Sen Bob Corker Archives - Tennessee Star

Bob Corker: ‘Everything Points to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia’ Ordering Khashoggi’s Killing

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Retiring lame duck Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a tweet on Saturday that “Everything points to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MBs, ordering @washingtonpost journalist Jamal #Khashoggi’s killing.” Everything points to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, MbS, ordering @washingtonpost journalist Jamal #Khashoggi‘s killing. The Trump administration should make a credible determination of responsibility before MbS executes the men who apparently carried out his orders. — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) November 17, 2018 “The Trump administration should make a credible determination of responsibility before MbS executes the men who apparently carried out his orders,” Corker continued. The murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Istanbul, Turkey last month has created a difficult foreign policy problem for the Trump administration, which has relied upon strengthened relationships with Saudi Arabia to hold the threat posed by Iran to stability in the Middle East in check. Corker’s tweet on Saturday expressed a view similar to the one taken by the Washington Post editorial board, which opined on Saturday that “Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is brazenly seeking to lie his way out of accountability for the murder of…

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Senator Bob Corker Announces He Will Vote to Confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court

September 28, 2018September 28, 2018 Admin

Late Thurday, after a long and often emotional day of testimony at the Senate Confirmation Hearing of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) announced he will vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. “I plan to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh,” Corker wrote simply. In his statement – released as an attachment to his tweet – the swing Senator elaborated: I believe those who come forward with allegation of sexual assault deserve to be heard. That is why I was one of the first members of the Senate to call on the judiciary committee to delay the original vote on the nomination so that both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh could provide additional information. I know if took courage for Dr. Ford to appear before the committee today. I also very strongly believe Judge Kavanaugh, like all Americans, deserves the presumption of innocence and that it was equally as important for him to have the opportunity to address the charges and defend himself. While both individuals provided compelling, nothing that has been presented corroborates the allegation. There is no question that Judge Kavanaugh is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court, and is a different political…

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Senator Bob Corker Calls New Kavanaugh Accusations ‘Thin;’ Process Feels ‘More Like A Circus’

September 26, 2018September 25, 2018 Admin

Bob Corker

by Henry Rodgers Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker called the second allegation of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh “thin” Tuesday — saying he thinks the process feels “more like a circus.” The comment comes in light of Deborah Ramirez’s accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the mid-1980s, alleging he exposed himself and thrust his penis in her face. “I read the New Yorker article, it was pretty thin. No one else remembered any of it. This is really kind of getting carried away … it’s feeling more like a circus,” Corker told CNN. “But again, I did feel like this first accuser should be heard.” The comments come as Corker has not said he would definitely vote for the confirmation of Kavanaugh, saying Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman who accused Kavanaugh of high school-era sexual assault, should be heard. Corker told The Daily Caller News Foundation on Sept. 18, however, that he believes it will be “quite something” if Ford decides she did not want to testify, saying, “I would assume the committee would then move on, as they should.” Kavanaugh has continued to deny all allegations, saying Monday night on Fox News that he is not going anywhere. “I’m not…

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Corker: Senate Judiciary Committee Members Should ‘Move On’ If Kavanaugh Accuser Declines Opportunity To Testify

September 19, 2018September 18, 2018 Admin

Bob Corker, Brett Kavanaugh

by Henry Rodgers Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker said Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing Judge Brett Kavanaugh of high school-era sexual assault, needs to respond to Senate inquiries, and that the Judiciary Committee should “move on” if she declines. “I would hope that if someone has been given the opportunity to voice a concern that they have that they would do so,” Corker told The Daily Caller News Foundation in the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon. “So that would be quite something, if she decided she did not want to testify. I would assume the committee would then move on, as they should.” Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has been on the fence about Kavanaugh, said earlier Tuesday that she finds it “very puzzling” that Ford will not respond to inquiries from the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying “she’s now being given an opportunity to come before the Senate Judiciary Committee and to answer questions and I really hope that she doesn’t pass up that opportunity.” Corker told Politico on Sunday he believed it “would be best for all involved, including the nominee” if they were able to tell their sides of the story in front of the committee. However, according to Iowa Republican…

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Corker Uses ‘Banana Republic’ Analogy Again to Attack Trump’s Yanking of Brennan Security Clearance

August 17, 2018August 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker must have bananas on his mind a lot, as he continues to use them as an analogy while criticizing the president who handily carried his state in the 2016 elections. While speaking to reporters on Thursday, Corker (R-TN) criticized President Donald Trump’s removal of former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance as “kind of a banana republic kind of thing,” Breitbart reported. And part of a “tearing down of institutions” instead of building them up. Trump won 60.7 percent of the presidential vote in Tennessee against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Ballotpedia says. Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, said, “Look, I thought it was kind of a banana republic kind of thing. There’s been a continual sort of tearing down of institutions, causing Americans to lose faith in institutions, instead of building them up. I mean, that’s what’s made our country function in the way that it is.” “Yet again Senator Corker has shown he is willing to embrace any individual or wacky position that is critical of President Trump regardless of its legitimacy. He’s done everything except put on a black facemask and march with Antifa – but there is always next week,” Tennessee…

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Bob Corker Subverts President Trump Yet Again: Says Order to Reunite Immigrant Families Not ‘Realistic’

