Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker offered a lukewarm endorsement of Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn as she runs to replace the retiring Corker.
Corker made headlines last week when he said he wouldn’t campaign against the Democratic candidate, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, because the two are friends. Corker complimented Bredesen as a public servant and said the duo worked closely together during his time in office.
Corker said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that he still supports Blackburn and has donated the maximum amount to her, but he paused for a long time when told he wasn’t giving her a ringing endorsement.
“Well — I’m supporting the nominee. I have worked with the nominee for some time and I don’t know what else to say,” he said.
Earlier, when asked about his comments about Bredesen, Corker said it’s a shame people from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office would leak such a story.
“It’s hard to believe that the leadership of the senatorial committee on the Republican side would leak that story out to the Washington Post and cause you to ask me about it,” he said. “I sent maximum contribution to the Republican nominee on our side. I said I plan to vote for this person.
“I was in a long meeting where they were asking me, Phil Bredesen, he is my friend. I’m not going to campaign against him, but I am supporting our nominee.”
Watch Corker’s full answer here:
