Bob Corker
Junior Senator from Tennessee
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2007 Serving with Lamar Alexander
Preceded by	Bill Frist
Born	August 24, 1952 (1952-08-24) (age 55) Orangeburg, South Carolina
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Elizabeth Corker
Residence	Chattanooga, Tennessee
Alma mater	University of Tennessee (1974)
Profession	Businessman
Religion	Presbyterian[1]

Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker, Jr. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party William Harrison "Bill" Frist Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City" is the principal city and County seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval The University of Tennessee (also known as UT) sometimes called the University of Tennessee Knoxville ( UT Knoxville, or UTK) is the flagship A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is someone who is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically someone Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity (born August 24, 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. He was formerly the mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee and a successful businessman. A businessperson (also businessman or businesswoman) is someone who is employed at usually a profit-oriented enterprise, or more specifically someone He is the only freshman Republican Senator in the 110th Congress. Tennessee holds the distinction of being the only U.S. state to elect a new Republican to both houses of Congress in the 2006 mid-term elections, solidifying a conservative turn since the 1994 ouster of Democratic Senator Jim Sasser. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government James Ralph Sasser (born September 30, 1936) is an American Politician and Attorney.

Early life and family

Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Corker moved to Tennessee at the age of 11. Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City" is the principal city and County seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. He graduated from Chattanooga High School in 1970. Corker attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management. The University of Tennessee (also known as UT) sometimes called the University of Tennessee Knoxville ( UT Knoxville, or UTK) is the flagship Sigma Chi ( ΣΧ) is one of the largest and oldest all-male college Greek-letter social fraternities and a Secret society. A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S He and his wife Elizabeth, whom he married on May 18, 1987, have two daughters, Julia and Emily. Events 1152 - Henry II of England marries Eleanor of Aquitaine. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The family's permanent residence is at the Anne Haven mansion built by Coca-Cola Bottling Company heirs Anne Lupton and Frank Harrison. Coca-Cola Bottling Co Consolidated ( headquartered in Charlotte North Carolina, is the second largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, producing Frank Harrison may refer to Frank G Harrison - former politician Frank Harrison (cricketer - former cricketer Derrick Dodd ^[2]

Business career

After working four years as a construction superintendent, he started his own construction company, Bencor, which he sold in 1990. In 1999, he purchased the two largest real estate companies in Chattanooga, Osborne Building Corporation and the Stone Fort Land Company, making him the largest private land owner in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Hamilton County is a County located in the US state of Tennessee. He sold most of these holdings in 2006 to Henry Luken. His business successes have made Corker a multimillionare. ^[3]

Political career

Corker first ran for the United States Senate in 1994, losing the Republican primary to eventual winner Bill Frist. William Harrison "Bill" Frist ^[3]

In 1995, Corker was appointed Commissioner of Finance and Administration for the State of Tennessee, working for Governor Don Sundquist. Donald Kenneth Sundquist (born March 15, 1936) is an American politician from Tennessee

As mayor of Chattanooga from 2001 to 2005, Corker oversaw a $120 million renovation project, including an expansion of the Hunter Museum, a renovation of the Creative Discovery Museum, an expansion of Chattanooga's River Walk, and the addition of a new salt water building to the Tennessee Aquarium. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Hunter Museum of American Art is an art museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Creative Discovery Museum is a children's museum located in downtown Chattanooga Tennessee. A marine aquarium is an Aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment The Tennessee Aquarium, located in Chattanooga Tennessee, is the second largest (next to the Georgia Aquarium) freshwater aquarium in the world After announcing his intent to run for Senate, some of his actions in office as Mayor of Chattanooga have been scrutinized. ^[a]

2006 United States Senate race

Main article: Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006

In 2004, Corker announced his candidacy for the U. Robert Phillips "Bob" Corker Jr (born August 24, 1952) is the junior United States Senator from Tennessee. The Tennessee United States Senate election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. S. Senate seat. Incumbent Republican Senator Bill Frist had said that he was not going to run for reelection in 2006. William Harrison "Bill" Frist Corker faced two other Republicans in the August primary, Ed Bryant and Van Hilleary, which he won with 48% of the vote to Bryant's 34% and Hilleary's 17%. Edward Glenn Bryant usually known as Ed Bryant (born September 7, 1948) American politician is a former Republican member of the William Vanderpool Hilleary usually known as Van Hilleary (born June 20, 1959) is a Republican politician from Tennessee. Corker invested $4. 2 million in television advertising in the course of the primary, especially in the western portion of the state, where he was relatively unknown before the primary. ^[3] Not long after Corker's primary victory was assured, his Democratic opponent, Harold Ford, Jr., challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. "Harold Ford" redirects here For his father the congressman from Tennessee from 1975 to 1997 see Harold Ford Sr In response, Corker said he would debate Ford, though he did not agree to seven debates. ^[4]

Bob Corker being sworn in by Vice President and President of the Senate Dick Cheney as his wife, Elizabeth holds the family bible. The President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer speaker or chairman of a Senate. Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States.

