(Note: On Wednesday, bloggers talk to Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee (7th). She was first elected in 2002 and is currently the Assistant Majority Whip.

Congresswoman Blackburn: One of the things as we’re looking at the conference race that I will start with is talking about what the conference chairmanship is. When we look at our conference structure, which is the House Republican conference, then the conference chair serves basically as your chief communications officer for the House Republican members. One of the things that conference chair does is to be responsible for helping to build that strategic vision and helping getting our party back on track, talking about things that we are for. That is a process that we as House Republicans are going to need to do. We’ve got to listen to what the American people are saying. Obviously, we have not listened over enough over the last few years. We didn’t listen enough on spending; we didn’t listen enough on the size of government. We had some members that broke that law or acted unethically, and we didn’t take enough action against them and we didn’t do it quickly enough. The first thing we have to do to get back to the majority is to listen and reflect and hear what they’re saying and reflect that in our platform. That’s what the Contract of America was. It reflected the vision that Americans had for this country. That’s also one of the reasons I think why Ronald Reagan was so loved and so successful, because he tapped directly into the hopes and dreams of the American people and what they wanted for their families, and for their children, and for themselves.

I honestly believe that our party still wants smaller government and a less intrusive and evasive government. They want more transparency in that government; they want to reduce taxes and encourage entrepreneurship and encourage the American people to be risk takers in bold as they realize what they want out of their lives. I think that those things that Reagan talked about still resonate. I don’t believe that the people want Hillary healthcare; I think they want choice; they want flexibility; they want access. I do believe that the American people want a strong defense, and they want us to win in Iraq. The Left thinks that they don’t care, but I don’t think that that is true. So, that’s pretty much the big picture. We’ve got to get back to where the people are and translate that into a platform and a vision, and then we have to go out and effectively communicate it. That’s something we haven’t done lately.

I’m uniquely qualified for this job because of my background and experience in sales and marketing. When I was in college, I started selling books door-to-door for the Southwestern Publishing Company in Nashville, and that’s how I paid my way through college, selling books door-to-door. When I finished college, I started working for the Southwestern Company and helped start their first women’s division. Then I went to work with the [not audible] company running their retail promotions division for 13 stores, 3 states. It was part of Mercantile Store national chain. I went from that to my own marketing consulting business. During this time, I helped start Williamson County Young Republicans, growing that party in Williamson County, serving on the election commission, chairing that County party, and growing its membership all the time, participating as a volunteer in my community. I made my first run for Congress in ’92 and lost that race. I came back and ran for the state Senate in ’98. When I was in the state Senate, I led the pushes in my state. I led the fight against the state income tax; I led an effort to block the expansion of Hillary care in our state; I led the push to keep the illegal immigrants from getting valid Tennessee driver’s licenses. I brought all of that experience with me to Congress. One of the first things that I did here was to put my focus on restoring the ability of Tennessee to deduct the federal income tax filing to each year and want to bring all of that experience into the conference chair race.

Question: I’m intrigued that twice you mentioned Hillary healthcare. Is there a message in there or are you hoping that Hillary is the nominee that Republicans can run against her?

Congresswoman Blackburn: Well, I’ll tell you, the more chances she talks, the more chances we have to point out what Hillary’s healthcare plan, what they are. Tennessee was the pilot program for Hillary’s healthcare plan, and one of the things that we have seen is that when you try to be all things to all people and you try to have free healthcare for an extended population, it becomes very, very difficult for the state to afford that.

Question: If you could talk about the 2003 vote you cast in favor of the Medicare prescription drug bill. I’m wondering, do you regret making that vote today given the problems that have come out about that legislation including the astronomical costs?

Congresswoman Blackburn: You know, I talked with Newt Gingrich about this bill, and I think that there are two elements in that legislation that are many times overlooked. One is the health savings account. Nobody really pays any attention to the millions of people that have actually gotten access to health insurance. The health savings account has been very, very successful, and as we shift healthcare to individual responsibility, to a market base, to people taking control of their healthcare from that first dollar, then making that transformation is something that is a worthy goal. Having people have control of their healthcare from that first dollar. A transformation like this can break, can really be a major step in breaking down that massive, bloated, non-individual choice oriented healthcare system. So, people don’t often talk about the health savings account, and we have millions of Americans who are on there now. By 2010, there is an estimate of 20 million Americans being on it, and this will reshape our healthcare system and our healthcare delivery system. On the prescriptions reform, Newt believes, and I agree with what has been expressed there, that we had a Medicare system that did not do preventive care or disease maintenance healthcare well. We wouldn’t support the drugs to keep someone out of the hospital, but then we would pay the hospital bill. Those hospital bills are tremendously more expensive than the pharmaceuticals or the therapy for the protocol. The reform is meant to slow the slowing growth curve over a period of time.

