OFF THE RECORD: Sources Say Bob Corker Instigated Confrontation on Plane with Prominent Tennessee GOP Donor

Multiple sources have confirmed to The Tennessee Star that former Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) instigated a confrontation with a prominent Tennessee Republican donor in the first class section of a commercial flight from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Georgia on January 3, just hours after his term as a United States Senator representing Tennessee had expired. Corker reportedly raised his voice during the boarding process in a conversation he initiated with Tennessee Republican donor Tim Pagliara, who contributed $3,900 to the former senator’s 2012 campaign, and in recent years has been a frequent critic of the outgoing senator’s personal financial dealings while in office. Both men were on the plane after attending the swearing in ceremony of Corker’s successor, Marsha Blackburn, to the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. on January 3. Pagliara, a prominent money manager based in Franklin, Tennessee who founded and operates CapWealth Group, has been a leading contributor to many Tennessee Republican causes, including most recently the 2018 campaign of Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). One person from the flight who spoke anonymously to The Star said, “Senator Corker walked onto the plane, where multiple people greeted him and shook his hand. He chatted briefly with Mr. Pagliara as…

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Bob Corker Cracks Open Door to 2020 Primary Challenge of President Trump

Bob Corker

Retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said that he has not ruled out running against President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential primary in 2020. Breitbart reported the story on Wednesday. When asked by reporters Tuesday if he plans to run for president in 2020, Corker said, “I have not ruled it out.” Reporters said that their colleagues often ask Corker this question, to which he usually gives a vague answer. 2020 WATCH: Will Sen. Bob Corker run for President??? “I haven’t ruled it out.” — Natalie Andrews (@nataliewsj) November 13, 2018 this is my favorite oft-repeated question in the Senate basement, to which Bob Corker always offers a similarly vague answer https://t.co/4ptmylFNYo — Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) November 13, 2018 This is not the first time people have speculated on Corker running against Trump. In October 2017, News Channel 9 in his hometown of Chattanooga asked voters for their thoughts. Chattanooga Tea Party leader Mark West said at the time he wouldn’t be surprised if Corker runs but hopes he doesn’t. Corker announced his retirement in September 2017 amidst increasing unpopularity in Tennessee, which arose from his frequent criticism of the president and his America First agenda. He received criticism for…

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With FBI Report Done on Kavanaugh, It Is Time For Bredesen to Speak Up, Republican National Committee Says

Phil Bredesen

The FBI report is in. Senator Bob Corker read it, and said there’s “zero corroboration” of the claims against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Other senators have reached the same conclusion. Then there is Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. Republicans said they were confident they had the votes to confirm Kavanaugh after senators studied the FBI reports, the Los Angeles Times said. Two key Republicans, Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) praised the report. For nearly 90 days Bredesen has refused to say anything about whether he would vote for Kavanaugh if he were already a senator. Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) who is retiring. His opponent, U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), has given very vocal support in favor of Kavanaugh and President Donald Trump, who nominated the judge for the Supreme Court. She has repeatedly said Bredesen is following the orders of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to stay silent on the issue. Bredesen’s base wants nothing but resistance, as a booing crowd of Democrats in Chattanooga demonstrated when he dodged the Kavanaugh question, the Republican National Committee said in a press release.  The RNC questioned his handling of sexual harassment claims…

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Corker Predicts Kavanaugh Will Be Confirmed to SCOTUS

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) said he thinks Judge Brett Kavanaugh will be confirmed. The Hill reported on Corker’s statement Wednesday. Corker said on Tuesday evening that he is confident Senate Republicans will have enough votes to confirm Kavanaugh by “no later than Saturday.” Corker also accused Democrats of having “overplayed their hand” in leveling accusations of sexual misconduct and assault by several women and demanding an FBI investigation. The Senate had previously been scheduled to vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination but the Republican majority on Friday agreed to a demand from some members to delay the vote by one week to give the FBI more time to investigate the accusations. “Cloture may be filed tomorrow … it feels to me like the FBI reports could come in as early as tomorrow, maybe Thursday … my guess is we’re going to vote no later than Saturday,” Corker said in an interview. He said he had spoken to his colleagues about the matter. Corker is retiring from the Senate. Running for his seat are U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) and Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. Blackburn has been criticizing her opponent for staying silent on whether he would support Kavanaugh. Blackburn said recently,…

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Corker Likens Trump Administration to ‘Banana Republic’ For Wanting to Yank Security Clearances of Misbehaving Ex-Officials

Bob Corker

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker likened the Trump Administration to a “banana republic” for wanting to yank security clearances of ex-government hacks who are using their positions to attack the president. The administration’s proposal is “the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela,” Tennessee’s junior senator told MSNBC, as reported by Politico. “I can’t even believe that somebody at the White House thought up something like this. I mean, when you’re going to start taking retribution against people who are your political enemies in this manner, that’s the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela. “So you just don’t do that. I can’t believe they even allowed it to be aired, to be honest,” he said. “I mean, it’s a banana republic kind of thing.” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s administration is considered a dictatorship. Corker met with the dictator in May to secure the release of an American prisoner, surprising the Trump Administration and members of Congress. The meeting came one week after Maduro won re-election in a sham election. “Not all members of Congress welcomed Corker’s visit to the South American country, especially in the wake of a presidential race the United States, several Latin American countries and some European…

