U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told employees at LMR Plastics and BTL Industries Inc. on Friday that his typical work day as a senator is much like "cramming" for a test.

Corker told about 50 employees gathered in a BTL break area after a plant tour that when he headed a construction company and later a real estate investment company, his typical day involved working through a big black notebook full of "to do" items.

"The Senate is a lot different," said Corker, a first-term senator. He said he still puts on the coffee early in the morning, but instead of working through a "to-do" list, "much of what we do is judgment decisions, policy decisions."

Preparing for Senate hearings "is like cramming" for an exam every day, he said, absorbing the right information needed to "hopefully make good decisions."

He drew laughter from the employees when he suggested that, if they find themselves with "absolutely nothing to do" some afternoon, they might watch Senate proceedings on C-Span.

Corker said he tries to avoid speaking in the Senate chamber because what the C-Span camera rarely shows is that the chamber is all but empty and "almost no one is listening."

"Much of what I do takes place at lunch meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays," Corker said. "That's where the real, passionate debate takes place," behind closed doors. "I wish people could see it," he said.

Corker noted that "one of the biggest honors" he has received in his 14 months in the Senate came recently -- and unintentionally -- as he was leaving one of those luncheon meetings.

As he left, he recalled, a senior senator "from a New England state" came up beside him and said, "Corker, when are you going to quit tormenting us with logic?"

When the laughter in the room subsided, Corker commented, "That's exactly what I came to the Senate for."

He said he has been to Iraq twice in the last year. He added that he visited with Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq, both times, and has talked with him by telephone as well.

The senator said he, along with "everybody in America, wants to see the troops come home," but most also want to make sure "that whatever we do, we don't leave the Middle East in disarray."

Corker said he looks forward to hearing the report to Congress by General Petraeus on April 8 and 9.

He had earlier asked about employee health benefits at the Leonard company, and had been told about the benefits plan.

Referring to that explanation, he told the group, "You are fortunate here to work at a company that provides health care benefits." He added that he can tell that they appreciate it, because of the longevity with the company that most workers have.

However, Corker said, 800,000 Tennesseans and about 47 million Americans don't have health insurance.

He said he had introduced a bill to deal with that problem but later became convinced that a bill authored by Sen. Ron Widen, D-Ore., is a better approach, so he is co-sponsoring that legislation.

Neither bill is perfect, Corker said, but Widen's bill is "steeped in the private sector," rather than in government, and would make it easier for individuals to own health-insurance policies.

Corker said "the big issue" that Congress must face is the growth of entitlements.

Citing a figure he has mentioned often, he said that, if current entitlements are projected over the next 75 years, they will reach a total "unfunded liability" of $66 trillion, which is larger than the current estimated U.S. net worth of $57 trillion, and also larger than the $41 trillion total of all federal revenues from 1776 to date.

If nothing changes, the U.S. "won't be fiscally solvent" in 75 years, the senator said.

He said he has co-sponsored legislation to deal with that issue, but added that "it's not going anywhere," because Congress is not ready to face the entitlements issue.

"That's why I was so opposed to the stimulus package," and voted against it, Corker said.

The stimulus package, which was proposed by President George W. Bush and adopted by Congress as a method of stimulating the weak economy, will provide $600 checks this summer to most taxpayers, and to many retirees who do not pay taxes.

Corker said the package was funded with $168 billion of borrowed money.

"I'm happy that you're going to be getting checks," Corker said, but he urged listeners not to "spend it quickly," as President Bush and other supporters of the package have suggested.

Corker suggested paying down credit obligations as a good use for the stimulus checks.

The stimulus package is bad public policy, Corker said, but "though we make mistakes, this is in fact a great country."