June 25, 2018June 24, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) told “Face the Nation” that the immigration policy that separated families was done in a “ready, fire, aim way,” and insinuated that Republicans who are concerned about illegal immigration hate others. The Tennessee Republican appeared on the CBS show Sunday. The host asked him if the U.S. committed a “human rights violation.” The senator deflected the question and said, “It obviously is not something that’s realistic. It’s not something that appreciates these young children. It certainly was done in a ready, aim, fire way, obviously.” Corker said President Trump signing an executive order to reunite families “led to another crisis” due to the 20-day limit on how long children may be detained with their parents while they are prosecuted. He accused “some” in the administration of using the issue “as a force to activate the base for elections, but obviously the president realized that was a mistake, and now it’s up to us in Congress to work with them to come up with a longer-term solution.” Corker raps his party Corker was asked about “American values” and a CBS News poll result: Those who enter the nation illegally should be punished as an example of toughness,…

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Lamar Alexander Sides With Corker Over Trump on Tariffs

June 16, 2018June 15, 2018 John Bryant

Lamar Alexander

SuperTalk 99.7 WTN veteran broadcaster Brian Wilson, host of Nashville’s Morning News, interviewed Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander today, who made it very clear he sides with outgoing Senator Bob Corker over President Trump on the tariff issue. The two men also discussed the recent Inspector General’s report, which was highly critical for the FBI and former Director James Comey. Alexander praised Trump and stressed the need for the GOP to retain their majorities in Congress, As for the tariff issue, host Wilson asked him about his “fellow Senator Bob Corker who has been drawing a lot of fire lately in the state of Tennessee for his criticism of this president.” Responded Alexander, “What’s bother Senator Corker is he thinks we should have a vote on whether tariffs are a good idea. But I don’t think they’re a good idea either. I think we ought to have a vote on it. That’s the basis of his criticism. Tariffs on Aluminum and Steel are more likely to hurt Tennessee than any other state because we’ve got nearly a thousand auto parts suppliers and they nearly all use aluminum and Steel when they make their parts. If you add 25% to the cost of…

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Corker: GOP Becoming Cult-Like Hints Trump’s Not a Republican; Rep Gaetz Responds: Get Over It, Bob

June 14, 2018June 13, 2018 John Bryant

Bob Corker, Matt Gaetz

Not content with his recent meltdown on the Senate floor, outgoing Tennessee Senator Bob Corker unleashed on President Trump and the GOP again to reporters on Wednesday. GOP Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.) warned on Wednesday that members of his party are becoming “cult-like” in their support of President Trump, pointing to leadership’s unwillingness to challenge the White House on tariffs. “We are in a strange place. I mean, it’s almost, it’s becoming a cultish thing, isn’t it? And it’s not a good place for any party to end up with a cult-like situation as it relates to a president that happens to be of — purportedly, of the same party,” Corker told reporters. Pressed on whether he feels Republicans are currently in a “cult-like situation,” Corker acknowledged that there are some GOP lawmakers who stand up to Trump and it would be “unfair to try to say” that “about every member.” “[But] is leadership in general not wishing to poke the bear? Absolutely, because it’s all about the next election, right?” said Corker, who is retiring after 2018. Watch Corker’s remarks: The increasingly unpopular Corker, who likely had no chance of winning the GOP nomination to run for Senate again…

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Corker Tries to Undermine Trump Again, Says President is Damaging Relationships With Friends

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is criticizing President Donald Trump once again, media outlets report. Fox News’ Congressionis al reporter Chad Pergram tweeted Tuesday, “Senate Foreign Relations Cmte chair Corker on Trump: I think there is no questions that we are damaging relationships with very close friends..it’s unnecessary..I don’t understand why we would go out an purposefully create negative discourse when it’s not necessary.” Senate Foreign Relations Cmte chair Corker on Trump: I think there is no questions that we are damaging relationships with very close friends..it’s unnecessary..I don’t understand why we would go out an purposefully create negative discourse when it’s not necessary. — Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 12, 2018 Corker also unloaded on his fellow Republicans for supposedly cowering from Trump, Roll Call reported. The retiring Tennessee senator was angered that his amendment to the defense authorization measure that would reclaim congressional prerogatives on trade and tariffs would not be up for a vote, Roll Call said. He mocked senators for not standing up to Trump, including the No. 2 Republican, Majority Whip John Cornyn. “Gosh, almighty, I heard the senator from Texas, the senior senator from Texas saying the other day, well, gosh, we might upset the…

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After Retrieving American from Venezuela Prison, Senator Bob Corker Urges Dialogue with Socialist Dictator Maduro

May 29, 2018May 28, 2018 Admin

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is urging engagement with Venezuela’s socialist government after he traveled to the South American nation to bring home a Utah man jailed for two years without a trial. Joshua Holt is scheduled to return to Salt Lake City on Monday night after receiving medical care and visiting President Donald Trump in Washington. He was released over the weekend following secret, backchannel negotiations between members of the U.S. Congress and Venezuelan officials. Corker meets with Maduro Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee traveled to Caracas on Friday to seal the deal with President Nicolas Maduro that would bring Holt home. Corker stressed in an interview Monday with The Associated Press that “nothing was asked, and nothing was given” in exchange for Holt’s freedom. But he said the 26-year-old’s release as a goodwill gesture by Maduro shows what can be achieved through dialogue with the United States’ adversaries. “In my conversations privately, I could not be more strident in my criticisms of the way the Venezuela government has handled itself. I’ve seen in Venezuela people lined up outside grocery stores just to buy toilet paper,” Corker said. But he contrasted the hardliner approach toward…

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Fincher Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race, Encourages Bob Corker to Challenge Marsha Blackburn in GOP Primary

