Wamp Thinks Corker A Contender In 2012
Posted on May 18, 2009 at 1:55 pmThe congressman and gubernatorial candidate says that South Carolina’s decision to pick Sen. Corker as the keynote for their annual dinner speaks volumes about Corker potential as a presidential candidate:
Rep. Zach Wamp told members of the Chattanooga Pachyderm Club on Monday that Sen. Bob Corker is gaining clout around the country as a potential presidential candidate.
He noted that Sen. Corker was chosen to deliver Friday night’s Silver Elephant Banquet speech at the convention of the South Carolina Republican Party.
Rep. Wamp said, “They could have had Palin, but they chose Corker. That is a big, big deal. It is a landmark beginning into the national political environment for our senator.”
He said the choice of Sen. Corker for the speech “was a high compliment and shows the stature that many around the country now regard him.”
As GOP 12 notes, Palin actually was chosen first.
Corker Keynotes South Carolina GOP Annual Event
Posted on May 16, 2009 at 7:41 pmFrom the Charleston Post and Courier:
“Contrary to popular opinion, I actually think this is a great time to be a Republican,” Corker said. “There haven’t been too many times in our nation’s history when Republicans had a more important role to play.
“We are facing a terrible economic crisis, and at the helm is an administration that unfortunately does not share some of our core beliefs. This new administration fundamentally believes in a much-bigger government, fundamentally believes in less individual freedom and in the redistribution of wealth. Bottom line: They believe in equal outcomes while we believe in equal opportunity.”
Lamar Lone GOP Vote Against Guns In National Parks
Posted on May 13, 2009 at 10:28 amThe U.S. Senate yesterday approved 67-29 an amendment to the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 that would restore concealed carry rights in national parks.
In March, Federal District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly issued a preliminary injunction against the Department of the Interior rule that would have allowed the carrying of firearms in national parks.
Sen. Tom Coburn sponsored the amendment which allows firearms in parks and wildlife refuges, as long as they are allowed by federal, state and local law.
“If an American citizen has a right to carry a firearm in their state, it makes no sense to treat them like a criminal if they pass through a national park while in possession of a firearm,” Coburn said.
Twenty-seven Democrats joined 39 Republicans and one independent in supporting the amendment
Tennessee’s Lamar Alexander was the lone Republican against the amendment.
Alexander issued a statement to the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Michael Silence following the vote.
“I have consistently been a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, but this legislation goes too far - further than President Reagan, further than President Bush, and further than Tennessee law,” said Alexander in an email.
SEE ALSO:
Say Uncle
Jeff Woods
It Left A Mark
Posted on May 10, 2009 at 7:08 pmSen. Bob Corker on the departure of Arlen Specter from the Republican Party:
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) concedes that the party-switch of Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) that left Senate Democrats poised to enjoy a 60-seat majority was “a little bit of a solar plexus blow.”
See the full transcript here.
MORE: The Hill
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A Conversation With Corker
Posted on May 7, 2009 at 8:37 amFrom the Brookings Institution:
On May 8, Senior Fellow Martin Baily and the Initiative on Business and Public Policy at Brookings will host a conversation with Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, to discuss the federal response to both the financial crisis and the broader economic downturn.
After the program, the senator will take questions from the audience.
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Zach Wamp Is Just Like A Bunch Of People Many Of Whom Will Be Behind His Opponents
Posted on May 5, 2009 at 9:46 pmSo proclaims his press release:
“Zach combines the clear vision and laser-like focus of a Lamar Alexander, the energy and drive of a Bob Corker, the command of complex issues like a Bill Frist or a Bill Brock, the common sense and straight talk of a Fred Thompson, and the ability to relate to and communicate with folks from all walks of life like a Winfield Dunn or a Howard Baker. That makes Zach a uniquely talented candidate and a major political force, and I believe his momentum will simply be unstoppable as voters in Middle and West Tennessee get to know him as well as folks already do in East Tennessee.”
Bye, Bye To Tom Ingram
Posted on April 30, 2009 at 4:06 pmDC says farewell to the man who will architect the gubernatorial campaign of Bill Haslam:
And, last night Sen. Lamar Alexander’s longtime COS, Tom Ingram, held a rather festive farewell party at The Monocle.
