We talked earlier this week to senator chris coons from delaware. Are somewhere joined now with republican senator marsha blackburn. Good morning. Guest good to see you. Talk about what you have been told about how this process will work . The set up of the hearing submit heightened concerns about coronavirus . Two members on your side of the aisle on the Judiciary Committee testing positive . Guest we are going to continue with chairman blunt and Ranking Member amy klobuchar, the rules they put in place when covid started. There is an option for the committee to function in one of three ways. In person, virtual, or a hybrid number which gives individuals and witnesses, members and witnesses, the option of attending the hearing in person or virtually. We have had 125 hybrid hearings in the senate since this took place. 21 have been Judiciary Committee. That is the hybrid model, what we will use for the hearings next week. They begin on monday, they will finish on thursday. We will then begin the process of voting her from committee. We will take the final vote to move her to the floor for consideration on the 22nd. A few days later you are going to have the vote to confirm her to the court. It will be done the last week of october. Host did you get a chance to meet with her . What did you talk about . Guest yes, i talked to her about Agency Overreach and campus free speech. I really believe it is a growing issue. I hear from so many parents in tennessee who are very concerned. Their children coated college and they come their children go to college and they come home and they are being pulled to cancel culture by their professors. There are zones where it is the safe speech. You cant disagree with anyone. One mom said to me a couple of weeks ago that they had said, you should be working to understand the point and counterpoint so that you know how to defend Core Principles and how to engage in a productive argument or productive conversation. They were astounded that the professors this student had, a new college student, it was all my way or the highway. This is right, do not present a counterpoint to me. I think there are a lot of parents in that same boat. They just cant believe that their kids are having their minds opened hand to their point of view narrowed. Did sheshe say where she stands on this campus free speech issue . Guest at an ordered name she has written a good bit about originalism. In this instant gratification world, how do you make that point, and how does northern dame seem to allow for people to have a difference of opinion, a different viewpoint, a diversity of viewpoint . Our nation has been well served by having robust, respectful political debate. I hope we see that continue. Host can you talk about how meetings with senators work and finding out where she stands on a particular issue . There is a story in the Washington Post talking about her potential impact on roe v. Wouldsenators saying she support restricting or overturning roe do you ask about that . Is she supposed to respond about her opinions with these meetings . Guest you can look at her writings. She has written over 100 opinions, and so far my team and me, we have been going through those opinions and looking at what she has delivered in those opinions. You can also look at some of her work that she has done at notre dame. I did not discuss roe v. Wade with her. I know in times past many of those have come forward and they consider that to be a settled issue. Host you talk about your preparation and preparing with her arguments. How much of preparation do you think will be what democrats are asking her about . Guest i focus on my questions, my opening statement, spending my time looking at her opinions. That is a more productive use of my time. You note that the democrats are sheg to go at her because is prolife, profamily, proreligion, probusiness, promilitary, and you have to look at her, what she has had to say about personal beliefs, and the rule of law and the constitution. As i said, she is an originalist and has written a good bit about original is him. Said whenote that she the president announced her nomination that she fully believes that it is the duty of a jurist to apply the law, not legislate from the bench. And of course we know our friends across the aisle prefer to have a more activist judge. We prefer a constitutionalist judge who is going to call balls and strikes based on the statutes and based on the constitution. Host i know you have a busy day ahead, but do you want to talk about the questions you will ask her . About i will talk executive overreach, Agency Overreach, something probably about original is in also. Host senator marsha blackburn, republican of tennessee, number of the senate Judiciary Committee. Thanks so much for your time this friday morning. Guest good to be with you, thank you. Announcer momentarily we will take you live to a discussion at the heritage, hosted by the Heritage Foundation on the nomination of judge Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court. That should get underway any moment. A reminder, we will have all of the judiciary hearings live on cspan beginning monday, the first of four days of hearings, 9 00 a. M. Monday live here on cspan. You can follow it online at the cspan radio app and cspan. Org. We will be at heritage shortly, a discussion on the nomination. Until then, part of todays washington journal. Host joint on the phone now by paul egan. His byline is on most of the stories yesterday, coming out about this plot to kidnap the governor. Take us through what we know at this point about this kidnapping plot so far. How far it got before it was foiled. Well, what we know is there were a number of conversations that were going on both in person and in some cases encrypted or in private facebook groups discussing a number of plots, including one to kidnap the governor, possibly from her Summer Vacation home. That was the one that seemed to advance the furthest, to the point where a highvoltage taser was purchased, night goggles. There was supposed to have been a purchase of explosives this week taking place. There was discussion about detonating a bridge near her summer cottage to divert police, and there was actually evening thatance that was had occurred on two occasions of her summer home. That is about what we have. There was a lot of talk, which can sometimes you can always ask the question, where they just talking, or was it going to be action . But there was certainly some element of action taking place, including purchases of w weapons and surveillance of the governors home. Host 20 individuals have been charged in this case. Named thea group wolverine watchmen what do we know about them . How wide is that Militia Movement in michigan . Guest the wolverine watchmen was founded by two of the individuals that have been charged in this case. There is some association with what has come to be known as the boogaloo movement, which is a aparently a codeword for second civil war. There is anarchy with the Groups Associated with these movements, talk of sparking some kind of a war that would allow people that believe only in the bill of rights, to sort of create a new society among themselves. A lot of the stuff is pretty far out there, but michigan has long a hotbed of militia activity. I mean, we can go back there were ties to the Oklahoma City bombing in michigan a number of years ago, the feds brought a major indictment against a Militia Group that were apparently plotting to blow up police funerals. That case actually ended up going completely south, even though a number of people spent considerable amount of time in custody. No convictions and it up resulting from that case. That was a case where, you know, it gets difficult at times to say, well, this was just crazy talk or whether it was action. It puts the feds in a difficult