February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Former Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN-08) announced late Friday afternoon that he is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee. Fincher’s withdrawal leaves Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) as the only viable candidate in the GOP race, unless Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) decides to change his mind and reverse his decision not to run for renomination. A recent poll by the Senate Conservatives Fund showed that Blackburn handily beats Corker should he enter the race by a 49 percent to 26 percent margin. In his statement of withdrawal, Fincher encouraged Corker to get in the race. “The party must get behind a candidate that can win in November and stop Democrat Phil Bredesen, who would be a rubber stamp for the Chuck Schumer liberal agenda,” he said in a statement. “For that reason, I believe Senator Bob Corker should continue to serve in the U.S. Senate, and stand with the President to fight for Tennessee families,” Fincher added in the statement. “My campaign has always been about what’s best for Tennessee. Tennessee families need a strong conservative voice in the senate, someone who will stand with President Trump and lead the Republican Party forward,” Fincher…

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Marsha Blackburn Tells WTN’s Brian Wilson She’s In It to Win It

February 16, 2018February 16, 2018 Admin

GOP Senate candidate and current Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) told Brian Wilson on WTN SuperTalk 99.7 Thursday that she is in it to win it when he asked about the possibility of Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) ‘un-retiring’ and running for re-election this year in the Republican primary. Brian Wilson set up the phone interview, saying: “Yesterday, there was a bit of news about Bob Corker, who said he might ‘un-retire,’ and I was on record saying that I didn’t think that was right. If you say you’re going to retire, then you’re going to retire, because other people are then going to jump in the race. “This effected, of course, the Senate campaign of one Marsha Blackburn,” Wilson continued, “who joins us on the line right now.” After he graciously welcomed Blackburn on the air, and the niceties were exchanged, Wilson got right down to business. “Here’s the thing – what was your reaction when you – after you’ve jumped into the race, started spending money on a campaign, and started doing everything that you should do to run for the office, that was going to be vacated. What was your reaction when you learned that Bob corker was now, all of a sudden,…

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Bob Corker Once Told Other Senators That Illegal Immigration Isn’t ‘Fair to American Citizens’

January 6, 2018January 6, 2018 Chris Alto

In 2007, when Bob Corker went to D.C. as the newly elected junior Senator from Tennessee he was openly against illegal immigration until he switched over while trying to save the 2013 “Gang of Eight” amnesty bill. During debate on the “Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007,” that would have ended chain migration, instituted a system of merit-based immigration, increased border security and interior enforcement, Corker said that to be “fair to American citizens,” illegal aliens should have to leave the country and then re-enter through legal channels: One of the things we are trying to address in this bill is a situation where our immigration has been broken, the system has been broken for many years. In 1986, legislation was offered to try to solve this problem. What has happened is it has gotten even worse, so there has been, obviously, more thought put into this bill. I appreciate again the many amendments and the discussion that has taken place. Many of the things we have talked about have addressed the legalities, have addressed some of the technicalities in our immigration system. It seems to me, one of the things we have not addressed—while we have tried to address fairness…

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As Governor, Democrat Phil Bredesen Diverted Road Money to Balance the Budget and Pay for TennCare

December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 Chris Alto

Last week, Tennessee’s former Governor Phil Bredesen announced that he would run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) in the 2018 election. Even though Bredesen is a Democrat and Corker is a Republican, both disfavor President Trump, both have no aversion to raising taxes, and both are okay with diverting transportation money for non-roadway projects. By the time Bredesen left the governor’s office in 2009 after eight years in the job, several tax increases had been put on cigarettes and certain managed care companies. Other revenues were raised in the form of fee increases. Corker proposed raising the federal fuel tax in 2014. Congress hasn’t raised the federal gas tax since 1993, and in 1998, over $8 billion was diverted from the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) to the general fund. This was before Corker’s time, but he still pushed his gas tax increase without tackling the diversion of HTF money for non-highway projects: A Government Accountability Office report found that 32% of the HTF didn’t go toward highway or bridge construction and upkeep from fiscal 2004-08. That rose to 38% in 2009, according to an analysis by Ron Utt, senior research fellow at the…

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Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Sen. Bob Corker Promote Republican Tax Reform Plan

November 29, 2017November 28, 2017 Wendy Wilson

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) released a video Tuesday in which she discussed her efforts to bring tax relief to Tennessee families and small businesses. Blackburn is running for the Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Bob Corker (R-TN), who also issued a news release Tuesday morning on efforts by Republicans in Congress to pass a tax reform plan. The House has passed the plan and the Senate is expected to vote this week. A key element in the plan is lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. The U.S. currently has the highest corporate tax rate in the world among countries with advanced economies. In her video, Blackburn said: Government never gets enough of the taxpayers’ revenue. The appetite, the insatiable appetite that government has for your money never ceases. To achieve tax relief is vital. And I think that keeping it to a focus of flatter rates for individual filers. Fairness in business taxes. And small businesses being able to use the rate that is there for corporations. That lower rate. 20% rate. That gives them more money to spend on that business to build their dream. And then also simpler, it is…

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Witnesses at Senate Hearing Convened by Bob Corker Claim Military Can Question Donald Trump’s Order to Launch Nuclear Weapons

November 15, 2017November 14, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Corker Senate For Rel Committee Trump

Legal and military experts told lawmakers Tuesday the president does not have complete authority to launch the first strike using a nuclear weapon when the U.S. is not faced with an imminent threat. In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the experts grappled with what scenarios encompass “imminent” threats, when the president could order an…

