Gun firm head resigns over Obama support (Montana)

UPI ^ | 10-31-08 | uanattributed

[dynachrome]

STEVENSVILLE, Mont., Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The namesake of Montana-based Cooper Firearms has been asked to resign as president of the company after he expressed support for Barack Obama.

The company said it asked Dan Cooper, founder and part owner of Cooper Firearms, to resign as president after he voiced support for the Democratic Illinois senator's bid for president in a USA Today interview published Tuesday, USA Today reported Friday.

"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," the company said in a statement on its Web site Wednesday. "It may also affect the employees and the shareholders of Cooper Firearms. The board of directors has asked Mr. Cooper to resign as president."

[dynachrome]

How can someone in the fireams business be such a damned fool?

[pointsal]

Where did he get his initial seed money? Is he a trust fund baby?

[Robert Drobot]

Who’s in the closet?

[Vaquero]

he is the type that wants only elitists like himself to be able to own guns. his guns are super high price beautiful arms and he resents people who can only afford to buy inexpensive guns.

[lilycicero]

Is there an “I can one up an idiot” contest? Because I can’t register the lack of judgment in this election process.

[longtermmemmory]

so we go from FIRED, to “resigned”?

this is just spin to make him look “principled”.

[KeyLargo]

Posted previously here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2117496/posts

"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, founder and part owner of Cooper Firearms, told USA TODAY in a story published Tuesday that he has voted for Republicans for most of his life, but he is backing Obama "probably because of the war. And also because the Republican Party has moved so far right in recent years." Cooper said he was attracted to the Democrat's message about "the retooling of America, which involves the building of middle-class jobs and helping American small business be competitive with those overseas."

Dan Cooper hunts at Arkansas' White River refuge.

[Hildy]

I don’t know if I like this. This is America...let’s say a guy got fired from a non-profit organization because of his support for McCain? Or a company that publishes magazines for gays? I really don’t like this.

[EagleUSA]

This is a shock — I own a Cooper rifle. One of the best on the market. So hard to believe this man, whom I have chatted with on occasion, could support the Communist Darth Vader.

Hard one to believe.

[Tijeras_Slim]

He still owns a large percentage of the company’s stock.

This is CYA pure and simple.

[Beagle8U]

He didn’t resign, he was fired by the board of directors!

The day the story broke FReepers Zumboed his dumba$$!

[Ann Archy]

Actions have CONSEQUENCES.

[Allegra]

"Cooper, founder and part owner of Cooper Firearms, told USA TODAY in a story published Tuesday that he has voted for Republicans for most of his life, but he is backing Obama "probably because of the war..."

WHAT war???

[JustaDumbBlonde]

You may not like it, but an officer of a company serves at the pleasure of the board of directors. When a majority of them are no longer pleased, you are no longer an officer. It is entirely possible that he is still with the company, just not in the position of president.

[Domandred]

He’s the founder CEO of a gun company and supported quite possibly the most anti-gun candidate ever. Obama getting elected hurts his business. His shareholders and board of directors know this so asked him to resign as CEO.

He is still founder, and still owns considerable stock in his company.

This would effectively be the same as an employee of a company coming out and saying their competitor’s company has better products and you should buy those instead. Fast track to job termination.

[gourmand]

Wowser, those are some beautiful rifles!

[incredulous joe]

Like,...duh!!

[Gaffer]

I don't see anything at all wrong with coercing a traitor like this to resign. Many jobs have what used to be called "moral turpitude' clauses that were catch-alls which were used to fire employees.

If this were a standard average job - maybe not. But, this position is the 'public' face of a corporation. His actions were in DIRECT violation of the goals of the company - to make firearms and most likely will cause financial harm. By supporting Obama and his gun grabbing, he puts the company (and its stockholders) in an untenable position.

Regardless, he should have been fired for his sheer stupidity

[DieHard the Hunter]

> How can someone in the fireams business be such a damned fool?

More to the point, how could the Chairman and the Board get it so wrong?

Unless the Board has adopted a Resolution to support McCain or to not support either candidate, the President should feel perfectly free to speak AS A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL.

If I were Mr Cooper I would be instructing my lawyer to prepare a Constructive Dismissal suit on the basis of being wrongfully asked to resign. And as it would be heard in an American court, I would be asking for millions of dollars of compensatory, exemplary and punitive damages.

Absent such a resolution, the VERY MOST that the Board had any right to do was to distance itself from Mr Cooper’s comments, by saying that they were his own and that his opinion does not constitute an endorsement from Cooper Firearms.

This is Basic Governance 101.

[SampleMan]

I don’t know if I like this. This is America...let’s say a guy got fired from a non-profit organization because of his support for McCain? Or a company that publishes magazines for gays? I really don’t like this.

They didn't "out him". He took a very conscious, very public stand backing Obama. Obama is in favor of destroying the right that the company is based on. He made himself a millstone around the company's neck.

I'm quite certain that their orders took a huge, instantaneous hit. They are doing damage control.

There is a reason that most businesses don't publicly back a candidate, because it will tick off half their customers. In the firearms business, that number can be more like 95% when you back an anti-rights candidate.

Would you suggest that they lay off all of their employees and close the doors in order to defend his right to use the company as a prop for Obama?