claims of donations to McCain are [...]
October 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
[...] Snowflakes in Hell notes that he’s caught flak, and is now claiming that he donated nine months ago, with the purpose of defeating Hillary, and that’s he’s now given to McCain. Snowflakes eats up that alibi: there’s no record of a McCain donation. There’s another hole in the story. He actually donated to Obama in August 2004, months before Obama’s keynote speech. Go here and look at item B. [...]
October 29th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Well, now the little “explanation” on their webpage has been removed. Perhaps they did not like being caught in the lie?
October 29th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Maybe more than didn’t like getting caught, now the website says that Dan Cooper has been asked to resign.
No indication that he will, or will be forced to, resign. However, it should cover their posteriors until after the election.
October 31st, 2008 at 12:51 am
[...] when Mr. Cooper was called on it, he, or a person in the company, posted an explanation that included the claim that he had donated to Sen. McCain’s campaign, and by implicaion [...]
November 1st, 2008 at 12:07 am
This is an absolute tragedy that a person can’t back who they believe will be better for the country. I am an Obama supporter and if I thought he would take away my guns I would not vote for him. Here is a bit of info on Republicans on gun cuntrol. Had you known this info about them would you have voted for them?
http://reformed-theology.org/html/issue11/dont_blame_liberals.htm
We are all Americans and we all support our country. It’s a shame that there is so much divisiveness between parties. I have always had and always will have guns. So how different are we.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:36 am
Obama is endorsed by the gun control group The Brady Campaign. Also by the Humane Society of the United States, who’s goal it is to ban hunting species by species. Look what gun people in his own state say about him.
See this too. It’s all cited, you can look it up.
If you believe Obama isn’t and hasn’t been a huge supporter of gun control in the past, you’re willfully deluding yourself at this point.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:37 am
And Dan Cooper is free to vote for whomever he wants. Gun owner are equally free to say we won’t patronize his business because the candidate he’s a supporter of will destroy our movement.
November 1st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
You’d better check to see who else at Cooper Arms is a closet Obama supporter. Maybe the Engravers and Machinists.
As far as “our movement”, what frigging movement – this whole thing stinks of the Nazi movement!
November 2nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Well, I just was listening to GunTalk on the radio, and the snippet below confirms what I just heard on the show. Dan Cooper has just been sacked as the CEO:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2119230/posts?page=50
I guess this is another example how some of these CEOs have lost touch with the common folk (and reality).
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Having known Cooper personally for many years, its funny reading the cr*p on this site. All you homos can sit in the closet with your $99 winchester and stroke it thinking about how great it would be if Sarah Palin was president. Having been a life-long republican, you idiots don’t have enough higher brain function to see that you’ve been sold-out by your own party. It’s not Coopers fault that you choose not to see it… you’re as retarded as Palins youngest child.
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Well, if you had actually read the crap on this site, you’d know I prefer shooting $1000 dollar AR-15s when I shoot CMP or high-power, or prefer shooting my .22s in handgun silhouette, rather than stroking a 99 dollar Winchester.
Considering you seem to live in Westchester County, New York, I’d really like to understand how it is you know Dan Cooper, who lives in Montana. Perhaps you can explain.
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:21 am
[...] you have my respect For those of you who don’t know Sebastian of Snow Flakes In Hell has been campaigning against Dan Cooper and even got a mention in USA Today. Since then he has getting a lot of hate [...]
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:40 am
I DO live in montana you idiot… how can you understand complex political issues if you can’t even use a computer properly. Does your mother know you’re playing with her computer? I’ll bet she’d be upset to know the ignorant trash you’re spewing on the internet. You can always support Palin in 2012 moron.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Your ip resolves to NY. Probably because your service provider is located there. Either way, pretty clearly you have some maturity issues. BTW, where can I find a 99 dollar Winchester?
