Tennessee Congressman Marsha Blackburn

Congressman Marsha Blackburn

Born	Marsha Wedgeworth (1952-06-06) June 6, 1952 (age 59) Laurel, Mississippi
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Charles “Chuck” Blackburn
Children	Mary Morgan Ketchel Chad Blackburn
Residence	Brentwood, Tennessee
Alma mater	Mississippi State University
Occupation	Retail Marketing
Religion	Presbyterian

Rep. Blackburn is n0t an obvious choice.  She is from a state Republicans will not need a lot of help winning  and she is far from a household name that will automatically inspire millions to flock to the G.O.P..  But she could prove to be an effective choice.

First she is a she and a woman on the ticket has value.  Even though hypocritical liberal  activists despise strong conservative women, those who tend be more apolitical, especially Independents, do respect strong women and Marsha Blackburn is indeed a strong woman.

Blackburn is a fiscal and social conservative who has not participated in the earmark process since 2007 and she is a  leading opponent of Obamacare which she describes as “a government run, government ensured, government financed, government delivered healthcare system”.  She has been described by many as a woman with all the attributes of Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann but without any of  their negatives or polarizing baggage.  And like Palin and Bachmann, Blackburn is a darling of the TEA movement.

If there is one candidate that Blackburn would be a perfect running mate for, it is Mitt Romney.  He more than any of the presidential contenders needs to firm up his support from the South.  Blackburn helps him do that.  Romney must also firm up his support from the TEA Party,  Here, Marsha Blackburn helps him too.   And insofar as her lack of name ID goes, it could prove to be a plus.  While she has been around for a while, she will be a fresh face to most voters.  That freshness affords her a perfect opportunity to make a positive impression on voters.  Yet at the same time she has experience and clout.  During her time in Congress she has held several leadership positions including that of  Deputy Whip.

While Blackburn is a good fit for a Romney ticket, the question is will she be picked?  Who anticipated the selection of Sarah Palin (besides me) in 2008?  And did anyone really expect the nomination of New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro in 1984?  Rep. Blackburn, who by the way prefers to be called Congressman rather than Congresswoman, may not be that unlikely a choice but she is not exactly the “safe” choice that I would expect from Mitt.

Pros:

• Helps Romney with evangelicals
• Helps Romney with women voters
• Has a background in business and can aide Romney in enhancing the tickets understanding of the economy and private sector needs
• Solidifies Romney’s anti-abortion credentials among those who are not convinced of his committment to anti-abortion policies

Cons:

• Comes from a state the G.O.P. is likely to win anyway
• Has a limited national following and does little to energize the Southern vote that Romney must solidify his support from
• Lacks executive political experience
• Open to very agressive and relentless criticism on the issue of censorship regarding her co-sponsoring SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act)

Committee Membership

Marsha Blackburn sits on the following committees:

• House Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Vice Chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
  • Member, Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
  • Member, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
  • Member, Subcommittee on Health

Bill Sponsorship & Cosponsorship

Some of Blackburn’s most recently sponsored bills include…

• H.R. 4295: Consolidate Heavy-handed and Outdated Programs Act of 2012
• H.R. 3608: Stop TSA’s Reach In Policy Act
• H.R. 3343: Songwriters Tax Simplification Reauthorization Act
• H.R. 3043: To amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to …
• H.R. 371: Health Care Choice Act of 2011
• H.R. 234: Savings for Seniors Act of 2011
• H.R. 93: To make 10 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending …

View All » (including bills from previous years)

Marsha Blackburn On The Issues

International Issues Domestic Issues Economic Issues Social Issues Foreign Policy Gun Control Budget & Economy Education Homeland Security Crime Government Reform  Civil Rights War & Peace Drugs Tax Reform Abortion Free Trade Health Care Social Security Families & Children Immigration Technology Corporations Welfare & Poverty Energy & Oil Environment Jobs Principles & Values