President Bush hosted a campaign fund-raiser for Corker on August 30, 2006. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The $2,100-per-person dinner, which was held in a "glitzy Nashville hotel with 500 contributors," raised over a million dollars for Corker's campaign. ^[5]

Corker and Ford participated in a televised debate in Memphis on October 7^[6], in Chattanooga on October 10^[7], and in Nashville on October 28. Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Events 3761 BC - The epoch (origin of the modern Hebrew calendar ( Proleptic Julian calendar) ^[8] In January 2006, NBC's Meet the Press extended an open invitation for the candidates to debate on the nationally-televised show. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. Ford accepted the invitation, stating that "any weekend would work for him. " The Corker campaign, however, "has thus far not given [Meet the Press] a date they wanted to do it and have not said they want to do it for sure. . . nine months after the invitations have gone out. "^[8]

Results showed the election was close, with Corker winning by less than three percentage points. ^[9]

Issue positions and ideology

In the 2006 Senate race, Corker positioned himself as a conservative on most social and economic issues through television advertisements, his campaign website, and in debates. Conservatism in the United States includes a variety of political ideologies including Fiscal conservatism, Supply-side economics, Social conservatism Corker supports broad Second Amendment rights, "appointing Federal judges who practice judicial restraint," making the 2001 tax cut and the 2003 tax cut permanent, and increasing security on U. The Second Amendment (Amendment II to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the pre-existing The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (, June 7[[ 001]] was a sweeping piece of Tax legislation in the United States. The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (" JGTRRA ",) was passed by the United States Congress on May 23, 2003 S. borders by hiring more border agents and constructing barriers in high traffic areas. ^[10]

Corker has expressed skepticism regarding the claims of human-caused global warming; supports continued U. Global warming is the increase in the average measured temperature of the S. involvement in Iraq; and has shown interest in replacing the federal progressive income tax with a flat tax. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. A progressive tax is a Tax imposed so that the Tax rate increases as the amount subject to taxation increases ^[11]

In the primary campaign, Corker's opponents pointed out that Corker has changed his view on abortion since his first Senate campaign in 1994. An ^[12] Corker responded that he "was wrong in 1994" when he said that the government should not interfere with an individual's right to an abortion, stating that he now believes that life begins at conception. ^[12] Corker now says he opposes abortion rights except when the life of the mother is endangered or in cases of rape and incest. ^[12]

In the general election, Corker received the endorsement of the National Right to Life Committee, but the state branch of the group, Tennessee Right to Life, refused to endorse Corker, calling him a "pro-abortion" politician. The National Right to Life Committee is the largest Right to life / Pro-life organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and over ^[13]

Senate career

Corker was joined at his inauguration by Bill Frist, Howard Baker, and Lamar Alexander. William Harrison "Bill" Frist Howard Henry Baker Jr (born November 15, 1925) is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U Andrew Lamar Alexander (born July 3, 1940) is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and a member of the Republican Party

Corker was sworn in as Senator on January 4, 2007, at the ceremony he was accompanied by “two former Senate majority leaders from Tennessee, Howard Baker and Bill Frist”. Howard Henry Baker Jr (born November 15, 1925) is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U William Harrison "Bill" Frist ^[14] Corker was the only new Republican Senator in the 110th Congress.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Foreign Relations
  • Subcommittee on European Affairs
  • Subcommittee on International Development and Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection
  • Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy
  • Subcommittee on National Parks
  • Subcommittee on Water and Power (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
  • Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment
• Special Committee on Aging

Republican Main Street Partnership controversy

On December 6, 2006, Roll Call reporter Nicole Duran reported that Senator-elect Corker and Dean Heller (Rep. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a list ( Roll) to determine the presence or absence of the listed people (also known as a register in countries such as the Dean Heller (born May 10, 1960) is an American politician who represents Nevada's 2nd congressional district in the U -elect, NV) would be joining the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership, according to its executive director. The Republican Main Street Partnership ( RMSP) is a group of Moderate members of the United States Republican Party. ^[15] This caused a stir in conservative circles, since Corker ran in Tennessee as a conservative, and several bloggers attacked him for this apparent act of betrayal. By the end of the day, however, Corker's office responded to the report to say that not only was he was not joining the organization, but that he "only learned of the group’s existence when this story was reported today. "^[16]. Roll Call subsequently reported that the group's executive director stated she had been "misinformed", and only Heller would be joining the group. ^[17]

