There are times in one’s life when silence is the better option, when explanations are better left to your press person, marketing manager or maybe a group of people who are your friends and are the same ethnic or religious group you offended, but apparently, this does not apply in the Tennessee State Office as one of their Republicans is shoving both his feet and legs in his mouth.
Tennessee State Sen. Stacey Campfield (R) made a comment comparing the Affordable Care Act to the train ride 6 million Jews and non-Aryans rode during Nazi Germany. In Campfield’s blogpost he wrote
Thought of the day.
Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of manditory[sic] sign ups for “train rides” for Jews in the 40s.
Posted by The Sen. at 9:21 AM
Then he writes a non-apology apology:
I regret that some people miss the point of my post. It was not to offend. It was to warn. To draw attention to Obamacare and the slippery slope that I see occurring in the lives of myself, my constituents, and the rest of the country with the continued taking of freedom by the federal government.
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.
My position and record on the sacredness of human life and protecting that life speaks for itself. 300 million Americans are at risk from government bureaucrats deciding who should be given life saving medications and who should be denied. Every citizen now faces the possibility of their tax dollars going to pay for a government funded abortion. At no point in our history have we ever faced a federal government and administration with a lower regard for human life, and that is something that I cannot and will not allow to go unchallenged.
I will continue to stand up against the government takeover of the nations healthcare. I will continue to support freedom and life.
Stacey Campfield
So what was the non-apology apology?
I regret that some people miss the point of my post. It was not to offend. It was to warn. To draw attention to Obamacare and the slippery slope that I see occurring in the lives of myself, my constituents, and the rest of the country with the continued taking of freedom by the federal government
In other words, the people who were offended by his comment are missing his point…the ACA IS comparable to that of the train ride to the Nazi death camps. That by signing up for the ACA, you will DIE…
According to the Nashville Scene,
(1:10 p.m.): The Knoxville News Sentinel’s Tom Humphrey talked to Campfield:
Campfield, contacted by phone, said “it was never my intent to insult anyone,” but he is not making an apology and believes the analogy is appropriate.
“I think Jewish people should be the first to stand up against Obamacare,” Campfield said. “If government is controlling people’s health insurance, they are potentially controlling people’s lives….letting the government choose who lives and who dies.”
Update (3:30 p.m.):
The Tennessean reports that Campfield now regrets his comment:
“It was not meant to offend, but rather to warn. My intention was to draw attention to Obamacare and the slippery slope that I see occurring in the lives of myself, my constituents and the rest of the country with the continued taking of freedom by the federal government. In no way was my post meant to diminish or detract from the pain, suffering and loss of life that occurred during this dark time in human history.”
Update (4:00 p.m.): From the Associated Press…wow:
Campfield said Monday he was unmoved by the criticism from the chairman of his own party.
“He never called me,” he said. “If he wants to apologize to Obama, he can.”
Update (4:10 p.m.): A statement from House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick:
“I was shocked by Senator Campfield’s disgraceful blog post that compared a policy dispute with the suffering of an entire race of people. The far-reaching effects of the Holocaust are still felt today, and any effort to cheapen that suffering is distasteful and classless. I call on Senator Campfield to apologize immediately.”
Update (4:13 p.m.): Campfield’s Democratic opponent Cheri Siler chimes in:
“With so much at stake in the state of Tennessee, we cannot afford to have our elected officials making inflammatory statements of this magnitude. It is deplorable that Campfield is trivializing the loss of millions of Jews. He is clearly politicizing this sensitive subject to get free earned media. By his own words, he proves that he is as cheap as he is classless.”
With the power of the Internet, Campfield’s opine has struck a nerve with the Jewish community. One such person is Professor Donna Halper Ph.D. Dr. Halper is a Boston-based historian, college professor and radio consultant, she was a music director at WMMS in Cleveland and was pivotal in introducing the progressive Canadian power trio Rush to the United States. Halper is a devout Jew.
Halper read the comment made by Campfield and said:
I’d like to say I’m surprised, but the kind of hateful rhetoric we hear from all too many Republicans is a sad reminder that courtesy and civility are in decline in society today. I’m Jewish, and I fail to see any comparison between the brutality and violence of the Nazis in killing my ancestors and President Obama trying to give people access to health insurance. That Sen. Campfield didn’t think there was a difference is shameful.