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Senator Bob Corker Indicates He’ll Support Judge Kavanaugh Regardless Of What President Trump Does

Bob Corker, Brett Kavanaugh

by Thomas Phippen   Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, said his disapproval of the president’s actions and comments would not stop him from supporting Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Corker said he received calls from Democratic colleagues after Trump’s controversial summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki Monday, urging the departing Tennessee senator to block Kavanaugh’s nomination. After the Helsinki press conference, which was “one of the worst” Corker said he’s seen, a leading Democrat called the Republican with a request to block Kavanaugh. “He said, ‘Corker, you need to block the Supreme Court nominee,’” Corker recalled. “Well, I could hit myself in the knee with a sledge hammer too. But why would I block someone that I generally like over what the president has done?” Because Corker is departing the chamber when his term ends in 2019, and because of his frequent criticisms of Trump, he is among a group of GOP politicians activists hope will cross the aisle to block a conservative justice from ascending to the Supreme Court. Along with Corker, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Jeff Flake of Arizona, all frequent…

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Tennessee Right to Life Endorses Dr. Mark Green for Congress

Mark Green

Tennessee Right to Life announced Tuesday it has endorsed Dr. Mark Green to represent the people of Tennessee’s 7th district in the US House of Representatives. “Mark Green understands the crucial importance of protecting human life and has devoted his public and professional life to the care of the weak and vulnerable. Tennessee Right to Life looks forward to continuing to work alongside Mark Green to affirm the dignity of every life,” the pro-life group’s  President Brian Harris said in a statement. The campaign said that with over 13,000 community health clinics that provide women’s services, Green believes “it’s past time to stop subsidizing Planned Parenthood—the nation’s largest abortion provider—with taxpayers’ money;” adding that – as one of only seven countries that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks – Green will lead the fight to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. “As a physician, I know firsthand that life begins at conception, and it’s our moral responsibility as humans to protect the most vulnerable among us. If elected to Congress, I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless as I have been in the State Senate. I’m honored to receive Tennessee Right to Life’s endorsement,” Dr. Green said.…

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Tennessee Star Poll: Trump and Blackburn Enjoy High Approval Ratings Among Republican Voters, Corker Has 62 Percent Unfavorable

Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn, Donald Trump

There is a reason Republican primary candidates across the state, whether they are running for Senate, Governor, Congress or state legislative positions, are clinging to President Donald Trump’s coattails. A new Tennessee Star statewide poll of 1040 likely Republican Primary voters conducted by Triton Polling from June 25-28, 2018 indicates that President Trump retains a sky high approval rating of 86.5 percent; only 7.9 percent have an unfavorable view of Trump, with 5.6 percent undecided. A Tennessee Star poll a year ago showed almost identical figures for Trump.  Likewise, Trump had an 84 percent favorability rating six months ago. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, who had a campaign rally with President Trump in Nashville just a month ago, is also very popular among likely Tennessee Republican Primary voters.  58.2 percent express approval for Blackburn, 17.8 percent disapprove and 24 percent don’t know or are not sure. A significant portion of the undecided Republican primary voters are in East Tennessee where the remains largely unknown among that large base of GOP voters. Blackburn is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker and will face off against former Democrat Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen in November. Tennessee’s two Senators did…

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Bob Corker Won’t Stop Undermining Trump in Trade Battle, Democrats Offer Him a Helping Hand

Trump-Corker-Toomey

A new item out at Politico highlights just how determined outgoing Tennessee Senator Bob Corker is to cause problems for President Trump in trade negotiations while he still continues to have the power to do it. And Republican Senator from Pennsylvania Pat Toomey is helping him do it. Corker restarts tariff battle with Trump The frequent Trump critic is seizing on the Senate’s farm bill to try to curb the president’s tariffs. GOP Sen. Bob Corker is making a new push to allow Congress to block President Donald Trump’s tariffs on U.S. allies, though GOP leaders may stop it in its tracks once again. The Tennessee senator is offering an amendment written with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to the Senate’s farm bill this week that would allow Congress to approve or disapprove of tariffs levied against countries on national security justifications. Naturally, President Trump opposes the effort, as does Senate Finance Chairman Orin Hatch, calling it “too broad.” Trump opposes the amendment, and it could imperil the farm bill if the amendment is adopted. Party leaders are not sure whether it has 60 votes to succeed; Corker and Toomey argue the only way to find out is to hold a…

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President Trump Endorses Rep Marsha Blackburn for US Senate

