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| alma_mater = [[Mississippi State University]]
| alma_mater = [[Mississippi State University]]
| residence= [[Brentwood, Tennessee]]
| residence= [[Brentwood, Tennessee]]
| occupation= Politician
| occupation= Corporate Whore
}}
}}


Revision as of 02:41, 21 July 2014

Marsha Blackburn
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2003
Preceded byEd Bryant
Personal details
Born
Marsha Wedgeworth

(1952-06-06) June 6, 1952 (age 72)
Laurel, Mississippi
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCharles "Chuck" Blackburn
ChildrenMary Morgan Ketchel
Chad Blackburn
ResidenceBrentwood, Tennessee
Alma materMississippi State University
OccupationCorporate Whore

Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn[1] (born June 6, 1952) is an American politician.[2][3] A member of the Republican Party,[2][3] she represents Tennessee's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.[3]

Early life and education

Born Marsha Wedgeworth in Laurel, Mississippi,[citation needed] she attended Mississippi State University, earning a B.S.[2] in home economics.[4] In college, she joined Chi Omega[2][3] and worked as a student manager for the Southwestern Company, selling books door-to-door.[4]

Career

Blackburn was a founding member of the Williamson County Young Republicans.[3] She became chair of the Williamson County Republican Party[3] in 1989.[4] In 1992, she was a candidate for Congress and a delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention.[4] She lost the congressional race,[3] but remained active in politics.[4] Blackburn was appointed executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment, and Music Commission in 1995 by Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist[3] and held that post through 1997.[4] In 1998, she was elected to the Tennessee State Senate[2] where she served for six years and rose to be minority whip.[4]

In 2000, she took part in the effort to prevent the passage of a state income tax championed by Sundquist[3] and to ask for accountability for spending increases related to TennCare.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 2002, Republican Ed Bryant gave up his seat as Representative from Tennessee's 7th District so that he could run for Senate. Blackburn ran against Democrat Tim Barron for the seat and was overwhelmingly elected, thus becoming the first woman in Tennessee history to be elected to Congress without following her husband. [citation needed]In 2004 she ran unopposed and was re-elected.

In 2006, she successfully ran for a third term in the House of Representatives.[2] In November 2007, she ran for the position of Republican Conference chair, but lost.[5][6][7] She joined Mitt Romney's presidential campaign as a senior advisor.[8] In May 2007, she resigned her position in the Romney campaign and endorsed former U.S. senator Fred Thompson for president.[9][10][11] She was re-elected in 2008, 2010 and 2012; garnering no Democratic Party challenger in 2012.

Blackburn has been a member of the following committees:

She was also a member of the following caucuses:

She served as an assistant whip in the 108th and 109th Congress, and served as a deputy whip for the 110th and 111th Congress.[12][13] During the 110th Congress she was the communications chair for the Republican Study Committee. She served as a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee for a third consecutive term.[citation needed] In 2008, she won her primary race by gaining 62 percent of the vote against Shelby County registrar of deeds, and former fellow state senator Tom Leatherwood.[14][15]

Though serving a national role as Vice Chair of the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Blackburn does not currently accept emails from outside of Tennessee's 7th congressional district.

Political campaigns

Redistricting after the 2000 Census moved Blackburn's home from the 6th District into the 7th District. The 6th District Democratic incumbent Congressman, Bart Gordon, had faced three tough races in the 1990s, including a near-defeat in 1994, seemingly due to the 6th's inclusion of Williamson County, the wealthiest county in the state and the most Republican county in Middle Tennessee. It appeared that the Democratic-controlled Tennessee General Assembly wanted to protect Gordon by moving Williamson County into the already heavily Republican 7th District.[16] To maintain approximately equal district sizes (as required by Wesberry v. Sanders – 1964) and to compensate for the increase in 7th District population by the addition of Williamson County, the General Assembly shifted some of the more Democratic parts of Clarksville to the nearby 8th District. This created a district that is 200 miles long, but in some parts of Middle Tennessee is only two miles wide—roughly the width of a highway lane as depicted on a map. According to Memphis Magazine, the gerrymandered district "stretches in reptilian fashion... from the suburbs of Memphis to those of western Nashville".[3]

In 2002, 7th District incumbent Republican congressman Ed Bryant decided to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Fred Thompson. Blackburn entered the primary to replace Bryant. The party realignment from conservative Democratic, or "Dixiecratic," to Republican occurred largely due to conservative white reaction to 1960s developments such as Civil Rights and, among evangelical Christian residents particularly, the outlawing of school prayer, as well as perceived attacks upon Southern white culture. Nearly all the rural counties, but also many Memphis and Nashville suburbanites hold a political worldview similar to the district's neighbors in places like Mississippi and Alabama. Despite the heavy presence of African Americans in some rural parts of the district east of Memphis, black political activity is nowhere as effective as that in Tennessee's two largest cities. Even if that were not the case, their numbers are insufficient to overcome the white majority.

