He's the other senator from South Carolina.

While South Carolinians know U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham, they might not know Robert "Bob" Corker Jr., who was born in Orangeburg in 1952.

The Tennessee Republican's parents, Jean and Robert Corker, raised the future senator in Aiken, but he often returned to Orangeburg to visit relatives.

Corker now serves on the Senate Energy Committee and his solution to America's energy problems has roots in Orangeburg. His grandmother, Katie Hutto, was one of the relatives who Corker visited Orangeburg to see in his youth. Corker recalled a quilt that Hutto knitted together using different pieces of fabric.

"Our energy policy needs to be like my grandmother's quilt. There were a number of fabrics that made up that quilt. Our energy policy needs to incorporate different forms of technology to reduce our foreign dependency on oil," Corker said.

And during his visits to Springfield to see his grandmother Ruth Corker, Sen. Corker enjoyed fishing with his family and other activities.

On the trek from Aiken, Corker and his family would often visit both grandmothers in one trip.

"It was a great trip, mostly two-lane roads," said the junior senator from Tennessee.

Corker's family often spent holidays in Orangeburg, such as Thanksgiving.

"They were typically centered around meals with the family at their homes," Corker said.

Corker still has two relatives living in Orangeburg: his aunt, Carolyn Creech, and cousin Kathy Osmond. He last returned to Orangeburg about four years ago with his family.

When Corker reached the age of 11, his family moved from Aiken to Tennessee. He would go on to graduate from the University of Tennessee and become a successful businessman in the fields of construction and real estate.

He was mayor of Chattanooga from 2001 until 2005. In 2006, Corker won a contentious race against Democratic rival Harold Ford Jr. for the senate seat vacated by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

Corker said he is quickly learning the ropes of the Senate. He said being knowledgeable on issues is what breeds the power to become persuasive in Washington, and he says he spends a great amount of time in briefings to become immersed in the issues.

Corker serves on the Energy, Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees. Since his tenure in the Senate began, he was been to Iraq twice.

"I have a high regard for General David Petraeus. With him, we may have finally gotten it right," Corker said about the direction of the Iraq war.

Corker's primary focuses in the Senate are the war, health care and energy.

Corker said he has enjoyed working with South Carolina Sens. Graham and DeMint. He worked closely with DeMint in introducing the Every American Insured Act, which Corker co-sponsored with Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

"Each of them brings a different perspective to us in the Senate, which I think is very valuable," said Corker of Graham and DeMint.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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