Lamar was a big part of the group of Republican lawyers who wrested Tennessee from Democrat control in the 60’s and 70’s. It’s all gone very much past him. Time to retire ... well past time.
Same can be said for McConnell in Kentucky and many other senators.
They make a name for themselves within their home state and then or some reason they lose their bonafides when in DC. Power corrupts!
We needed Lamar! to stop Gore back in 1984 for the Senate seat. He took a pass and let the state suffer for it. That he came back begging for a chance in 2002 over the excellent Congressman Ed Bryant still disgusts me (and cash-poor Bryant couldn’t get the other seat over liberal RINO Corker).