Trump endorses Blackburn

President Trump endorsed Representative Marsha Blackburn in her bid to replace retiring junior Senator Bob Corker Thursday via Twitter. Unusually, Mr. Trump used a feature of the microblogging site to make sure that all of Rep Blackburn’s followers would see the message by adding a period directly in front of her Twitter username, ‘@MarshaBlackburn.’ In his tweet, the president wrote Blackburn “is a wonderful woman who has always been there when we have needed her.” He continued, “Great on the Military, Border Security and Crime. Loves and works hard for the people of Tennessee. She has my full endorsement and I will be there to campaign with her!” Blackburn is the sole Republican in the running for the nomination – as is her rival, former Nashville Mayor and Governor Phil Bredesen. .@MarshaBlackburn is a wonderful woman who has always been there when we have needed her. Great on the Military, Border Security and Crime. Loves and works hard for the people of Tennessee. She has my full endorsement and I will be there to campaign with her! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2018 The Washington Times notes that although President Trump’s endorsement is no surprise, it “could prove a shot…

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Senator Lamar Alexander Endorses Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate as Outgoing Corker Remains on the Sidelines

Sen. Lamar Alexander endorses Marsh Blackburn

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) has endorsed Congresswoman and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). In a statement issued by Alexander, and posted in social media, Alexander said: “I have supported Marsha Blackburn as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, and I support her again as a candidate for the United States Senate. She has served Tennesseans well. I look forward to working with her to make the Senate a more effective institution.” In response to the endorsement, Blackburn said: “Lamar is a true public servant, and I am continually grateful for his support. I look forward to working with him in the U.S. Senate to pass the President’s agenda. Together, we will effectively serve Tennesseans and fight for our shared Tennessee values.” Meanwhile Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), who is vacating the seat that Blackburn is seeking, remains unwilling to follow Alexander’s lead. In late February, after Corker again decided not to seek reelection, he refused to answer a reporter’s question regarding an endorsement for Blackburn.  Soon after, a Corker spokesman said: “The senator does not typically get involved in primaries but has always planned to support the nominee.” Yesterday, speaking to reporters, Corker reiterated his…

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Senator Orrin Hatch Says He Wrote Tax Provision At Center Of Corker Controversy

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, on Monday admitted he crafted a controversial tax provision, which could personally enrich Sen. Bob Corker, House Speaker Paul Ryan, President Donald Trump, and top Republican lawmakers directly overseeing the bill. The provision could additionally benefit the real estate industry — which has been one Hatch’s largest sources of campaign donations.

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Senator Corker Joins Democrats, Will Vote ‘No’ on Once-in-a-Lifetime Tax Reform

In a move he telegraphed for weeks, retiring junior Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee announced Friday afternoon he will not vote for the tax reform package heading to the floor of the Senate, citing concerns for the government’s mounting deficits and debt. “This is yet another tough vote. I am disappointed. I wanted to get to yes,” Mr. Corker said in a statement, released on Twitter. “But at the end of the day, I am not able to cast aside my fiscal concerns and vote for legislation that I believe, based on the information I currently have, could deepen the debt burden on future generations,” he said. My statement on the tax reform legislation: pic.twitter.com/LdTQRezdlO — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) December 1, 2017 Senator Corker pushed hard for the bill to include a “trigger” that would undo reforms, should the American economy not meet certain benchmarks after the plan was implemented. Republican leaders rejected the idea, instead adopting other Senators’ suggestions on SALT (state and local taxes) and small business tax provisions – along with their votes. “While I support a number of the provisions included in this legislation and continue to believe it would have been fairly easy to…

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Commentary: Can Republicans Resist Mass Political Suicide, or Can They Take ‘Yes’ For an Answer?

By CHQ Staff   In its blind failure to recognize its dire peril, Capitol Hill’s Republican establishment is beginning to look a lot like the unfortunate souls at Jonestown who “drank the Kool-Aid” and committed mass suicide as the authorities closed in on the cult at its remote compound in Guyana. However, in a rare moment of lucidity, Senator Lindsey Graham spelled out for CNN’s Dana Bash that failure to pass tax reform means political death for the GOP establishment: For every Republican senator, the fate of the party is in our hands, as well as that of the economy. The economy needs a tax cut, and the Republican Party needs to deliver. Yet, with this imperative two Republican Senators have already come out in opposition to the bill and between six and eight others have expressed reservations about the House-passed plan. Sen Steve Daines (R-MT) joins Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) in publicly rejecting the current version of the bill. According to reporting by The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda, the two senators are pushing for lawmakers to do more to help “pass-through” businesses whose income is taxed through the individual tax code. Pass-throughs can take the form of sole proprietorships and…

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Senator Bob Corker Is North Korea’s Favorite Politician

