ELECTION/GOP/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republicans are increasingly unnerved by the rift between retiring Sen. Bob Corker and Marsha Blackburn, the GOP congresswoman vying to replace him, saying it could cost them a must-win seat in Tennessee. The duo’s chilly relationship has spilled into the open after Corker praised Blackburn’s Democratic opponent and refused to even utter her name in multiple media appearances this spring. The retiring senator’s remarks have boosted former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen and agitated Blackburn’s supporters, who want Corker to help heal the state party, not inflame its divisions. The drama between Blackburn and Corker, combined with Bredesen’s crossover appeal, hint at a potential train wreck for Republicans in November that could swing the narrowly divided Senate to Democrats. Recent public and private polls show Bredesen leading Blackburn, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, in a state that went for Trump by 26 points in 2016. Supporters argue that there’s still plenty of time for her to catch up before November and that she has backing from the vast majority of the state’s Republican officials.”
-Burgess Everett and Rachael Bade, “Corker-Blackburn drama risks must-win Senate seat for GOP,” Politico, May 3, 2018 12:39 pm