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Sen. Bob Corker Announces Hearing Tuesday on President’s Authority to Use Nuclear Weapons

November 11, 2017November 10, 2017 Wendy Wilson

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) announced this week that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the authority of the executive branch to use nuclear weapons, reports The Hill. The hearing comes in the aftermath of President Trump warning North Korea in August that it could face “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if it continues to build up its nuclear program. A frequent critic now of Trump’s leadership abilities, Corker is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has accused the president of putting the U.S. “on the path to World War III” with the way he threatens other countries. On Wednesday, Corker said in a statement that “a number of members both on and off our committee have raised questions about the authorities of the legislative and executive branches with respect to war making, the use of nuclear weapons, and conducting foreign policy overall.” Corker continued, “This continues a series of hearings to examine these issues and will be the first time since 1976 that this committee or our House counterparts have looked specifically at the authority and process for using U.S. nuclear weapons. This discussion is long overdue, and we look forward…

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Sen. Bob Corker Slams President Trump For Not Ruling Out Firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions

November 3, 2017November 3, 2017 Wendy Wilson

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Friday blasted President Trump for refusing to rule out firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions if the Department of Justice doesn’t pursue investigations the president wants. Earlier Friday, Trump tweeted that the Justice Department and FBI should investigate “Crooked Hillary & the Dems.” The Associated Press reported that when asked before departing for his trip to Asia if he would fire Sessions if the Justice Department doesn’t do more to investigate Democrats, Trump said, “I don’t know.” Corker said in a statement, “Like me, most Americans hope that our justice system is independent and free of political interference. President Trump’s pressuring of the Justice Department and FBI to pursue cases against his adversaries and calling for punishment before trials take place are totally inappropriate and not only undermine our justice system but erode the American people’s confidence in our institutions.” Like me, most Americans hope that our justice system is independent and free of political interference. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/R4WrhSPQz3 — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) November 3, 2017 Corker’s statement was the latest volley in his feud with Trump over the president’s leadership abilities. Special counsel Robert Mueller continues to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential…

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MTSU Poll Shows Increasing Disapproval of U.S. Senator Bob Corker

October 31, 2017October 30, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Disapproval of U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has jumped since he and President Trump began feuding publicly, a new Middle Tennessee State University poll shows. Corker’s disapproval rate has risen to 41 percent among Tennessee voters, a 14-point hike since a similar poll this past spring. Disapproval of Trump has also gone up some, from 32 to 40 percent, but his 50 percent approval rate has held steady and remains well above the national approval rate of around 37 percent. Approval for Corker, meanwhile, dropped from 52 percent to 45 percent. The poll has a 4-percentage-point error margin. “Essentially, Corker’s negatives have increased markedly, but he has ended up only a bit behind Trump in terms of approval, and possibly on par with him,” Ken Blake, director of the MTSU Poll, said in a news release last week. “Meanwhile, some undecideds have switched to disapproval of President Trump, but Trump’s base is sticking with him and keeping his approval rate relatively high in the state overall.” The poll also found that approval of Congress is abysmally low. Approval is at 13 percent, down from 21 percent in the spring. In addition, the poll found: 56 percent approve of Republican Gov. Bill…

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Sen. Bob Corker Praises Sen. Jeff Flake as a ‘True Conservative’

October 26, 2017October 25, 2017 Wendy Wilson

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has released a statement praising U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election. Corker announced last month that he will not run again. As outspoken critics of President Trump, both Corker and Flake would have faced tough primary battles next year. “Jeff Flake continues to stay true to his principles and fight for what he believes is right,” Corker said. “He is a true conservative, an outstanding senator and a cherished friend. I look forward to serving with him for the remainder of our terms in the Senate and know he will continue to represent the people of Arizona incredibly well.” However, the problem for Flake is that many on the right no longer see him as a true conservative. Conservative blogger and radio host Erick Erickson summed it up in a piece Wednesday: Jeff Flake had a 100 percent lifetime Club for Growth record in the United States House of Representatives. He was a conservative’s conservative and stood up to the House GOP leadership. He used that reputation to catapult himself into the Senate with the backing of most every major conservative group. He towed a tough line on…

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Former Congressman Stephen Fincher Stops in Johnson City on ‘Listening Tour’ as He Considers U.S. Senate Run

October 13, 2017October 12, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Former Congressman Stephen Fincher (R-TN-8) told the Johnson City Press this week that he is seriously thinking about running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Bob Corker. Johnson City was one of the first stops in what Fincher says is a listening tour of the state designed to help him decide whether to run. The tour is expected to last several weeks. The West Tennessee farmer would be vying for the Republican nomination against the formidable U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) and conservative activist Andy Ogles. Fincher, who lives in Frog Jump, said in an interview with the Johnson City Press that he is being encouraged by supporters to run and has been praying about it and discussing it with his family. He is currently traveling the state to get input from voters. Fincher was first elected to Congress in 2010 and was re-elected twice to consecutive terms. In 2016, he decided not to run again because of the illness of a family member. He has more than $2 million remaining in his congressional election account. In August, he became a campaign co-chairman for U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-6) in her run for Tennessee governor. Fincher told the Johnson City Press…

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Senator Bob Corker Has Plenty of Evidence to Support President Trump’s Reduction in the Refugee Ceiling for FY 2018