It was a packed house, with Sens. Lamar Alexander, Mitch McConnell, Mark Warner, Bob Corker and Former Labor Sec Elaine Chao, plus Minority Leader John Boehner, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the White House Legislative team, Chuck Schumer’s CoS Mike Lynch, new staff director of the SRC Ryan Loskarn, Jim Jeffries with Alexander, Denzel McGuire of Kyl’s office, Stephen Replogle with the SRC, Rhonda Bentz of Navigators LLC and Jen Morris of McConnell’s office.
Guests were treated to a warm and funny speech by Sen. Mark Pryor’s COS Bobby Russell, Ingram’s DC roommate and cofounder with Ingram of the Bipartisan Chiefs of Staff breakfasts.
Corker Grills Obama Nominee
Posted on at 6:34 amSen. Bob Corker seems to have a bit of a problem with Yale Law School Dean Harold Hongju Koh being nominated as a legal adviser to the State Department:
Another Republican, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, questioned whether Koh could keep his personal views separate from his public role as top legal aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton LAW ‘73.
“As an academic, I certainly exercised my freedom of speech rights,” Koh said, drawing laughter from the audience here. “But as a government official, I play the role of a counselor to a client [and] look to the client to give direction to me.”
Corker also attacked Koh for his inclusion of the United States in the “axis of disobedience,” a term Koh coined in a 2004 article for the Berkeley Journal of International Law, used to describe countries that disregarded the international rule of law.
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He Ain’t Mad Atcha
Posted on April 29, 2009 at 4:15 pmSen. Bob Corker comments on his PAC’s request to Arlen Specter’s campaign to give them their money back:
“I’m not mad at him or anything,” Corker said. “I’m just honoring the wishes of the people who gave that money to help elect Republicans.”
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Corker: Congressional Committees Could Become Irrevelant
Posted on April 28, 2009 at 4:43 pmThe explanation:
Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) states his reasons why he believes that the act created to reform the War Powers Act of 1973, the War Powers Consultation Act, could cause Congressional committees to become more irrelevant than they already are.
He worries that allowing the president to get his information from one source could render the Congressional committees useless because the president already has a group of advisers that give him the information necessary information to engage in war.
Alexander And Corker Want Money Back From Specter
Posted on at 3:35 pm
In a statement earlier today on his party switch to the Democrats, Sen. Arlen Specter said he would return any monies donated to his campaign as a Republican upon request.
Sen. Lamar Alexander who just hours ago rebuked Specter for his actions will be taking him up on that offer.
Alexander was one of a group of Senators supporting Specter financially in his expected primary with conservative Pat Toomey. Now that Specter is no longer a Republican, Alexander will be asking for a refund of that money.
“Sen. Specter said he would return contributions made to him in this cycle, upon request. That’s the right thing for him to do, and we will request a refund,” Alexander said in a statement released by staff.
Tennessee’s other Senator, Bob Corker, will also be asking for a rebate on the money he has given the Senator from Pennsylvania. As point of fact, he already has.
When asked if the Senator would be asking for the campaign cash back, Post Politics was provided with a letter sent by Rock City PAC treasurer Kim Kaegi to the Specter campaign.
“[Rock City] PAC solicits funds to support Republican candidates and because Senator Specter in will no longer be running as a Republican in this election, we ask that the contribution be returned as soon as possible,” Kaegi says in the letter.
Specter’s primary challenger-to-be, Pat Toomey, is now expected to win the Republican nomination for Specter’s seat. It is unlikely that Specter will receive much of challenge in the Democratic Party primary although there have been rumblings to that effect.
Corker Makes Money Moves
Posted on April 27, 2009 at 3:23 pmTheobold reports:
Sen. Bob Corker continues to chip away from the debt left from his 2006 election campaign, according to his first quarter 2009 campaign finance reports.
Corker took in a total of $144,963 in the first three months of the year between three campaign committees — one set up for the 2006 campaign, one established for the 2012 campaign and a leadership committee called Rock City Political Action Committee.
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Corker Gets The Call
Posted on April 21, 2009 at 12:55 pmNational Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn has tapped our junior senator to help GOP senator candidates raise funds:
Now, Cornyn is holding events around the country where donors are able to hobnob with senators. Over recess, Cornyn held an event in New York City with Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). He also organized an event in Washington state with Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) and one in San Francisco with Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the NRSC’s vice chairman.