Politicians are often known for measuring their worth by amount of media coverage they garner, and this seems to be especially true of our own retiring junior Senator Bob Corker. After months of attacks that have done nothing but alienate him from his own electorate, Mr. Corker has found a new audience for his anti-Trump rhetoric. None other than the starving hermit kingdom, North Korea. Breitbart News reports: North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Sunday cited Sen. Bob Corker to support its own attacks on President Trump, as he arrived in the region. Corker (R-TN) has questioned Trump’s “stability” and “competence,” and has attacked Trump for criticizing North Korean President Kim Jong Un on Twitter. Rodong Sinmun specifically cited Corker in its editorial, which said Trump “must hear such assertions,” according to the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA summarized the editorial: Dignitaries such as Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate, and former officials said that the president is uselessly escalating tension with the DPRK and he has to halt the reckless blackmail and take hands off the Korean affairs. Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun Sunday ridicules that if Trump is not deaf, he must hear such…

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Senator Bob Corker Just Won’t Shut Up, Says Good Relationship with President is ‘Irrelevant,’ Vows to Continue ‘Railing’ Against Trump

Retiring Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) seems to be taking a P.T. Barnum approach to his legacy, as the famous promoter is attributed to responding to a negative story by saying, “I don’t care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right.” Since the surprise election of President Donald Trump in November 2016, the junior Senator has arguably had more air time than his previous decade in office, combined – and nearly all of it is dedicated to criticizing Trump, his policies, and his agenda. It would be easy to imagine Mr. Corker’s social calendar is as packed as it has ever been. He is the new face for the NeverTrump Republican Establishment and their Democrat allies. Mr. Corker’s latest appearance on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ is a classic, by-the-numbers hit, as reported by Politico: Retiring Sen. Bob Corker said Thursday that it’s “ridiculous” to believe he has become increasingly outspoken against President Donald Trump because he was passed over as secretary of state. Corker, who interviewed for the position, said Rex Tillerson “was an inspired choice” to lead the State Department. And then, switching to the 3rd-person, added: “I don’t think Rex Tillerson has a closer friend on Capitol…

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America First Federation Calls on Mitch McConnell to Remove Bob Corker As Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman on National Security Grounds

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — On Tuesday, the America First Federation (AFF) called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to remove Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on national security grounds. For good measure, Corker should resign entirely from the United States Senate, the conservative grassroots organization based in Tennessee says. “Senator Corker has decided to become the champion of his own myopic agenda, rather than the national security interests of the United States,” Mark Skoda, founder and chairman of AFF told The Tennessee Star. “Senator Corker’s erratic comments attacking President Trump are giving aid and comfort to our enemies around the world, and Majority Leader McConnell must act now to remove that national security threat from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee immediately,” Skoda said. “The people of Tennessee have rejected his rhetoric. I personally have continued to call into his offices to express my disgust but have been unable to get through to the Capital. Either Bob Corker is extremely popular and receiving congratulatory calls on his obstruction, or he is getting an earful from Tennessee voters who overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016. I suspect that latter rather than the former!” Skoda added “In light…

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Commentary: Fincher Rejects Trump, Sides With Corker and GOP Establishment In Hiring Kim Kaegi as Treasurer

Despite his rhetorical claims to be in line with President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, Republican Senatorial candidate Stephen Fincher has immediately aligned himself with the “Queen of the Establishment” and anti-Trump political class in Tennessee. Political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, who has been a lead fundraiser for Senator Lamar Alexander, Senator Bob Corker, Governor Bill Haslam and gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd, will serve as Treasurer and Finance Consultant for the Fincher campaign, as she announced in this October 23 email. Kaegi raised eyebrows in 2016 when the “Republican” fundraiser contracted to raise funds for staunch Democrat Charles R. Bone in the Nashville Mayoral race. After Bone failed to make the runoff, Kaegi shifted her fundraising efforts to Megan Barry as she faced off against the more conservative David Fox. Barry is a liberal democrat married to Bruce Barry, the past President of the Tennessee ACLU and a member of the board of directors of the national ACLU. He has been a frequent critic of Trump’s immigration poicies. Mayor Barry has supported sanctuary city status for Nashville, is a strong proponent for illegal aliens, and recently proposed a $5.2 billion tax increase for the city. She was a Hillary Clinton delegate to…

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Unhinged Bob Corker Attacks President Trump Again

Tennessee Star

An unhinged Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) attacked President Trump again on NBC’s Today Show Tuesday morning. In a series of reckless comments, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee undermined both President Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson once more. This time, Corker used the term “kneecap” instead of “public castration.” “When you have the kind of issue we’re dealing with in North Korea where we have a very unstable leader there, when you send out tweets into the region to raise tensions, when you kneecap your Secretary of State whose diplomacy you have to depend upon, when you kneecap that effort, you really move our country into a binary choice which could lead to a world war,” Corker told Today Show host Matt Lauer.       “There are people around him that work in an effort to contain him,” Corker added. “This has been building for some time as I’ve watched the way the White House has operated. My concerns have continued to rise. I’m one senator who is expressing what I believe to be sincere – what I know to be sincere – concerns, and other senators may have other issues they’re dealing with,” the…