October 4, 2017October 3, 2017 Chris Alto

Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) has plenty of evidence to support President Trump’s presidential determination to reduce the refugee ceiling in FY 2018 to 45,000, but, so far, the soon-to-retire senator has been silent on that matter since that news broke late last month. In April, however, PJ Media reported, “Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said he hopes the Trump administration begins to ‘move back to a regular process’ and ‘normalize’ the admission of refugees into the United States.” Corker should know the pitfalls of “normalizing” the admissions of refugees to higher levels of the Obama administration. He was a sitting member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it convened a hearing in 2010, to address the failures of the U.S. refugee resettlement program and he learned a great deal about the serious problems of the program back then. The committee’s report, Abandoned Upon Arrival: Implications for Refugees and Local Communities Burdened by a U.S. Resettlement System That is Not Working, offers ample, if not overwhelming justification for Corker, now chairman of the committee, to support President Trump’s responsible FY 2018 cap for U.S refugee admissions at 45,000 annually, significantly lower than the 85,000 admissions in FY 2016, the…

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Commentary: Tennessee Attorney General Abuses His Position to Offer Political and Not Legal Opinion

September 14, 2017September 13, 2017 Chris Alto

Disregarding the Constitution, foundational principles of federalism, immigration law and his statutorily prescribed duties, Tennessee’s Attorney General Herbert Slatery III, the state’s chief legal advisor, has used his position and office to advance a political agenda on behalf of illegal aliens in the state. Forty-three states elect their Attorney General unlike in Tennessee whose state Constitution directs the State Supreme Court to make the appointment for a term of eight years. Elected Attorney Generals are viewed as more accountable to the public and more independent from the governor. Elected AGs are also viewed as having more credibility should a situation arise requiring investigating wrongdoing by any state official including the governor. Prior to his appointment as Tennessee’s Attorney General, from 2011 – 2014, Slatery, also from Knoxville, served as counsel to Governor Haslam. “In addition to providing legal advice to the Governor, he oversaw the process for judicial appointments, coordinated the legal affairs of the executive branch for the Governor, assisted in the development and implementation of legislation, and reviewed requests for executive clemency and extradition.” Using his official letterhead, Slatery informed Sens. Alexander and Corker that Tennessee would not challenge the DACA program despite admitting the likelihood of prevailing. Slatery’s…

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Hundreds in Nashville Protest President Trump’s Constitutional Decision to End DACA

September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 Wendy Wilson

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Several hundred protesters marched along West End Avenue in Nashville late Tuesday afternoon to denounce President’s Trump decision to end DACA. “Up, up with liberation. Down, down with deportation,” chanted the marchers, as similar protests took place across the country. Meanwhile, Trump supporters who want tougher immigration enforcement and adherence to the Constitution praised the president for following through on a campaign promise. The Trump administration announced early Tuesday that it would phase out DACA, which offers young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and meet certain criteria the opportunity to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. Many recipients are now young adults. Former President Obama started the program in 2012 through an executive order, which critics called an unconstitutional exercise of power by the executive branch. Now it will be left up to Congress to decide what to do with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, will begin losing their permits in March unless Congress acts. Immigration activists are already lobbying Congress to save the program. Should Congress pass legislation to restore the DACA program before it ends six months from now,…

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State Rep. Judd Matheny Rips Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker for Harsh Criticism of President Trump

August 26, 2017August 25, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) on Friday said U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) was out of line in his recent harsh criticism of President Trump. As a leading U.S. senator, Corker should know better than to undermine the president at a time when the country is facing tough challenges at home and abroad, Matheny said. “You don’t speak like that about the president. You just don’t. He ought to be ashamed,” Matheny told The Tennessee Star at Legislative Plaza, where Matheny was receiving an award from the Center for Security Policy for his efforts to fight terrorism. Corker told reporters in Chattanooga last week that “radical changes” are needed at the White House. He questioned Trump’s competence and his understanding of what has made the U.S. a great nation. Trump fired back on Friday with a tweet saying, “Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in ’18. Tennessee not happy!” Trump has been bombarded with criticism from the mainstream media, the left and establishment Republicans like Corker in the wake of his comments blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical…

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President Trump Blasts Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in Tweet

August 25, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

President Trump took to Twitter Friday morning to lash back at U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) for Corker’s recent sharp criticisms of the president. Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017 Last week in Chattanooga, Corker told reporters that “radical changes” are needed at the White House and that “the president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” Corker said Trump “has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Corker’s comments came as Trump was getting criticized by the mainstream media, the left and some Republicans for blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical leftists. Critics said Trump’s comments indirectly showed support for white supremacists. In Chattanooga, Corker said, “I think that sometimes he gets in a situation where he doubles-down to try and make a wrong a right.…

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Split on Trump’s Afghanistan Decision Along Partisan Lines

August 23, 2017August 22, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Republican Sen. Bob Corker and Republican Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Scott DesJarlais and Chuck Fleischmann released statements in support of President Trump’s decision to keep troops in Afghanistan. Trump announced his decision Monday evening in a televised address. His decision is likely to disappoint some conservatives because he campaigned on pulling out of Afghanistan. “My original instinct was to pull out — and, historically, I like following my instincts,” Trump said in his address. “But all my life I’ve heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office.” Trump said that, as happened with the withdrawal from Iraq in 2011, “a hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill.” Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the following in a statement: I had the opportunity to talk with Secretary Tillerson in advance of this evening’s address, and while I look forward to receiving additional details, I support the direction President Trump laid out tonight for the U.S. role in Afghanistan. While there are certainly substantial questions about whether Afghanistan has the capacity over time to provide stable governance to its people, this more focused…

