Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Friday named Tennessee National Committeeman John Ryder, of Memphis, as chairman of the party’s redistricting committee.

“John has been a tireless advocate of Republican principles both in the state of Tennessee and across the country, and I look forward to working with him to prepare state parties for redistricting efforts following the 2010 national census,” Mr. Steele said in a statement.

Mr. Ryder has been representing the GOP in redistricting cases since 1976, according to a news release.

leaders “smug,” corker says

In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said the leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan weren’t taking military issues seriously in a recent meeting with members of Congress.

“There was just an air of smugness, flippancy, when serious questions were asked,” said Sen. Corker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I asked about what our mission in Afghanistan ought to be, and I thought (Afghan) President (Hamid) Karzai’s response was a non-response.”

Sen. Corker said the meeting made him feel that “our partnership there was not quite what Americans would like to see.”

Tennessee’s junior senator said he wanted to hear “our mission articulated” in regards to how to hold back al-Qaida and the Taliban in the two nations.

lamar alexander: disciplinarian

In remarks on the Senate floor this week, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., offered several grades for President Barack Obama’s education agenda in his first 100 days in office, and also a punishment.

“I think the punishment for the administration should be that they should all be made to stay after school and write on the blackboard 100 times, ‘I will never again add to entitlement spending, even for a worthy purpose,’” Tennessee’s senior senator said. “It is no gift to students to give them a scholarship to live in a country they can’t afford to live in.”

Sen. Alexander specifically criticized the portion of President Obama’s budget that moves federal Pell grants for college students from discretionary to mandatory spending.

The senator gave the president one A — for recruiting Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. He gave the president a D for “spending $80 billion over the next two years for more of the same in the Department of Education” and a D-minus for his decision to effectively eliminate the Washington, D.C., school voucher program.

congressmen endorse deal

Several of the colleagues of U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., have endorsed the North Georgia congressman’s run for governor, Rep. Deal’s campaign announced Friday.

Republican Georgia Reps. Phil Gingrey, Tom Price, Lynn Westmoreland, John Linder and Paul Broun have thrown their support behind Rep. Deal, according to a news release.

Rep. Deal formally announced his candidacy in the governor’s race last week.

Secretary of State Karen Handel, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, state Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, and state Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, are also seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

taking on tags

The Anti-Defamation League, a national organization which challenges actions its members find anti-Semitic, expressed “deep concerns” this week about a Tennessee proposal to create license plates for the Church of God in Christ.

“We believe the best way to safeguard our guarantee to worship as we choose is to honor the separation of church and state called for by both the Tennessee state Constitution and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” said Bill Nigut, the league’s Southeast regional director.

On Wednesday, the state House Transportation Committee deferred action until next year on the bill to create the license plates.

twitter updates

Twitter is a social networking Web site where politicians and others often post short updates. Here’s what some local political figures were saying this week.

* Shelby County District Attorney William L. Gibbons, GOP gubernatorial candidate, Sunday: “Wishing the mothers out there a Happy Mother’s Day.”

* State Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, Monday: “wondering whether the Republican Party really wants Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney out front for the 2010 cycle.”

* U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., Tuesday: “Learning more and more about Memphis/West Tennessee. From Rail, River, Roads, Air to St Jude and U of M, many assets need help fr Governor.”

* Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, GOP gubernatorial candidate, Wednesday: “Enjoyed lunch w 60 people in sevierville, greeted employees at sevier co courthouse--great afternoon!”

City Councilman Andraé McGary, Thursday: “Watched the first wall go up at Enterprise South. VW is here to stay.”