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David Williams Commentary: Senate Must Pass Budget – Tennessee Small Businesses Need Tax Reform Now

by David Williams   This week, the U.S. Senate is holding a budget vote that is a vital component in passing tax reform – if they can’t get the budget passed, it will make the path to overhauling our outdated, growth-killing tax code extremely difficult. It is essential that all U.S. Senators – including Senator Bob Corker – support passage of the budget so Congress can quickly move onto and pass the kind of pro-growth tax reform package Tennessee small businesses need to drive meaningful, long-term growth and job creation. The federal tax code is a bloated, cumbersome disaster. The business rate of 35 percent (39 percent with local and state taxes) is far higher than that of most of our competitors, which makes U.S. companies less competitive in the global marketplace and stifles growth and job creation. The tax code itself is an additional burden. At tens of thousands of pages and millions of words, regular small-business owners have little hope of navigating it. So, their choice is between hiring expensive tax compliance help or dealing with sleepless nights worrying about the IRS knocking on their door. Worse, the tax code strongly favors big businesses, making it even harder for smaller firms…

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Commentary: The D.C. Establishment Growing More Hysterical By the Day with President Trump

by CHQ Staff   Just when we thought that Washington’s establishment elite couldn’t get any crazier along comes former George W. Bush aide and Washington Post token Republican Michael Gerson to snap us back to reality. Gerson’s column, “Republicans, it’s time to panic” asks “Is Trump psychologically and morally equipped to be president? And could his unfitness cause permanent damage to the country?” And then Gerson answers the question in the affirmative on the basis of anonymous leaks from a White House infested with Obama holdovers and President Trump’s recent very public and personal disagreements with retiring Republican Senator Bob Corker. The gist of Gerson’s attack is that President Trump is crazy, because he hurt poor little Bob Corker’s feelings. At the very end of Gerson’s column, our friends at Breitbart pointed out that the Post has embedded a video made by one of their staffers titled “How does the 25th amendment work?” The video’s caption reads: “The 25th Amendment sets forth a procedure for removing a president from office. Here’s how it’s enacted.” As the video explains, “Section IV of the amendment states that the Vice President and at least 13 of 24 cabinet members must agree to transfer…

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Former Governor Phil Bredesen Eyes U.S. Senate Run

Former Governor Phil Bredesen, the man who was the last Democrat to run and win a statewide campaign in Tennessee, is now eyeing a run for the U. S. Senate to replace the retiring Bob Corker, the AP reports: In a statement Monday to The Associated Press, Bredesen said he is mulling an entry into the race after several people urged him to reconsider his initial statements that he had no interest in running. “In the days ahead, I’m going to do some research, talk with people and carefully think this through,” he said. “I’ll make a decision quickly.” The former governor has led a relatively quiet private life since leaving public office – a time before social media. He does not appear to have a Twitter account, and an unverified ‘Phil Bredesen’ Facebook account has no entries, but the profile picture is of him, fishing. Breseden has been complementary of incumbent Corker’s tenure, telling the AP: “We are of different parties and don’t always agree on issues, but I have long admired the way in which he puts the interests of Tennesseans and our nation ahead of political gamesmanship,” Bredesen said. “He educates himself on the issues and thinks independently…

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Andy Ogles Calls on Bob Corker to Resign as Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Republican conservative U.S. Senate candidate Andy Ogles is calling on Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) to immediately step down from his Chairmanship of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Senator Corker’s reckless war of words with President Donald Trump has moved into increasingly dangerous territory as his latest outrageous attacks on the president undermine our national security and foreign policy,” Ogles said. “Corker’s statement that the president is setting the United States ‘on a path to World War III’ was completely irresponsible. His new claim that the president is ‘castrating’ Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not only damages the ability of the president and his foreign policy team to defend American interests but also undermines his authority as Commander.” Ogles noted that it “is clear that Corker has lost the capacity to put America’s interests ahead of his petulant tantrums. If he wants to continue to attack the president he can do so, but he shouldn’t do it with the authority of and from the ‘bully pulpit’ provided to him as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” Corker has previously dismissed calls for him to resign from the U.S. Senate in the wake of his disparaging comments about President Trump.…

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Mark Green Nabs Club for Growth Endorsement After Announcing Candidacy For 7th Congressional District Seat

State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination to represent the 7th Congressional District in the House of Representatives last week. He was endorsed almost immediately by the Club for Growth for the seat that opened up when the incumbent, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) announced that she is running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat from which Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) is retiring. In an email to supporters, the Club’s president David McIntosh, a former Congressman from Indiana, said, “Mark Green may be the toughest conservative candidate we’ve ever met. If we can help Mark win his primary, he will go on to be a conservative rock star in Congress.” The Club for Growth endorsement continued, saying: “Club for Growth PAC is thrilled to announce support for Mark Green and his campaign for Congress,” stated Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh. “Mark has been an outspoken conservative in the Tennessee legislature.  He led the fight to oppose Medicaid expansion as well as fought against the Hall Income tax and big government regulations like occupational licenses. “Mark is an outstanding advocate for economic growth and would bring fiscal sanity with him when he comes to Washington.” “The Club for Growth’s endorsement is sought by every conservative in the…