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bob Corker Stands By Statements Criticizing Trump Over Charlottesville

August 19, 2017August 18, 2017 Wendy Wilson

COLUMBIA, Tennessee — U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Friday defended his remarks Thursday criticizing President Trump for his comments about the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend between white supremacists and leftist radicals. Corker was in Columbia on Friday to speak at a joint luncheon of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs at the Memorial Building downtown. On Thursday in Chattanooga, Corker questioned Trump’s competence and said, “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Trump’s critics in the mainstream media and on the left, as well as some establishment Republicans, have maintained that Trump indirectly supported white supremacy by blaming both sides for the violence and saying there were innocent people on both sides. Asked by The Tennessee Star after Friday’s luncheon what he thought Trump should have said instead, Corker said he didn’t want to get into analyzing it further. “I’m trying to steer away from that,” Corker said. “What I said yesterday I think speaks for itself. Hopefully this, myself and maybe a few others speaking out, will have an effect. But I just want good…

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bob Corker Criticizes President Trump – Again – In Chattanooga Thursday

August 18, 2017August 27, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) sharply criticized President Trump on Thursday at a Rotary Club luncheon in Chattanooga and said “radical changes” are needed at the White House. Corker questioned Trump’s competence. “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that,” Corker told reporters after the luncheon, according to WRCB Channel 3. Corker’s latest criticism of Trump comes after a long string of other attacks he has made on the president that do not sit well with Republican primary voters in Tennessee. Tennessee’s junior senator is up for re-election in 2018. Local reaction from Tennessee conservatives to Corker’s comments was harshly critical of the former mayor of Chattanooga, as these comments on the Nashville Tea Party Facebook page demonstrated. “Ready to put my name on recall petition! Trump has done more for this country in six months than Corker has in his entire senatorial career. And to speak on ‘character’, Corker wouldn’t have a clue what the word means,” Carole posted. “No Bob, it is the Senate who needs a Radical Change and that includes getting you and…

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Conexion Americas Led Coalition, With Randy Boyd’s Non-Profit as a ‘State Partner,’ Says Students Here Illegally Deserve ‘Educational Equity’

August 10, 2017August 10, 2017 Chris Alto

Conexion Americas, the convener and leading member of the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition (TEEC), has issued a letter to Sens. Alexander and Corker asking them to continue Obama’s administrative bypass of Congress that unilaterally created the questionable DACA program. Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd’s education non-profit Complete Tennessee, on which Conexion Americas’ founder and executive director Renata Soto serves as a board member, is listed as a State Partner on the TEEC website. TEEC was established in March 2016. Complete Tennessee was established in September 2016, about the same time that Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny Boyd donated $250,000 to Conexion Americas. TEEC says that students who arrived in Tennessee in violation of U.S. immigration law deserve “educational equity:” As members of the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition, we write you to express our support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition is a diverse group of civil rights and education advocacy organizations whose goal is to build a shared advocacy agenda to address achievement and opportunity gaps for students across the state. We write you to respectfully request that you support the DACA program and that you urge President Trump to keep the DACA program intact until…

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Tennessee’s Republican U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker Help Elevate Victim Status of Muslims Living in America

August 3, 2017August 3, 2017 Chris Alto

On April 5, 2017, Senators Alexander and Corker joined in the unanimous consent of the Senate and “agreed to” S.Res. 118: A resolution condemning hate crime and any other form of racism, religious or ethnic bias, discrimination, incitement to violence, or animus targeting a minority in the United States. Because S.Res.118 was introduced as a “simple resolution,” considered a non-binding statement of the Senate, no roll call vote is required, the House does not vote on it, and it has no force of law although it remains to be seen whether a bill will follow later. According to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), “[t]he drafting, introduction, and passage of this resolution [was] the result of a joint advocacy effort between MPAC and Emerge USA [a Muslim organization now renamed eMgage]. We ensured that the resolution went beyond rhetoric and resolves that the government take concrete steps to address hate crimes.” S.Res. 118 references acts of anti-Semitism, threats against Jewish institutions, anti-Black or anti-African American bias crimes, and “harassment and hate-based violence against individuals who are perceived to be Arab or Muslim, including members of South Asian communities in the United States, and Hindu and Sikh Americans” but reserves the opening and misleading statistic…

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Alexander And Corker Both Vote For Failed Obamacare “Skinny Repeal” Amendment

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Tennessee’s Republican senators both voted early Friday for a health care bill amendment that would have repealed parts of Obamacare, though less dramatically than an amendment defeated earlier this week. The latest amendment, defeated by a 51-49 Senate vote, was dubbed “skinny repeal” and was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The stronger amendment defeated Wednesday was sponsored by his fellow Kentucky Republican senator, Rand Paul. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who voted against Sen. Paul’s amendment because it didn’t have an immediate replacement plan, but who voted to advance Sen. McConnell’s “skinny repeal” said: I voted to take the next step toward what I believed was our best opportunity to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Senate’s failure to do this leaves an urgent problem that I am committed to addressing: Tennessee’s state insurance commissioner says our individual insurance market is very near collapse. Unless Congress acts, many of the 350,000 Tennesseans who buy health insurance in that market—songwriters, farmers, the self-employed—face the real prospect of having zero options to buy insurance in 2018 and 2019. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said in a statement: My strong preference was for Congress to advance legislation I supported earlier this week to repeal Obamacare…