November 4th, 2008 at 12:39 am
RJ–Your comments about Trig Palin show you to be an insecure, juvenile, classless lowlife. Q: What kind of man attacks a special needs infant? A: A flaming liberal. If Dapper Dan Cooper hangs with your ilk then he definitely deserves to lose his company. Incidentally, the only Winchesters I own are heirlooms from my late Grandpa, a pre-1964 Model 70 .30-06 and a Model of 1873 .40-60 lever gun. Both are worth a tad more than $99.
BTW, Sebastian, GREAT job on this! All of us in the shooter/hunter fraternity are in your debt. FWIW, I believe Cooper actually resides in Ohio now, near his new plant and NOT in MT any longer.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:41 am
(Oops, typo, Model of 1876, not 1873, Winchester…getting late here!)
November 4th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hey Matt, anyone that thinks Palin would be a suitable president if Mcain should die in office is not only a closet liberal homo, but also dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed to vote let alone own guns… let the big boys take care of this one Matt, you go back to your closet and hope you’re not found out.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I hunt, I own a gun and I voted for Obama. Almost 1/2 of Montanans voted for Obama and one hell of a lot of hunters did as well…all of them proud red blooded Americans.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Did you know that he is endorsed by the radically anti-hunting Humane Society of the United States, or did you overlook that in addition to his record on the Second Amendment?
November 10th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Oh, and if you’re from Montana, why does your IP address say Denver? :)
December 1st, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Obama is Muslim !!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2009 at 12:11 am
A patriot is someone who takes a stand for the best interest of the people….regardless of how poplular the “perceived” public opinion…. I’m a gun nut, but I voted to get an organized crime group out of Washington… Dan did the right thing…. Never condemn someone for taking a moral stand
January 7th, 2009 at 12:14 am
A patriot is someone who stands up for the constitution. I hope you enjoy what the Democratic Congress and President are about to bring you Bob.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:15 am
Dan did the right thing,…. a patriot takes a stand for the best interests of the people….there was an organized crime group in charge of the White House…. someone (including me….gun nut) had to make a responsible vote.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:18 am
We’ll see how responsible it is when Congress bans most semi-automatic firearms from future sales.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:26 am
don’t know about semi-automatics…. my deer drop w/ one shot. The Supreme Court has (correctly) supported gun owner’s rights….and I won’t let anyone take my Win. Mod 70 FW 7×57 away ….I’m a patriot…and I’m ordering a Cooper .221 Fireball.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:33 am
Thanks Bob, but I’m not a hunter. I shoot high-power, where the AR-15 is the platform of choice, and practical pistol, where we use magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. I support your right to hunt. I’d sure appreciate it if you supported my right to participate in the other shooting sports.
BTW, did you know Obama was endorsed by the anti-hunting group Humane Society of the United States?
January 7th, 2009 at 12:44 am
ALSO….. the current administration has tried to suspend the Constitutional Rights of American citizens for their convenience….I won’t give up my rifles whatever the new admin. says……Obama (see the U.S. Constitution) can’t change that & there’s at least a hope that common sense will rule the congress.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Hey, I’m not much of a fan of Bush either… but McCain wasn’t Bush.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Sebastian ….. shoot away; I’m looking at a new 1911 for the same reason and my best friend has a AR-10 and a LWRC 6.8… shoot away……it’s your Constitutional right. …..and I hate all those little weenie fringe groups.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:01 am
last comment before I crash….. Dan Cooper is a patriot… the guv’mint can’t take our 2nd Amendment rights (even by force)…and anyone who shoots has every right to hunt, punch holes in targets, or pulverize beer cans….and a Cooper rifle does it better.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:05 am
That’s good to know. I’ll remember that when the feds coming kicking down my door because I put the wrong parts in one of my rifles. People have gone to jail for that already, and with any new bans, it’s only going to get worse.
January 7th, 2009 at 1:14 am
don’t let ‘em
January 7th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Sebastian, ….. don’t know you …or where you live, but I’d be there to back you up rlwkjc@comcast.net Houston
January 7th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Bob:
If you think Dan Cooper is a “Patriot” and was right in what he did, why would you buy a Cooper firearm now?
He was asked to resign, you know. So why would you be buying a gun from a company who disagrees with you so strongly?