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TN Sen. Corker Criticized For Working With Democrats

U.S. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee insists his willingness to work with Democrats doesn't make him a moderate, but ardent conservatives think otherwise. According to The Tennessean the Republican came under fire throughout an eight-stop swing through Middle Tennessee during the congressional recess earlier this month. At one stop, Corker sparred with a Nashville lawyer over the senator's plan to shut down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the nation's main backers of home mortgages. President Barack Obama endorsed the proposal he developed with a Democratic senator to replace the mortgage giants.

Corker's amendment to increase spending on security along the U.S.-Mexican border helped win passage in the Senate of an immigration bill that is loathed by tea party activists. Corker describes himself as a "pragmatic thought leader" who went to Washington to focus on business matters.