Of the four serious candidates, she was the only one from the Nashville suburbs, while the other three were all from Memphis and its suburbs. The three Memphians split the vote in that area, allowing her to win the primary by 20 points. Her primary win was tantamount to election in November. In the general election, she defeated Democratic nominee Tim Barron. She was the fourth woman elected to Congress from Tennessee, but the first not to serve as a stand-in for her husband. (Irene Bailey Baker and Louise Reece had served as caretakers after their husbands died in office, and Marilyn Lloyd replaced her husband on the ballot when he died after the primary election.) She is also the first Republican to represent part of Nashville since Reconstruction. A small portion of Nashville, roughly co-extensive with the Davidson County portion of the state senate district, was shifted from the heavily Democratic 5th District to the 7th District after the 2000 Census.

She ran unopposed for reelection in 2004, which is somewhat unusual for a freshman member of Congress, even from a district as heavily Republican as the 7th. Washingtonian's September 2004 "Best and Worst of Congress", obtained from a survey of Congressional aides, identified her as one of the three best freshman members. She has been reelected four more times with only nominal opposition. Redistricting after the 2010 census made the district more compact and suburban; it lost its shares of Nashville and Memphis.

Political positions

Blackburn is a fiscal and social conservative. She opposed the Affordable Care Act, stating that with the passage of the bill, "freedom dies a little bit today."[17] She subsequently supported efforts to repeal the legislation, arguing that it "means well" but fails to live up to its promise.[18] When pressed by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough on the claim that the legislation included "death panels" for the elderly, she would not reject this assertion.[19][20]

In April 2009, she questioned former Vice President Al Gore during an energy-related congressional hearing: "The legislation that we are discussing here today, is that something that you are going to personally benefit from?”.[21] The Independent, a London-based periodical, has credited her for "famously put[ting Gore] on the spot about his business interests in the [energy] industry" during this confrontation.[22] Gore vociferously refuted the implied accusation, pointing out that every penny he makes from renewable technology investment goes to a non-profit.[23]

In 2013, she was chosen to manage debate on a bill promoted by House Republicans which would criminalize all abortions after 22 weeks' gestation, with limited exceptions for rape or incest.[24] She replaced the bill's sponsor, congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ), after Franks made controversial claims that the chances of pregnancy resulting from rape were "very low".[25][26]

At October 2013 congressional hearings on the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as "Obamacare", Blackburn charged that the health.gov website violated HIPAA and health information privacy rights. The next day, when a CNN interviewer pointed out that the only health-related question that the web site asks is "do you smoke?", Blackburn repeated her criticism of the site for violating privacy rights.[27]

She scored 100% on American Conservative Union’s 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009 Ratings of Congress.[28][29][30] According to her campaign website, National Journal described her as a "freshman to watch" and a "top House conservative" in 2003 and 2004, Americans for Tax Reform called her a "taxpayer hero" in 2003, and the National Right to Life praised her for supporting the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act.[citation needed] In 2008, Blackburn was named one of the "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" by the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington,[31] although the Federal Election Commission unanimously rejected CREW's complaint.[32]

On February 16, 2014, Blackburn appeared on MSNBC's Meet The Press as a guest in a climate change segment alongside Bill Nye. She reiterated a belief that scientists do not sufficiently understand the climate to make long term predictions, and argued that a cost/benefit analysis did not support taking any action against further carbon emission increases.[33]

Electoral history

Tennessee's 6th congressional district: 1992 results[34]
Year Democratic Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1992 Bart Gordon 120,177 57% Marsha Blackburn 86,289 41% H. Scott Benson Independent 5,952 3% *
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, write-ins received 10 votes.
Tennessee's 7th congressional district: Results 2002–2012[34][35]
Year Democratic Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
2002 Tim Barron 51,790 26% Marsha Blackburn 138,314 71% Rick Patterson Independent 5,423 3% *
2004 (no candidate) Marsha Blackburn 232,404 100%
2006 Bill Morrison 73,369 32% Marsha Blackburn 152,288 66% Kathleen A. Culver Independent 1,806 1% *
2008 Randy Morris 98,207 31% Marsha Blackburn 214,214 69%
2010 Greg Rabidoux 54,341 25% Marsha Blackburn 158,892 72% J.W. Stone Independent 6,319 3% *
2012 Credo Amouzouvik 61,050 24% Marsha Blackburn 180,775 71% Howard Switzer Green 4,584 2% *
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 2002, write-ins received 31 votes. In 2006, James B. "Mickey" White received 898 votes; William J. Smith received 848 votes; John L. Rimer received 710 votes; and Gayl G. Pratt received 663 votes.

Personal life

Blackburn is married to Chuck Blackburn,[3] and they live in Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville.[36] The couple have two children.[3] Her husband is the founder of the International Bow Tie Society (IBTS).[36] She is Presbyterian[2] and her church, Christ Presbyterian Church,[2] is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America.[37][38] She is a member of The C Street Family, a prayer group that includes members of Congress.[39]

References

  1. ^ Legistorm summary page for Rep. Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Barnette, Amy, Marsha Blackburn -- 7th Congressional District, The Commercial Appeal, 30 June 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Baker, Jackson, Marsha Blackburn - Beacon of the Right, Memphis Magazine, July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g The Marsha Blackburn Collection web page, Mississippi State University Congressional and Political Research Center. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  5. ^ ANDREWS, HELENA (Apr 15, 2008). "The lady prefers 'congressman'". Politico.
  6. ^ Ostermeier, Eric (June 13, 2013). "Meet the Three House Women Who Go by "Congressman"". Smart Politics.
  7. ^ Kleinheider (January 7, 2009). "Marsha Blackburn Has Not Yet Decided On A Run For Guv". NashvillePost.com.
  8. ^ "Governor Mitt Romney Announces Two New Senior Advisers"
  9. ^ "Blackburn endorses Fred Thompson"
  10. ^ Elizabeth Bewley (March 6, 2012). "Blackburn says Romney victory in TN wouldn't surprise her". The Tennessean.
  11. ^ David Lightman and Chris Echegaray (November 16, 2010). "TN senators back freeze on special spending". The Tennessean. p. 2.
  12. ^ "Blackburn to speak at GOP dinner". Shelbyville Times-Gazette. April 1, 2008.
  13. ^ "Biography". official U.S. House website. 2010-03-30.
  14. ^ BEADLE, NICHOLAS (August 8, 2008). "Blackburn beats Leatherwood". The Jackson Sun.
  15. ^ L., James (August 8, 2008). "8/7 Primary Results Round-up". Swing Stage Project.
  16. ^ DAVIS, KENT (2010-01-12). "2011 Redistricting TN". TN Precinct Project.
  17. ^ Nagourney, Adam (March 22, 2010). "Republicans Face Drawbacks of United Stand on Health Bill". New York Times.
  18. ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (January 19, 2011). "Approaching Civility (if Perhaps Falling Short of Eloquence) in Debate". New York Times.
  19. ^ "Blackburn wont deny reform will create death panels". MSNBC. 2009-08-25.
  20. ^ Grier, Peter (August 21, 2009). "'Death panel' controversy remains very much alive". Christian Science Monitor. It [the "death panel" charge] has been widely debunked by fact-checking journalism organizations.
  21. ^ Allen, Nick (3 November 2009). "Al Gore 'profiting' from climate change agenda". The Daily Telegraph.
  22. ^ Usborne, David (4 November 2009). "Al Gore denies he is 'carbon billionaire'". The Independent.
  23. ^ Ensha, Azadeh (April 27, 2009). "Gore to Blackburn: 'You Don't Know Me'". New York Times.
  24. ^ Peters, Jeremy (June 17, 2013). "G.O.P. Pushes New Abortion Limits to Appease Vocal Base". New York Times.
  25. ^ Tiron, Roxana; James Rowley (June 13, 2013). "Republicans Pick Female Lawmaker to Manage Abortion Bill". Bloomberg News.
  26. ^ Parkinson, John (June 12, 2013). "Rep. Trent Franks Claims 'Very Low' Pregnancy Rate From Rape". ABC News.
  27. ^ Cavendish, Steve This Is What Happens When Marsha Blackburn Can't Answer A Simple Question, Nashville Scene, 25 October 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  28. ^ "2005 Votes by State Delegation". ACU Ratings. Retrieved 2010-03-14. [dead link‍]
  29. ^ "2007 Votes by State Delegation". ACU Ratings. Retrieved 2010-03-14. [dead link‍]
  30. ^ "2009 Votes by State Delegation". ACU Ratings. Retrieved 2010-03-14.
  31. ^ Sullivan, Bartholomew. "Blackburn added to 'most corrupt' in Congress list". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
  32. ^ "FEC Dismisses Complaint Against Blackburn", Associated Press (February 16, 2009).
  33. ^ Gregory, David (February 16, 2014). "MEET THE PRESS TRANSCRIPT".
  34. ^ a b "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  35. ^ ABC News "2012 General Election Results"
  36. ^ a b International Bow Tie Society wibesite "Founder's Bio" page. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  37. ^ PCA/Denomination, Christ Presbyterian Church, "About Us"
  38. ^ [1], Associated Press
  39. ^ Inside The C Street House, Salon.com July 21, 2009
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marsha Blackburn.
Tennessee Senate
Preceded by
Keith Jordan
 Member of the Tennessee State Senate for the 23rd District
1999–2003 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 7th congressional district
2003–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
144th 		Succeeded by

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