Tennessee: Corker calls Obama “worst” president. US Sen. Bob Corker (R), known more for his erudite conservatism than for partisan zingers, last Thursday called the Obama Administration “the worst presidency in modern history.” Appearing on Fox News, Corker said Obama is “incredibly weak … he doesn’t have the ability to lead.” The remarks, reported in Chattanooga’s Times Free Press, were in reference to the President’s executive action on immigration.
South Carolina: Haley wows India. Gov. Nikki Haley (R) has been a “constant presence in the Indian press,” reports The State newspaper, as she travels the country on a ten-day visit to recruit businesses and tourists for the Palmetto State. She was often asked about her religion. Commenting on her original Sikh faith, she noted that she didn’t speak Punjabi, so, “when I would sit in a gurdwara, I’d feel the faith… but I couldn’t understand it…. Being able to go into Christianity and really understand and connect, that’s where it came from.”
North Carolina: 2016 governor’s race underway. No sooner were the ballots counted and the shouting stopped after Nov. 4 than the next gubernatorial race began in the Tar HeelState. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) will be seeking reelection with approval ratings that are less than stellar, ranging from a high of 47% to 40% and 37% in recent surveys. Former state Rep. Ken Spaulding (D), scion of a prominent African-American business and political family, announced for governor last year, and state Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) “might as well have announced,” writes Rob Christensen in the News & Observer. On Nov. 5, the GOP attacked Cooper for failing “to Protect the Integrity of the Voting System.” Attacks (D) on McCrory are sure to follow. Stay tuned.