The spirit of change has excited the American electorate, but voters in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District should vote to keep the incumbent, Rep. Jim Cooper, in office.

Jim Cooper has served the district since 2003, after having represented the 4th District from 1983 to 1995. As a leader of the moderate-to-conservative Blue Dog Democrat coalition in Congress, Cooper has a record of fighting for responsible government spending and expanding free trade.

Cooper is a Rhodes Scholar with a deep understanding of the economic consequences of the actions of government. He frequently notes the dangers of the national debit and the government’s budget deficits, demanding action from Congress as a member of the House Budget Committee. Cooper rails against rampant spending under the Bush administration and the Republican Congress of the first half of the decade.

With the financial crisis in full swing, a sober knowledge of economics like Cooper’s is exactly what Congress needs to help America weather the storm. He voted to regulate the sub-prime mortgage industry in 2007,

Not a strictly partisan Democrat, Cooper has not been afraid to take principled stands on important issues that side him with his Republican colleagues. In the current Congress, he has voted “yes” on expanding the power of FISA security measures, funding the war in Iraq without requiring a timetable for withdrawal and creating a free trade zone with a number of Latin American nations. Cooper proves with these and many other votes that he does not mindlessly toe the party line.

Beyond this, Cooper has been moderate in many aspects of Tennessee values, including a respect for the Second Amendment, which garners moderately positive ratings from the National Rifle Association. He has also been moderate to conservative on the right to life, with a 30 percent rating from NARAL. His views are moderately consistent with his constituents in Middle Tennessee.

No matter who wins the presidential election Tuesday, there is a need for government that works to meet the needs of American citizens. There are good, honest disagreements about how to best address the concerns of government, and Jim Cooper is a moderate voice for intellectualism and reason in the House of Representatives.

—Michael Warren