Marsha Blackburn: Tennessee's True Conservative

Marsha Blackburn has never been one to stay quiet when it comes to politics, whether it be at the grassroots level or during her career representing Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. At the age of 25, she founded the Williamson County Tennessee Young Republicans and in 1989, she served as Chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party for two years. In 1992, she took her passion to a new level by running unsuccessfully for Congress. Despite the loss, she would go on to serve as the chairwoman of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission in 1995 and become elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 1998. During that time she led the effort to prevent the passage of a state income tax and to protect the state's Second Amendment rights.

In 2002, Blackburn decided to make another attempt at running for Congress, successfully becoming the first female to represent Tennessee based on her own merits (three other women have represented the state on behalf of their deceased husbands) and the first Republican to represent the Nashville area since Reconstruction. Some consider her a potential candidate for governor of the state in 2010. Since entering office, Blackburn has proven that she is a true Conservative, both on fiscal and social issues and has become a mainstay in the media, frequently appearing on television shows such as Fox News' "Hannity."

As a member of Congress, Blackburn has worked tirelessly to pass tax relief, promote an "ownership society," create health care legislation for small businesses, restore concurrent receipt for Veterans, increase pay for members of the military, prohibit partial birth abortion and reform the personnel system of the Department of Defense. She currently serves on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Blackburn has also served in a number of leadership roles including her roles as Communications Chair of both the Republican Study Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee, as Deputy Whip, and as co-founder of the Congressional Songwriters Caucus. In 2008, she signed on as a senior advisor to Governor Mitt Romney's presidential campaign but resigned to endorse former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson for president.

Most recently, she has been a strong proponent of "Czar" accountability legislation. In a recent appearance on "Hannity," she had this to say on the matter,

"...the more people know about this and the more they realize that this administration has put in place as many 'czars' in eight months as the Bush administration did in eight years. And that is of concern. And the other thing is the lack of transparency. We think, when individuals are going to act with this authority, that a Cabinet secretary has, or be placed between the administration and the Cabinet secretary and be outside of that line of congressional oversight, that, indeed, the American public needs to know."

With a 100% pro-life voting record, Blackburn has been heavily praised by the National Right to Life and has been honored by several fiscally conservative groups such as the Americans for Tax Reform who called her a "taxpayer hero" in 2003. The National Journal has called her a "top House Conservative" and she received the "true blue" award from The Family Research Council. She has also received 100% approval from the U. S. Border patrol.

Congressman (as she prefers to be called) Blackburn was born June 6, 1952 in Laurel, Mississippi. She received her Bachelors degrees from Mississippi State in 1973. She has been married to Charles "Chuck" Blackburn for over 30 years. The couple has two children, Mary Morgan Ketchel and Chad Blackburn, and one grandson, Jack Ketchel.

Ann Romney: Survivor and Fighter

During the 2008 Presidential election, Ann Romney became a well-known figure in American politics. As her husband, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, traveled the country, attempting to win the hearts and minds of Americans, Mrs. Romney was by his side. But there is much more to her than being the wife of a former Governor and Presidential candidate. Here is a look at the life of Ann Romney:

Ann Lois Davies was born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan in 1949 to Edward and Lois Davies. She grew up in Michigan and met the man who would later become her husband as an elementary student at Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, but they would not begin dating until she was sixteen and after his senior prom. In 1969, when Governor Romney returned home from missionary work in France, the couple was married. Mrs. Romney, who had begun her college career at Brigham Young, graduated from Harvard Extension School with a degree in French Language. While her husband was taking on the world of business and politics, she took pleasure in taking care of the couple's five sons, Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben, and Craig and teaching scripture classes.

In 1998, Ann Romney was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but has worked hard to overcome the condition. In a 2007 interview with People Magazine, Mrs. Romney said,

"The thing people are most curious about is that I have MS and then the fact that I've overcome it. When you're used to being healthy and strong and vibrant and everything and then – bang – overnight you're desperately ill, it's frightening. People liken it to the same stages you go through grieving a death, where it takes a long time to accept it. Now that I've had it a number of years, I spend a lot of time on the phone privately talking to people who have just been recently diagnosed. That's my way of helping others. I always recommend going to a good doctor, doing the right medicines and then combining that with holistic treatments."

In late 2008, Mrs. Romney faced another health scare, but like her battle with Multiple Sclerosis, she overcame it. Following a routine mammogram, Romney was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Sutu which is often called the early stages of breast cancer, even though it's non-invasive. After the diagnosis, she underwent a lumpectomy and has been cancer-free ever since.

Mrs. Romney's spent much of her time as First Lady of Massachusetts doing charity work. One of her main focuses was on teen pregnancy prevention efforts and she spent a lot of time involved with a number of children's charities. She served as director of the inner city-oriented group, Best Friends and Operation Kids of Salt Lake City presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She also served as a board member for the United Way and as Governor's Liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, along with becoming a member of the New England chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Chapter.

When she isn't involved with charity, her husband, five sons, or eleven grandchildren, Mrs. Romney is an avid equestrian. She has even received awards in dressage at adult amateur and national levels. In 2006, she earned a gold medal and in 2005, she won a silver medal at the Grand Prix level from the United States Dressage Federation. In 2004, along with her trainer, Jan Ebling, Romney qualified for the Pan-Am games. Mrs. Romney accredits her ability to deal with her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis to her involvement in the sport.

Kay Ivey for Governor of Alabama?

Is Alabama State Treasurer, Kay Ivey, planning to run for Governor of the state in 2010? That's what the people of Alabama seem to think. Even though Ivey hasn't officially declared her candidacy, she has taken many steps in that direction. Rumor has it that Ivey has set aside one million dollars for her campaign. She has hired notable Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway to help her get an idea of what the people of Alabama want and has also formed an exploratory committee.

Originally elected in 2003, Kay Ivey is currently serving her second term as Alabama's State Treasure. She was born and raised in the state and is a graduate of Auburn University. As a former teacher, Ivey seems to have a passion for education. One of her biggest accomplishments as treasurer has been helping pass legislation to give tax breaks to families who are saving for their children's college education. She was also elected to the Executive Board of the College Savings Plan Network and enjoys encouraging young people to get involved with public service.

In the 2008 Republican primary, Ivey supported presidential candidate Mitt Romney and even served as his Alabama chairperson. During that time, she put out a "Call to Conservatives," asking Republicans to vote for Romney based on his conservative stances on a number of important issues. She also praised Senator John McCain's choice of Governor Sarah Palin for his running mate in the 2008 election, calling her an "effective governor, a strong fiscal conservative and a ferocious fighter for conservative values."

Ivey, who has been named an "emerging leader" by the Republican Governor's Association, has said she will make her final decision about her candidacy by June. You can learn more about Ivey and her accomplishments at the Alabama State Treasury Website.