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Sen. Corker Votes To Repeal Obamacare, Sen. Alexander Votes No

July 27, 2017July 27, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Tennessee’s Republican senators in Washington, D.C., were divided Wednesday on repealing significant portions of Obamacare. Sen. Bob Corker voted for a health care bill amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act, while Sen. Lamar Alexander voted against it. Put forward by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the amendment would have given lawmakers two years to develop a replacement plan. The Senate will now debate measures that won’t alter Obamacare as much as the amendment defeated Wednesday. Radio talk show host Phil Valentine speculated on his show Wednesday that Corker, considered a moderate by some conservatives, voted for repeal because he is up for election next year and knew the vote would play well with Tennessee voters. Corker has not said whether he will seek a third term. In a statement released before Wednesday’s vote, Corker said: As I have said before, I believe the best path forward is for Congress to repeal Obamacare after a reasonable transition period. This amendment would take us back to a level playing field where, by a date certain, all sides have incentive to work together to develop a health care replacement that would generate broad support and stand the test of time. I urge my…

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Senate Health Care Legislation Stalls, Corker and Alexander Were Still Mulling Bill

July 18, 2017July 18, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

The Senate health care bill appeared to stall late Monday for lack of votes needed to pass. Last week, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said he was encouraged by the direction of the bill, while Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said he had concerns about its effects on Tennesseans and was waiting to see a report from the Congressional Budget Office. The bill was to have been considered this week, but was delayed until at least next week to give Arizona Republican Senator John McCain time to recover from surgery to remove a blood clot. McCain’s presence was needed to advance the bill, which has faced growing opposition. Then news broke late Monday that the bill in its current form has been brought to a halt after more senators stepped forward to say they wouldn’t support it. That means leaders will need to revamp the bill or scrap health care legislation this year. Some senators are opposed to the bill because they say the proposed cuts to Medicaid are too steep, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) says it keeps too much of Obamacare intact. Paul mounted a campaign to convince fellow Republicans that the bill is not a repeal as promised. The bill has…

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Heritage Action Sentinels, An Active Force To Be Reckoned With in Middle Tennessee, Expanding

June 22, 2017June 21, 2017 Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A group of grassroots activists of Heritage Action, known as Sentinels, have been active and growing for some time in Rutherford County and have reached the point of spawning a new group in Nashville/Davidson County. Heritage Action is the grassroots activist sister organization to Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank founded in 1973. Heritage’s more than 100 researchers perform timely and accurate research on critical policy issues and shares the findings with key stakeholders including elected and appointed policy makers, the media and the public, including Heritage Action and the Sentinel community. Heritage Action came into being in 2010 when Heritage Foundation’s research on The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, needed to be taken to a level beyond information into activism. In 2014, Heritage Foundation launched The Daily Signal, a conservative electronic publication that combines news and research that can be republished, as done by The Tennessee Star. Heritage Action, with the mission of holding Congress accountable to conservative principles, may be best known for its Scorecard which measures votes, bill sponsorships and legislative activities to gauge a member’s conservatism. Long-time grassroots activists Katherine Hudgins and Jackie Archer founded the Rutherford County Heritage Sentinels and…

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State Rep. Andy Holt Considering Run For Bob Corker’s U.S. Senate Seat

June 9, 2017June 9, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

State Rep. Andy Holt is considering running for Bob Corker’s U.S. Senate seat next year. Corker has not said yet whether he will seek a third term, but Holt believes that if Corker does run as expected, there should be “a more conservative option.” “Somebody’s got to do it,” Holt told The Tennessee Star on Thursday. And that somebody – or one of them – might be Holt, though he’s still in the early stages of deciding whether to enter the race. Corker is vulnerable, according to a new poll released by The Star and conducted by Triton Polling and Research. Only 41 percent of likely Tennessee Republican primary voters said Corker “deserves re-election.” Corker, who sometimes supports President Trump and is at other times critical, recently said Trump is “out of control” and the “White House is in a downward spiral.” The poll showed that only 20 percent of likely Republican primary voters agreed. Holt (R-Dresden) pointed to Corker’s key role in pushing former President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal through Congress as one reason why Corker must go. But he said a lot of the problems with Corker stem not from what he is doing, but what he’s not doing. Corker, along…

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New Poll Shows Bob Corker and Marsha Blackburn Statistically Tied in Potential Tennessee U.S. Senate GOP Primary Matchup

June 7, 2017June 7, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee Star

A poll released by The Tennessee Star of 1,007 likely Tennessee Republican primary voters shows that Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is in a statistical tie with Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN 7) in a potential 2018 Republican primary matchup for the Tennessee U.S. Senate seat. When asked “If the election was held today, and the candidates were Bob Corker and Marsha Blackburn, who would you vote for U.S. Senator from Tennessee,” 41.4 percent of likely Tennessee Republican primary voters selected Corker while 38.6 percent selected Blackburn. The 2.8 percent differential between the two is within the poll’s 3.1 percent margin of error, thus making the race a statistical dead heat. The bad news for Corker is that Blackburn beats him in two of the Volunteer State’s three geographic regions. Among West Tennessee voters, Blackburn beats Corker soundly, 39 percent to 26 percent. Among Middle Tennessee voters, Blackburn beats Corker 43 percent to 38 percent. Only in his home region of East Tennessee does Corker beat Blackburn. There, he wins by a margin of 49 percent to 26 percent. Blackburn’s current district covers much of Middle Tennessee. Prior to redistricting after the 2010 election, however, the district stretched from Middle Tennessee…

