U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s Up to Her Old Tricks Again
NASHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s last-minute refusal to attend the upcoming Tea Party convention underscores her chameleon-like political persona and should be a wake-up call for those who think the congresswoman is a fiscal conservative.
”The congresswoman officially threw the Tea Party under the bus this morning when she announced she would not be attending next week’s convention,” Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said. “This action is further proof that the congresswoman is an opportunist with no real convictions other than to further her own selfish agenda.
”She jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon when she thought she could use it for political gain. She just as quickly bailed out on them when the going got tough. Her embrace of the movement was totally disingenuous anyway.
”Congresswoman Blackburn voted for some of the biggest spending measures ever seen by this country. And she was an ardent supporter of the failed policies of the previous White House, some of which nearly collapsed our financial markets,” he said.
Tea Party Nation, a for-profit entity led by Franklin attorney Judson Phillips, has organized a Feb. 4-6 convention for Tea Party activists at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Blackburn and her Minnesota colleague U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann had been scheduled to speak at the event. Both have dropped out.
Bachmann and Blackburn claimed they were seeking counsel from the House Ethics Committee about whether to attend the Nashville event after intense media scrutiny revealed the convention was being organized by a profiteer who has his own financial problems, which include a previous bankruptcy and federal tax liens.
”The Tea Party movement has been duped by a bunch of greedy and extremely partisan Republicans,” Forrester said. “All they wanted to do was to co-opt the movement and use it as another way to feather their own nests and fund their deceitful campaigns.”
Phillips and his organization have been criticized about the event’s $549 ticket prices and limited media access, as well as a reported $100,000 speaking fee for the keynote speaker, former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Forrester pointed out that Blackburn’s voting record hardly aligns with the Tea Party’s agenda of limited government and fiscal responsibility. She has voted for agricultural appropriations funding domestic nutritional programs like food stamps, measures extending unemployment insurance, bills meant to bolster United Nations influence and economic packages meant to stimulate the economy through tax-rebate checks.
”If Congresswoman Blackburn would put half as much time into helping us find solutions to problems as she and some of her colleagues do grandstanding,” Forrester said, “we could make more progress on creating jobs for our communities, ensuring our children are well educated and making our lives more comfortable.
”Her tactics are despicable and should be rejected by all Tennesseans, whether they are Republicans, Democrats or Independents. We have too many problems to waste on disingenuous rhetoric meant to scare and divide us,” he added.
