If the answer is "not much", the question is "what do I know about Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker, Senate candidate in 2006". The Democrats are likely to be running Harold Ford, a "centrist", blue -blood -dog Democrat (more on this).

Corker has a pretty good shot at the nomination, so I am making it a mission to know as much as I can about him before 2006, and I plan to use this thread as a clearinghouse for information about him. If I learn more, I'll update this post, and if this experiment works, I'll include this post in the 2006 election bar on my link column. Without further ado...

Would like to know

• Stance on Social Security Privatization
  
• Stance on "preemption doctrine"
  
• Stance on anti-marriage bills such as DOMA
  

General

• Senate campaign web-site: Bob Corker For Senate
  

Pros

• Housing incentives for teachers
  
• Raised $51 million in private donations for waterfront plan
  
• Got $10 million in federal grant to build housing from homeless as part of two-year plan to combat homelessness (without vagrancy laws!)
  
• Opposed plans that would erode tax base by allowing corporate loop-holes.
  
• (same link) Helped lure professional football to Tennessee
  
• (same link) Opposed Bill Frist; labeled him "cat-killer"
  
• (update 2/24/2005) At one point favored income tax plan to remedy Tennessee's unfair tax structure and revenue problems.
  

Cons

• Wal*Mart takes over Chickamauga Levy, Tiftonia hilltop during his administration
  
• Republican (in another time and place, this wouldn't be an automatic negative. In the Republican Party of 2005, I'm afraid that it is)
  
• Bush "Pioneer" in 2000. (Status unknown in 2004!?)
  
• Once, maybe twice, reported to have used City Hall for campaign activities such as taking fundraising calls.
  
• Hired smear merchant for Senate campaign. (Hat tip, Alice)
  

Endorsements
(none yet identified

In opposition, not in senate race

• Chattanooga Judge, Walter Williams.
  
• Team GOP.
  

Right now, the "Pros" list outweighs the "cons" list, but that doesn't mean much, considering how little I know. I confess that I have a lot of admiration for the city which Corker leads, but that doesn't tell you much about what kind of senator he will make. We will see as this develops.