November 15, 2006

Marsha's the Man

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, my congressman, is one of four candidates for House Republican Conference Chairman. She's running against four men. The last time Blackburn ran against a group of Republican men for something, she had a great bumper sticker - Marsha's the Man! - and she crushed them. I hope it works out that way again because Rep. Blackburn, a true conservative and friend of taxpayers coast to coast, is the right pick for House GOP Conference Chair.

Update: From the newest Evans & Novak Political Report:

Representatives Adam Putnam (R-Fla.), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) are running for Conference chairman. The most likely outcome here is a runoff between Blackburn and Kingston. For many years, the post has been held either by a woman or a black man (J.C. Watts, R-Okla.), because it is mostly a P.R. job. But that angle may be less meaningful than usual, since Kay Granger is considered a lock for Conference vice chairman. Kingston and Blackburn are both strong conservatives, but Blackburn is more of a fiery hundred-percenter who would take a more confrontational stance toward the White House. Kingston is the man with on-the-job experience, since he has been serving as vice chairman.

Putnam's run is odd, because he was just elected House Policy chairman, and is trying to move up after less than a year in that spot. Such naked ambition provokes a negative reaction among some of his colleagues. Putnam's patron, Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), has also obviously fallen from grace.

Added plus: Blackburn is a proven leader in insurgent politics.

A few years ago, while Blackburn was a minority-party member of the Tennessee state Senate, she lead the successful effort to defeat a state income tax supported by the Tennessee political establishment, the top leadership of both political parties, and most of the state's major news media. To this day, Tennesse doesn't have an income tax, thanks to Blackburn's leadership and her willingness to buck the governor from her own party because he pursiing wrongheaded fiscal and tax policies. And she took that same approach to DC.

Blackburn can fire up the conservative base and help lead the GOP back to majority status.

Marsha's the man!