“My colleagues have really stepped up and responded to my requests that they show up,” Cornyn said. “People actually would like to interact with our donors, tell them a little bit of what’s on their mind.”
Corker Knocked Out Of National Public Radio’s March Madness Tourney
Posted on March 29, 2009 at 1:31 pmAndy Sher reports:
It was a tough match-up for No. 9-seed Bob Corker in National Public Radio’s political March Madness tournament, and just like the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Tennessee senator went down in the first round.
NPR is asking Web site users to vote in a NCAA-style tournament between 32 of the biggest names in politics. Sen. Corker was up against Republican South Carolina Sen. Jim Demint. Online voters and analyst Ken Rudin selected Sen. Demint as the winner of that showdown.
The biggest upset of the tournament so far has been No. 5 Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels’ defeat to No. 12 Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas.
Voters can now vote in the second round of the tournament at npr.org. The winners of that round will be announced Monday.
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Ingram Leaving Lamar
Posted on March 23, 2009 at 12:09 pmKen Whitehouse has the breaker. Sen. Alexander’s longtime chief of staff will leave his post but will continue to consult with Sens. Alexander and Corker and most notably Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam who is currently running for governor.
UPDATE: R. Neal on the news.
AIG Bonuses
Posted on March 15, 2009 at 4:50 pmOur political elite is outraged at what our business elites have done.
Senator Corker on the controversy:
Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said it’s important to determine whether the payments are legitimate commissions for financial products that brokers have sold, as opposed to executive bonuses. But, he added that financial institutions that take government money “have to play by a different set of rules.” Mr. Corker spoke on Fox News Sunday.
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Senator Corker On Fox News Sunday
Posted on at 4:18 pmThe junior Senator advises the administration concentrate on the credit issues before discussing a second stimulus:
Still, the major issue in our country is credit, and it’s very difficult for me to believe that we’re even considering talking about another so-called stimulus package when, in fact, we still have not dealt seriously with the credit issue. That is absolutely incredible to me.
I read today where the Germans agree with us 100 percent. It’s still the credit issue. And this administration, while they still are listening to Barney Frank and listening to Goolsbee, they’re still campaigning. They’re still running against President Bush.
The fact is they still have not laid out a coherent way of dealing with this credit crisis, and that is page one. That’s what our focus needs to be.
Small businesses around this country are still having great difficulty getting credit. And until we solve that, piling government spending on top of that is not going to solve it.
So the next critical step is looking at these stress tests. And when you talk about taking medicine, we can either do a soft stress test and certainly we’ll be waiting till mid-April to find out whether it’s soft or whether it’s hard.
But I’m thinking it needs to be a difficult stress test so that the public knows where these institutions are, so they know whether they’re sound or not. And I think that is a very important thing.
So I hope that Tim Geithner will come back. Let’s get focused on solving this credit issue, and let’s move this stimulus issue to the side, way to the side, until we deal with this.
Tennessee Senators Split On $410 Billion Federal Spending Bill
Posted on March 10, 2009 at 6:19 pmFrom the office of the junior Senator in opposition to H.R. 1105:
“I don’t know how anybody can look at piling this $410 billion bill on top of the $1 trillion stimulus passed last month and NOT call it excessive federal spending. This is trillions of dollars that we don’t have that we’re leaving for future generations to pay back,” said Corker. “Like most Tennesseans, I believe the flawed appropriations process that produced this bill is in desperate need of reform. There is absolutely no construct for fiscal discipline on the federal level, so I have supported measures not only to force a one-year moratorium on all congressional earmarks, but also to enact a two-year budget cycle, and to create a blueprint for solving the growing crisis surrounding entitlement spending.”
…and the senior Senator in support:
“Last month, I voted against the trillion-dollar so-called ‘stimulus’ package, but this is the regular appropriations bill that has to be passed each year if the government is to operate properly. I voted for several amendments that would have reduced spending, but ultimately those motions were defeated.
“The bill that passed today includes funding for several projects important to Tennesseans: an anti-gang program in Memphis; Wolf Creek and Center Hill Dam repair; rebuilding the Chickamauga Lock; as well as increased funding for Oak Ridge, the Great Smokies, and the US Forest Service’s number-one land-acquisition in the country, which is in Upper East Tennessee.”
SEE ALSO: Senatus
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