Who is this new Bob Corker who isn't afraid anymore to throw President Donald Trump under the bus?
In August, our former mayor and current U.S. senator told Chattanooga Rotarians and reporters that Trump has not "demonstrated the stability" or "competence" to be a successful president. Corker didn't stop there. He said the nation will be "in peril" unless there are "radical changes" at the White House.
Last week, surrounded by more reporters with microphones, Corker said, "Secretary [of State Rex] Tillerson, Gen. [James] Mattis and Chief of Staff [John] Kelly are those people that help separate our country from chaos."
Chaos being a term increasingly used to describe Trump and his administrative actions and pronouncements.
It's good to hear a plain-speaking politician, and clearly Corker feels unleashed now that he has announced he will step down from the Senate at the end of his term in 2018.
But where was he before?
Before Trump turned the White House into an adult day care, as Corker termed it Sunday.
Remember that this is the same Corker who was out campaigning and performing a vice-president audition for Trump in North Carolina in July.
And that was after Donald "Bone-spurs" Trump said Sen. John McCain wasn't a war hero because Trump liked war heroes who didn't get captured. It was after Trump called Mexicans rapists. After he encouraged his supporters to "knock the crap out of" protesters at a rally. After Trump suggested banning Muslims based on a religion test.
Corker enabled the "chaos." Did you ever once in the campaign hear him withdraw his endorsement of Trump? No, you didn't. Not after Trump insulted a Gold Star family. Not after Trump's "grab 'em by the p--" tape. Not after Trump mocked a disabled reporter. Not when Trump publicly asked Russia to hack into his political opponent's emails. Not when the GOP platform was changed to help Russia.
Now Corker wants to be "candid."
Great! But now that he's got this new backbone, why is he deserting the ship?
Is it because he would be afraid to vote to remove Trump? To impeach Trump?
Is it because he has great faith in the rest of our spineless Congress to protect our country from this clueless president?
What happened to that senator who wanted to be a pragmatic problem solver and Howard Baker reincarnate?
Guess we'll never know.