Monday, August 11, 2014

Bye, Stacey!

Tennessee state Sen. Stacey Campfield (R) lost his primary Thursday. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig, File)I've said the most dangerous bigot is one that has the power to write legislation, and Tennessee Teapublican state senator Stacey Campfield has been Exhibit A of that.

Ever since he was elected to the Tennessee legislature in 2010, he has not only proposed unjust legislation like the 'Don't Say Gay' bill, in 2013, he put forward a widely criticized bill that would have reduced welfare assistance for families if their children did not do well in school.   Campfield also is behind a new Tennessee law requiring the state to drug-test applicants for public benefits.

In addition to Sen.Campfield's attempts to push unjust legislation, he has also flapped his gums and made cringe inducing remarks that even his own party has backpedaled from.

Back in May Campfield invoked Godwin's Law and parted his lips to say that the Obama administration touting how many people signing up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act was like the Nazis bragging how many Jews they sent to the concentration camps.

"Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign-ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of mandatory sign-ups for 'train rides' for Jews in the 40s," Campfield wrote at the time. The misspelling of "mandatory" appeared in the original text.

Campfield has compared homosexuality to bestiality, made a tasteless joke about the Boston Marathon bombing, and in 2012 made wildly inaccurate claims about the origin of AIDS during a Sirius XM OutQ interview with Michelangelo Signorile.

He became well known in Tennessee LGBT community circles as being hostile to TBLG constituents that came to visit him in Nashville, which is probably a factor in why he lost his re-election bid.   

"Campfield was actually WORSE than his reputation. He regularly berated and attempted to humiliate LGB and especially T constituents who went to meet with him," said Brenda Lunger.." I had to help console a young gender nonconforming person and their partner once after they had a meeting with Stacey. I just hope his replacement is human. Campfield isn't."

Last Tuesday was the Tennessee primary elections, and Campfield went down in flames in his state senate District 7 race.  He was crushed by Knoxville cardiac surgeon Richard Briggs.  

With all precincts reporting, Briggs had 13,977 votes, or 66 percent, compared with Campfield's 5,824 votes, or 28 percent.

Buh Bye Stacey.   Don't think they are going to miss you in Nashville.   And good riddance.  

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