Controversy

The sale of protected wetlands

In 2003, Corker's real estate company sold protected wetlands near South Chickamauga Creek in Chattanooga to Wal-Mart for $4. A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog Wal-Mart Stores Inc (or Walmart as written in its new logo is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores 6 million while he was mayor of Chattanooga. ^[18] According to Joe Prochaska, an attorney representing the Tennessee Environmental Council, "What they did was outrageous. They just ran roughshod over this public property for private gain. "^[18] Environmental educator Sandy Kurtz filed suit in 2003 to stop the land deal, but the lawsuit was dismissed. ^[18]

New allegations, however, surfaced in August 2006, and a suit was filed by Kurtz and the Tennessee Environmental Council over the alleged encroachment of Wal-Mart onto an adjacent protected nature area that is also held by a company owned by Corker. ^[18] The suit alleges that Corker did not fully disclose his interest in the property where the Wal-Mart was built or in the adjacent nature area at the time the deal was made. ^[18] The Corker campaign has countered that Corker's company filed papers to develop the wetlands in 2000, before Corker became mayor, and that it was widely known that Corker had an interest in the property. ^[18]

On September 18, 2006 a Memphis, Tennessee newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, reported that Corker's attorneys acquired city authorization to cut a road through the protected property owned by Corker in July 2003 while Corker was mayor. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily Newspaper of Memphis Tennessee and its surrounding metropolitan area. ^[19] City records show that Corker's attorneys won concessions from the city as details of the deal were worked out, much of which was done in private. ^[19]

Corker's campaign manager has said that a blind trust kept Corker from the details of the project. A blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the Executors or those who have been given Power of attorney, have full discretion over ^[19]

On October 13, 2006, lawyers involved in the case announced a settlement agreement. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Details of the settlement were not announced, but court records indicate that a portion of the settlement involved a 45 day option for the Tennessee Environmental Council to purchase over thirteen acres of the land in dispute that the Council hopes to dedicate for public use. ^[20]

Missing papers

On September 9, 2006 The Commercial Appeal reported that official records from both Corker's 2001 to 2005 service as mayor and his 1996 service as state finance commissioner are missing. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily Newspaper of Memphis Tennessee and its surrounding metropolitan area. ^[21] The missing records include letters written and received by Corker during a six month period in 1996 and e-mails written and received by Corker in his official capacity as mayor between 2001 and 2005. ^[21]

Some of the e-mails were discovered on his former assistant's computer by The Commercial Appeal in October. ^[22]

Blind trust

On October 11, 2006, The Commercial Appeal reported that the blind trust that Corker set up to run his businesses to avoid conflicts of interest while he was mayor "may not have been all that blind". A blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the Executors or those who have been given Power of attorney, have full discretion over ^[22] According to e-mails discovered by the Appeal (some of which had previously presumed to be lost):

"Corker met often with employees from his private companies while mayor from 2001 to 2005, and he shared business tips with others. Corker also got help organizing his 2001 mayoral campaign from City Hall, where a government secretary passed on voting lists and set up meetings for the millionaire commercial real estate developer. "^[22]

The e-mails show that Corker often met with officials from his private company, the Corker Group, which was part of the blind trust, while he was mayor. ^[22] When asked about these e-mails by the Appeal, Corker said that he thought the blind trust had "worked very well" and that he had sold most of his business holdings so that he could avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest in the Senate. ^[22]

Electoral history

Footnotes

External links

• Senator Bob Corker official U. S. Senate website
• Bob Corker for United States Senate official campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Current Bills Sponsored at StateSurge. The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a Biographical dictionary of all present and former members of the United States Congress as The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D The Federal Election Commission (or FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the The Center for Responsive Politics (CRP is a nonpartisan research group based in Washington D Project Vote Smart ( PVS) is a Non-profit, Non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in com

Articles

• Ford Campaign Hits "Shady Corker Land Deal" at Eastgate, press release, Chattanoogan.com September 19, 2006
• Corker interview with WGOW radio in Chattanooga — Part 1 Part 2