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Blackburn: I’ve Fought ‘Against the Establishment All of My Political Life’

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said that President Donald Trump “would win” against his outgoing critic, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), in a hypothetical 2020 presidential primary, during an interview Wednesday on “The Laura Ingraham Show.” Blackburn announced Thursday that she will be running for Corker’s seat after he announced he would not be running for re-election in…

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Citizens United Endorses Marsha Blackburn for U. S. Senate

The political action arm of the powerful and influential group, Citizens United, delivered a full-throated endorsement Tuesday of Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) to fill the open Senate seat left behind by the retiring Bob Corker: Citizens United Political Victory Fund (CUPVF), the affiliated PAC of Citizens United, issued the following statement endorsing conservative Congressman Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate. “CUPVF is proud to support conservative change agent Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senator from Tennessee. Congressman Blackburn is a longtime friend of Citizens United and the conservative movement,” said Citizens United President David N. Bossie. “I’m proud to say that Congressman Blackburn spoke at all of our Freedom Summits advocating for our shared principles and values.” “We support Marsha Blackburn for Senate because she understands that you can’t just talk about a conservative agenda, you have to fight for it and get it enacted,” added Bossie, who served as President Donald J. Trump’s Deputy Campaign Manager. “Marsha Blackburn is a full spectrum conservative who fought the Obama agenda every step of the way and fully supports President Trump’s agenda of repealing and replacing Obamacare, tax reform, and border security. I look forward to working with Marsha Blackburn in the Senate and I…

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President Trump Tweets ‘Liddle’ Bob Corker ‘Made to Sound a Fool’ by New York Times

Tennessee Star

On Tuesday morning, President Trump slammed ‘Liddle’ Bob Corker for his recent interview with the New York Times.   The Failing @nytimes set Liddle’ Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and that’s what I am dealing with! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2017 On Fox News’ Hannity last night, former White House chief strategist and Breitbart News executive Steve Bannon said that Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)should resign immediately because of those comments made to The Times: Bannon was reacting to a series of reckless attacks made on President Trump by Senator Corker (R-TN), the first coming in several Twitter exchanges with the president on Sunday morning, the others coming in an interview with the New York Times, which released the audio transcript of the conversation. “In a time of war, we have troops in Afghanistan, in the Northwest Pacific in Korea. We have a major problem,” Bannon said. “It could be like World War I. In the South China Sea, in the Persian Gulf – we have American lives at risk every day. He tweets on Sunday that it’s like the adult center and somebody didn’t have the morning shift. Then…

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Steve Bannon on Hannity: ‘If Bob Corker Has Any Honor, Any Decency, He Should Resign Immediately’

Appearing on Fox News’ Hannity show on Monday, former White House chief strategist and Breitbart executive chairman Steve Bannon told host Sean Hannity “if Bob Corker has any honor, any decency, he should resign immediately.” Bannon was reacting to a series of reckless attacks made on President Trump by Senator Corker  (R-TN), the first coming in several Twitter exchanges with the president on Sunday morning, the others coming in an interview with the New York Times, which released the audio transcript of the conversation. “In a time of war, we have troops in Afghanistan, in the Northwest Pacific in Korea. We have a major problem,” Bannon said. “It could be like World War I. In the South China Sea, in the Persian Gulf – we have American lives at risk every day. He tweets on Sunday that it’s like the adult center and somebody didn’t have the morning shift. Then he has the audacity to go to The New York Times?” the former White House chief strategist asked rhetorically. “These people have no respect for the working men and women in the United States. I tell you what – Senator Corker is an absolute disgrace. And I agree with Jason…

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Twitter Bans Marsha Blackburn’s Campaign Announcement Because She Makes Strong Pro-Life Statement

Twitter on Monday blocked Senate hopeful Marsha Blackburn’s campaign announcement video over comments she made about the sale of fetal body parts, The Associated Press reported. The Tennessee congresswoman says in the video that she “stopped the sale of baby body parts,” which the social media site said would “evoke a strong negative reaction,” according to…

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Senator Bob Corker Lashes Out After President Trump Tweets Corker ‘Didn’t Have The Guts’ to Seek Re-election

President Trump on Sunday morning launched a Twitter attack against retiring Sen. Bob Corker, saying he “didn’t have the guts” to seek re-election. The Tennessee Republican quickly fired back, calling Mr. Trump’s White House “an adult day care center.” In his tweets, the president said Mr. Corker – who previously had questioned Mr. Trump’s competence -…

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Governor Haslam Announces He Will Not Run for U.S. Senate

