Tennessee Lawmaker Stacey Campfield Apologizes for Holocaust Obamacare Link

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A Tennessee state senator said he regrets a blog post that compares signups for Obamacare to Nazi “‘train rides’ for Jews in the 40s.”
“Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of mandatory (sic) sign ups for “train rides” for Jews in the 40s,” State Sen. Stacey Campfield wrote Monday on his blog under the heading “Thought of the Day.”
Campfield later on Monday issued a statement, also posted as a comment to the blog post, in which he said: “I regret that some people miss the point of my post. It was not to offend. It was to warn.”
“In no way was my post meant to diminish or detract from the pain, suffering and loss of human life that occurred during this dark time in human history. Instead the post was meant to draw attention to the loss of freedom that we are currently experiencing. I stand by my steadfast opposition to Obamacare,” he wrote.
Campfield, a Republican, was condemned by the heads of Tennessee’s Republican and Democratic parties.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