Question: You’re the only woman in the race for this spot and I believe the only woman on the leadership ticket. What do you think that says about the Republican Party and do you think that plays to your benefit?

Congresswoman Blackburn: Well, Kay Granger from Texas is running for conference vice chair so that you all are aware of that. I am running and I am the only woman that is running for conference chair. You know, at my age being 54 years old having grown up in the deep South – when you grow up and your 5’3”, blond hair, blue eyes, and you’ve grown up in the deep South in the sixties – people don’t always expect a lot and you understand that as you move into the business world that you’re operating in a man’s world, if you will. I’ve always considered that to be standard operating procedure. What I look at is that I’m the most well qualified person for this job; I will be the most effective person at this job. Having spent time in TV, having worked with a magazine editorial staff, having worked in sales, worked in marketing, having spent a lot of time in grassroots politics, having served in the minority in the state Senate and led statewide initiatives – those are things that build a resume. You know, working with talk radio, working with the income tax battles, you learn a lot through that and those are all great experiences to bring to this to help us find a way to retake this majority November 4, 2008. We have to go back and build that vision that I talked about initially, redefine ourselves with the American people to retake the majority November 4, 2008.

Question: What do you think the GOP should be doing about earmarks at this point?

Congresswoman Blackburn: Well you know, I don’t think anybody is real excited about earmarks. They have a bad reputation right now, don’t they? I think what we have to say is that we’re not against all earmarks per se. What we’ve got to be for is transparency in this process, a full transparency in this process, and a debate to determine if they are pork or if they are a worthy process. It’s got to have a member’s name attached to it. People have got to know who are putting those requests in because the current earmark policy has led to a lot of problems in this system. We have to be certain that these things are not pork, that they are not there to enrich a member of Congress or a close affiliate of theirs, that there is complete and full transparency in that process. [not audible] It absolutely enrages people when they work hard to earn their money, and they meet their obligations, they pay their taxes, and then they read about some of these projects, these absolutely ridiculous and egregious projects that are soaking up taxpayer dollars. This is a practice that has to stop.

Question: I noticed you signed the border fence bill; what’s the next step? I think the most Americans think it’s a great step forward, but there is much more to be done. I’d like to hear your thoughts on that direction.

Congresswoman Blackburn: From the very beginning after meeting with leaders in my district, I said what we need is a three-step process, and I have been on this now for I guess a year and a half, nearly two years. We need to first secure the border and be certain we secure that border. I’m pleased that we moved forward with the fence bill. After we have secured that border with walls, with fences, going in and doing electronic surveillance, making sure that border is secure; the next thing we need to do is make sure handle our law enforcement and worker verification situation. Be certain that our law enforcement personnel has the tools that they need; be certain that things like the 287G program is available to our sheriffs and to our local law enforcement, that they’ve got the tools they need. Then, address that jobs magnet and be certain that employers are going through the worker verification program and through that process. And the third thing that we need to do is look at the Visa issue.

Question:There’s a growing concern, however, that the more enforcement proposal that you’re espousing that I agree with, has been a bit of political loser and arguably had some influence on the election. Do you agree with that assessment and what do we do about it?

Congresswoman Blackburn: You know, I really don’t agree that it was a political loser. I think that the Senate was so slow to move forward that that caused a good bit of hesitation and questioning. After we did our [not audible] on the road hearing in August, people really agreed with that. It didn’t matter if it was a moderate district or a conservative district; all people were saying were secure that border first; that is the very first thing that you need to do. One of the things that happens there is that we hear from people that is it not only the individuals that are coming from the illegal entrance, that it is the human trafficking, the drugs, it is other things that are of tremendous concern to them. It is an issue of not only of border security but of national security. People want to see that border secured first. That is a tangible benchmark that they can look at and they want to see that done first, and they want to look at the whole process so that individuals that are trying to legally enter this country and are going through the process aren’t waiting around for ten years, but they want that border secured first.

Question: What books have you read on Islamic terrorism for the threat that is posed by radical Islam?

Congresswoman Blackburn: You know, I have one right now on my desk; I think the name of the book is Jihad. I apologize, I don’t know the exact name of the book. I’ve been to Iraq and I’ve done more reading in periodicals and briefing papers than I have in published books. Continued...