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Peyton Manning Plays Golf With President Trump and Sen. Bob Corker

June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Football star Peyton Manning reportedly played golf with President Trump and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker on Sunday. CBS Sports, citing various sources, published a story online Monday with video and photos of the three men outside the White House, on the golf course and sitting around a table at what appears to be the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. “Manning has long been someone who was rumored to have interest in getting into politics, primarily because of his immense popularity in the state of Tennessee,” the story said. “This latest encounter is hardly an indication that is happening, but it probably won’t stop people from speculating.” In March, rumors swirled that the University of Tennessee alumnus might run for Senate in 2020 to replace Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is said to be considering retiring. But Manning downplayed those rumors, according to the Denver Post. “I don’t know where that came from. Last week I was going to run a team, this week I going to apparently run for Senate, and next week I’ll be an astronaut,” Manning said at the time. “I have no interest in the political world, but would like to continue serving communities.” Manning, 41, retired…

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Marsha Blackburn Supports President Trump’s Firing of FBI Director While Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander Hedge

May 11, 2017May 10, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) gave her complete support of President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey, while both of Tennessee’s U.S. Senators, Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) hedged in their official comments. Here is the reaction of these three Republican members of the Tennessee Congressional delegation to President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday. They made their comments in official press statements and on social media. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Republican: The FBI Director is entrusted to conduct business in an apolitical manner. What we have seen from Director Comey has been a breach of that trust and a politicization of the office. His removal from this office is warranted after his recent conduct in his position. Senator Bob Corker, Republican: While the case for removal of Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey laid out by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein was thorough, his removal at this particular time will raise questions. It is essential that ongoing investigations are fulsome and free of political interference until their completion, and it is imperative that President Trump nominate a well-respected and qualified individual to lead the bureau at this critical time. Senator Lamar Alexander,…

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OFF THE RECORD

May 10, 2017May 10, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star - Off the Record

OOOPS…Corker caught on tape Last Saturday during Bob Corker’s talk to the TN GOP State Executive Committee members, an observer just happened to switch on their phone when Corker was asked to comment about the state’s lawsuit against the feds over the refugee resettlement issue. If you’ve ever taken the time to contact Corker’s Senate office with a comment that is something other than a compliment or praise for the Senator, you likely received a circuitous non-response which is sometimes referred to as being “blown off.” In typical Corker fashion, he throws out a bone to conservatives in the crowd because he thinks they haven’t yet figured out that he is not a conservative. What conservatives in Tennessee do know is that when Corker first went to D.C. in 2007, he was openly against illegal immigration (not to confuse illegal immigration with refugee resettlement which is legal immigration). He was so against it that he said, that to be “fair to American citizens,” illegal aliens should have to leave and then re-enter before they could apply to be here legally….. Then after spending too many years in Washington, he supported the 2013 “Gang of Eight” illegal immigration amnesty bill. On Saturday,…

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Tennessee’s Congressional Delegation Backs Syrian Airstrikes

April 7, 2017April 7, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee’s Congressional delegation is supporting the airstrikes in Syria ordered by President Trump and carried out on Thursday. Both United States Senators from Tennessee and all nine members of the delegation from the Volunteer State in the U.S. House of Representatives–seven Republicans and two Democrats– in public statements late Thursday and early Friday gave Trump’s actions their support. The airstrikes are in response to a chemical weapons attack carried out by the Syrian government against its own people in a rebel-controlled area. Sen. Bob Corker, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a news release that he approves of Trump’s “decisive action.” “The U.S. and world community stood by as Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad brutally tortured and murdered more than 500,000 of his own people, and I applaud President Trump for taking decisive action following the latest chemical weapons attack,” Corker said. “It is critical that Assad knows he will no longer enjoy impunity for his horrific crimes against his own citizens, and this proportional step was appropriate. As we move forward, it will be important for the administration to engage with Congress and clearly communicate its full strategy to the American people.” Sen. Lamar Alexander…

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Showdown in Williamson County: Conservative Grassroots Debbie Deaver Vs. Establishment Tom Miller in Fight for GOP County Chair

February 27, 2017February 27, 2017 Christina Botteri

Tennessee Star - Deaver v Miller

For some, Tuesday, Feb 28 might be just another National Chocolate Soufflé Day, but to the Williamson County Republican Party loyalists, it’s time to pick a new GOP Chair. The election in 2015 of outgoing Chairwoman Julie Hannah was a great victory for the conservative grassroots. Of the two candidates running to replace her, many activists believe Debbie Deaver represents a continuation of Hannah’s high-energy, principled leadership. Party insiders agree the choice between the two candidates emerging from the Willamson County GOP Convention earlier this year is stark: Establishment-supporting, Moderate Tom Miller, or conservative crackerjack, Deaver. Miller served as a Franklin alderman-at-large from 1997-2003, then was elected the Mayor of Franklin for a single term in 2003. However, although Miller enjoys a nearly ubiquitous reputation as a “nice guy,” some Republican activists fear the longtime Realtor and Franklin resident will “do nothing” but take orders from the Establishment Party Leaders in Tennessee like Governor Bill Haslam, and Senators Bob Corker and Llamar Alexander. “If Tom Miller is elected to the Williamson County Chair, we will go from being a strong conservative party organization, to simply being a big-government, liberal tax-and-spend organization,” said activist and Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips.…

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