In Protest, Cooper Votes Powell for Speaker

Nashville’s Democratic congressman voted for a Republican to be Speaker of the House (today/yesterday), though not Rep. John Boehner.

In a roll call vote of all 435 members of the U.S. House, Rep. Jim Cooper split with the party line. Instead of voting for Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, he called out the name of a retired four-star Army General.

CLERK: “Cooper…Colin Powell.”

In a written statement after the vote, Cooper points out that the speaker does not have to be a member of the House. He says the Republican and former Secretary of State has a “proven ability to work across the aisle and has supported President Obama.”

Cooper was the only Colin Powell supporter, however there were more than a dozen other protest votes. Cooper himself received two votes for speaker. Also an outgoing congressman and a former comptroller were named along the way.

The rest of Tennessee’s congressional delegation supported their party’s nominee.