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Tenn. Senator Gets National Media Attention for Fiscal Cliff Comments

U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON (AP/WMOT) —  Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker is getting national media attention as he weighs in on tax reform negotiations.  Republican mavericks like Corker are pressuring their leaders to rethink some of the most contentious issues, like taxes.

Corker is being quoted saying Senate Republicans would probably agree to higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans if it leads to overhauling entitlement programs. Here’s what he had to say when he spoke to reporter Judy Woodruff recently on the PBS NewsHour.

“Judy, I’ve been in I don’t know how many meetings over the last two years where there’s a lot of commonality around the issue. As you know, the President has been sort of – not to be pejorative – but sort of a one-trick pony on this tax rate increase and what that’s doing is putting all the focus on revenue.”

President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House Sunday to discuss the so-called "fiscal cliff,” but didn't release details of their conversation.

A deal won't come easily. Many House Republicans refuse to support tax hikes under any circumstances. And Democrats have been skeptical about rushing through entitlement reforms before the end of the year.