Corker weighs in on al-Maliki
By Matt Wilson Staff Writer
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Tuesday he does not believe Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will keep his office for much longer if conflicts among the country’s sects continue. “If the prime minister does not begin to act differently than he’s acting today, he will not be the prime minister of Iraq in the very near future,” Sen. Corker said. “I hope he becomes a big enough person to reach out and to bring people together.” Tennessee’s junior senator made his comments to more than 550 attendees at a luncheon at The Chattanoogan hotel’s ballroom. Mr. al-Maliki has said he has no intention of resigning, according to reports. Sen. Corker said the key question in regard to Iraq involves whether the Shiite Muslim majority can create a unity government. “Can they, in fact, act like Iraqis first and Shiites second?” he asked. Still, Sen. Corker praised the efforts of Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. “The country is more secure, no question,” Sen. Corker said. The senator, who was elected in November 2006, said he attended several Iraq meetings at the White House soon after taking office. He said he was “very underwhelmed” by what he heard. “It led me on a path of seeking my own knowledge,” he said. Michael Orlins, an attendee at the luncheon, said Sen. Corker’s statement about the president concerned him. Mr. Orlins asked whether it was President Bush or his staff he found underwhelming. “I hate to say it, but all of the above,” Sen. Corker replied. But Sen. Corker was quick to say that his reaction was to a particular strategy at that time. He said he believes much of the problem has since “righted itself.” The senator also discussed energy policy and health care at the luncheon, as well as how he has gotten acclimated to the atmosphere of Washington during his first year in office. He said he had to change his strategy after his first couple of months in office, during which he was attending up to 28 meetings a day. “I realized I was not making the kind of difference I wanted to make in the Senate,” Sen. Corker said. He said he then started having policy meetings on the issues he found most important. Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, who hosted the event, said he thought Sen. Corker was able to have a good discussion with people in his hometown. “I thought he was very candid about his first year,” Mr. Ramsey said. E-mail Matt Wilson at mwilson@timesfreepress.com Bob Corker