After weeks of speculation, Governor Bill Haslam announced Thursday morning he will not seek to replace retiring U. S. Senator Bob Corker in 2018. WSMV reports: Gov. Bill Haslam has announced he will not be running for the U.S. Senate, saying he wants to remain “completely focused” on his job as governor. Haslam previously announced he was “considering” campaigning to fill Sen. Bob Corker’s seat. Haslam said at the end of his term he will have been in public office for 15 years and feels like he will be “most helpful” as a private citizen. Governor Haslam published his announcement on Twitter: My statement on the 2018 U.S. Senate race. pic.twitter.com/1pLR0MhSEd — Gov. Bill Haslam (@BillHaslam) October 5, 2017   DEVELOPING… 

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Ogles: ‘It’s Going to Be a Tough Year For Incumbents’

News of Bob Corker’s retirement from the U.S. Senate on the heels of Alabama incumbent Senator Luther Strange’s likely ouster from his short time in office could be a sign of the continuing anti-incumbent, grassroots-powered sea change that has gripped elective politics since the launch of the Tea Party movement in 2009. Senate hopeful Andy Ogles – himself a long-time grassroots conservative activist before becoming the state director of American for Prosperity – released a statement thanking Senator Corker for his twelve years in Washington D.C., adding:   We need new faces in Washington who share President Trump’s mission to drain the swamp. Grassroots activists across Tennessee have had my ear for years telling me how Tennessee needs someone who will stand up for Tennesseans and hold true to their promises. People across the country feel the same way – What we are doing in D.C. is not working for the majority of Americans and electing the same batch of folks over and over who haven’t produced any results won’t change a thing. Although rumors of additional candidates have been swirling for months, Ogles is the sole Republican vying for the now-open U.S. Senate seat. “It’s going to be a tough year…

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Senator Bob Corker Will Not Seek Re-Election

Several news outlets are reporting Senator Bob Corker will not seek re-election in 2018. The embattled junior senator from Tennessee released the following statement Tuesday: After much thought, consideration and family discussion over the past year, Elizabeth and I have decided that I will leave the United States Senate when my term expires at the end of 2018. NBC News tweeted Senator Corker’s statement in full: JUST IN: Sen. Bob Corker announces he will not seek re-election in 2018 pic.twitter.com/DKI3aWlJYf — NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) September 26, 2017   DEVELOPING…      

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Andy Ogles Campaign Hires Trump Media Advisor for Primary Challenge to Bob Corker

On Monday, the Andy Ogles for U.S. Senate campaign announced that it has hired Innovative Politics, which “played a key role” in the Donald J. Trump for President campaign advertising team following the Republican National Convention in the 2016 general election campaign. The firm is “a nationally renowned political consulting and full-service advertising agency,” according to a statement released by the campaign, and has been hired “to run [the campaign’s] media strategy and voter contact operations.” Innovative Politics produced nearly 30 television ads for the campaign, which spent more than $75 million dollars on television advertising. Jay Connaughton, chief media advisor with Innovative Politics, played a key role in Trump’s heavily covered Baton Rouge, Louisiana, trip following the devastating floods in the state, as well as in the President-elect’s headline making visit to Flint, MI. The Presidential race was only one of the many significant achievements for Innovative Politics during the past few national election cycles. The firm’s impressive national work, particularly in battleground states, helped the Republican Party maintain control of the U.S. Senate with victories in the critical U.S. Senate elections in North Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado, Iowa, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Florida. Connaughton praised Ogles in the statement. “Andy…

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Andy Ogles Announces Challenge to Bob Corker for U. S. Senate

  Long time conservative activist Andy Ogles announced Thursday he is launching a campaign for the U.S. Senate, challenging incumbent Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). “In less than a year the Republican primary will give us an opportunity to make choices that will impact future generations of Tennesseans,” Ogles said in a statement. “Conservative leadership means more than making promises, it means keeping them.” Andy Ogles is perhaps best known at the leader of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a position he’s held since 2013. During his tenure as the state director, the grassroots army defeated Obamacare expansion twice, led the fight against Common Core and prevented multiple attempts to inflict so-called “Washington DC values” on Tennesseans. The volunteer organization worked to hold politicians accountable for bad votes, regardless of party affiliation. Unlike Senator Corker, who has repeatedly put himself at odds against President Trump and his policy goals, Ogles is aligning himself closely to the president’s ‘Drain the Swap’ message. “Over the past several months it has become increasingly clear that too many of our elected officials in Washington are failing our country, failing to fulfill their promises, and failing our future,” Ogles said. “Sadly, Republicans who promised to…

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REPORT: Senator Bob Corker Considering Retirement

  Senator Bob Corker is considering retirement, according to a CNN report breaking this morning: Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the influential chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee who was once considered for a spot in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, is weighing whether to call it quits next year. Corker told CNN last week that he has not made a decision about his future, and appeared to confirm Trump’s tweet that he asked the President for political advice about whether to run for reelection. “As far as what am I going to do in the future, I’m still contemplating the future,” Corker said in an interview. “It’s a tremendous privilege to do what I do, and to weigh in on the big issues. … But I have not decided what I’m going to do in the future.” The junior Senator has been oddly quiet about any 2018 re-election run as possible candidates consider challenging him in the August primary, and investigations into some too-good-to-be-true stock trades develop. CNN continues: A source familiar with Corker’s thinking said the Republican is legitimately torn about whether to remain in the body another six years or to return to his roots in the business sector.…

