Attorney general touts goals, record

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper spoke to a small group of supporters on campus Wednesday, three weeks after a debate at the UNC School of Law between Cooper and his opponent was canceled.

Cooper joked about the last-minute cancellation by Republican candidate Joe Knott after speaking to the Orange County Young Democrats about his record as attorney general, an office he's held since 2001.

His mission, he said, essentially is to fight crime, protect consumers and preserve the environment.

Citing efforts to expand the state's DNA database, Cooper said his work with the Department of Justice has been the most important of his career.

"This job has been incredible," he said. "We're doing good things for this state."

Throughout his term, Cooper has been a proponent of measures to reduce domestic violence, including one to increase the privacy of stalking victims.

"Seventy-one women were killed last year in North Carolina solely as the result of domestic violence," he said. "That's too much."

He said stalkers often will use public records to find their victims, who might have moved to avoid their predators.

Now, Cooper said, "Under the victim's name, he'll find the address of the Attorney General's office."

In addition to his role in crime prevention, Cooper said, he has made great strides in improving air quality in the state and has set his sights on raising standards across the region.

His office has taken legal action against 13 states whose coal-fired plant pollution is contributing negatively to North Carolina's air quality, hindering the state's ability to meet national standards.

Throughout his discussion with students, Cooper remained focused on his own accomplishments, but did take one opportunity to criticize the Bush administration while touting his office's work on consumer protections.

"We passed the toughest predatory lending law in the country," he said, adding that he would like to see the same policy adopted on a national level. "But this administration is trying to take away our right to enforce it."

Cooper, a graduate of the UNC Law School, also emphasized the importance of the next two weeks before Election Day, not just for him, but for Senate candidate Erskine Bowles as well. "Erskine can bring people together, get things done."

He added that while he thinks the Democrats can win, there is still a danger of an upset in some of the races if President Bush wins.

"We've got a good, solid record and I think we'll be OK," he said. "But if the bottom falls out on the top of the ticket, then we might be in trouble."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.