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Corker Insists ‘I Have Not Lost Support’ in Tennessee Over Anti-Trump Statements

Tennessee Star

  U. S. Senator Bob Corker was in Hendersonville Tuesday when, during a question-and-answer period following prepared remarks, he asserted he has not lost any support due to his recent onslaught of criticisms undermining his fellow Republican, President Donald Trump. “I feel very supported in this state,” Corker told the Associated Press. “I’m going to continue to be the independent person I am as long as I’m in public service,” he said; adding, “I think what’s what Tennesseans have come to know.” Amid an ongoing investigation into some questionable, “too-good-to-be-true” real estate stock trades, the incumbent junior Senator has not yet announced whether or not he will run for a third term. However, in 2012, with no serious challenger, Senator Corker didn’t not launch a re-election campaign until a mere six weeks before the August primary. Currently, Corker is a middling performer in terms of popularity, ranking at #54 of 100 in a July poll conducted by Morning Consult. But in terms of re-election, a Tennessee Star Triton poll revealed the Senator may be ripe for an ouster. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, who won the state in 2016 handily by 26 percentage points, continues to enjoy high approval numbers across Tennessee of over 50%.  

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White House Slams Senator Bob Corker for ‘Outrageous’ Criticism of President Trump

The White House blasted Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker as “ridiculous” Thursday for asserting that President Trump hasn’t shown yet that he can run the country. “I think that’s a ridiculous and outrageous claim and doesn’t dignify a response from this podium,” said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Speaking to reporters last week…

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Senator Bob Corker Continues to Undermine President Trump, This Time Over Qatar

Tenessee Star

Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) continued his recent history of publicly undermining President Trump this week, allowing himself on Tuesday to be portrayed as “speechless” over President Trump’s recent tweets about the country of Qatar. “President Trump set off a firestorm Tuesday when he conducted diplomacy-by-tweet, with key lawmakers stunned at the president’s flippant approach to a growing Middle East crisis and even the Pentagon saying it couldn’t explain the president’s comments,” the Hill reported: Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was left stunned and speechless when told by reporters of Trump’s tweets. Told by a reporter that Trump accused Qatar of being a state sponsor of terrorism, Corker responded, in a notably lower register, “The president?” Reporters caught Corker a few hours after Trump’s morning tweets, in which he took credit for the decision by Saudi Arabia and several other Arab countries to cut off ties with Qatar, an ally that is home to a large base with as many as 10,000 U.S. military personnel. “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “So…

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Senator Bob Corker Repeats FAKE NEWS Narrative from Democrats and MSM, Calls for White House to ‘Bring Itself Under Control’

Tennessee Star

  Tennessee’s Senator Bob Corker is once again singing from the Democrats’ hymnal. The chorus Corker joined on Monday is delivering the perennial favorite line for 2017, “the White House is in chaos,” with a dash of the debunked FAKE NEWS from the Washington Post, “White House/Russia classified intel disclosure.” “Obviously they’re in a downward spiral right now and they’ve got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that’s happening,” Corker told Bloomberg News on Monday. Bloomberg’s Sahil Kapur tweeted Corker’s additional statement that “The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order.”   BOB CORKER: "The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order. It's got to happen." — Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 15, 2017 But, as radio talk show host Laura Ingraham noted, the Washington Post “source” for the allegation “didn’t talk to ANY U.S. official” in attendance at the meeting in question: WH source with direct knowledge just told me @washingtonpost didn't talk to ANY U.S. official at mtg w/ Lavrov. "It's Fake News" — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) May 15, 2017 and followed it up with Meaning of…

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BREAKING: Corker and Alexander Deliver as Republicans Break Filibuster, Clearing Way for Majority Vote on SCOTUS Nomination of Judge Gorsuch

Tennessee Star

  Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), the two Republicans whose final votes on breaking the threatened Democratic filibuster of the confirmation vote on President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee were uncertain as late as this morning, delivered for the president and their party on Thursday afternoon. “Senate Republicans used the “constitutional option” to change longstanding cloture rules around 12:30 pm Thursday, clearing the way for Judge Neil Gorsuch to receive a vote of the full Senate on his confirmation to the Supreme Court,” Breitbart News reports: Republicans resorted to the party-line 52-48 vote after weeks of wrangling over Gorsuch’s nomination in which Senate Democrats threatened the first partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee in American history. After the Democrats assembled the forty-one votes needed to prevent the end of debate under current rules, the constitutional option allowing cloture on a simple majority became the only remaining path to placing Gorsuch on the Court. Vice-President Mike Pence, who would have been needed to break a tie should any two Republicans have voted to maintain the 60-vote cloture rule, was not present for the vote, indicating Republican confidence their entire caucus would agree to the change. As…

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