William Ronald of Chicago Illinois, teacher also a devout Jew said of Campfield’s comments
“The gentleman from Tennessee — to use the word loosely — has shown that he is ignorant of historical facts, ignorant of the feelings of those who faced the death camps and those who care for them, and proven himself ignorant in the field of public discourse.”
Ronald was on the Head on Radio Network with Bob Kincaid, online talk show host and co-founder of the ACHE Act brought up the story, in an emotionally-packed conversation with Kincaid. Ronald’s conversation (2:18:46) expressed disgust and anger, and yes, he wants Campfield to resign as Senator.
On the conservative side of the Jewish faith, devout conservative Jewish blogger Debbie Schlussel said:
I think it’s reprehensible to compare the already failed, disastrous ObamaCare to the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews, including many on both sides of my family, were murdered by the Nazis. That said, a different word, such as catastrophe, would have been more appropriate to describe this looming healthcare disaster that will ruin America.
Though angered by Campfield analogy, Schlussel said…he doesn’t need to resign over it but it was a poor choice of words and move on…though there are those who want Campfield to resign. Either way, the insensitivity from an elected official from a predominately Christian conservative state can cause friction and possible problems from here on out.
The comments written by Campfield is offensive and has offended many in the Jewish community. To compare the ACA to Nazi Germany is abhorring. Generally speaking, the Republican party and the Jewish community tend to have a respectful relationship, but when one of their own express themselves contrary to their close-knit relationship, then that cancer must be removed.
Yet does the RNC in Tennessee truly care about the Jewish community? Or is it merely a play in words? Here again is a timeline of comments after the incident:
Update (10:22 a.m.): A statement from Tennessee Republican Party chairman Chris Devaney:
“While Stacey Campfield routinely makes remarks that are over the top, today’s comments are ignorant and repugnant. No political or policy disagreement should ever be compared to the suffering endured by an entire generation of people. Those comments have no place in our public discourse. He should offer an apology to members of the Jewish faith immediately.”
Update (1:10 p.m.): The Knoxville News Sentinel’s Tom Humphrey talked to Campfield:
Campfield, contacted by phone, said “it was never my intent to insult anyone,” but he is not making an apology and believes the analogy is appropriate.
“I think Jewish people should be the first to stand up against Obamacare,” Campfield said. “If government is controlling people’s health insurance, they are potentially controlling people’s lives….letting the government choose who lives and who dies.”
Update (3:30 p.m.):
The Tennessean reports that Campfield now regrets his comment:
“It was not meant to offend, but rather to warn. My intention was to draw attention to Obamacare and the slippery slope that I see occurring in the lives of myself, my constituents and the rest of the country with the continued taking of freedom by the federal government. In no way was my post meant to diminish or detract from the pain, suffering and loss of life that occurred during this dark time in human history.”
(4:00 p.m.)
: From the Associated Press…wow:
Campfield said Monday he was unmoved by the criticism from the chairman of his own party.
“He never called me,” he said. “If he wants to apologize to Obama, he can.”
Update (4:10 p.m.)
: A statement from House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick:
“I was shocked by Senator Campfield’s disgraceful blog post that compared a policy dispute with the suffering of an entire race of people. The far-reaching effects of the Holocaust are still felt today, and any effort to cheapen that suffering is distasteful and classless. I call on Senator Campfield to apologize immediately.”
Apparently, Campfield feels he said nothing incorrect, while the Tennessee Republican party is scrambling for damage control. Campfield apparently feels satisfied with his anti-Semitic comments and only “apologized” after getting pressure from his party…as well as his Democratic challenger Cheri Siler who said:
Update (4:13 p.m.)
: Campfield’s Democratic opponent Cheri Siler chimes in:
“With so much at stake in the state of Tennessee, we cannot afford to have our elected officials making inflammatory statements of this magnitude. It is deplorable that Campfield is trivializing the loss of millions of Jews. He is clearly politicizing this sensitive subject to get free earned media. By his own words, he proves that he is as cheap as he is classless.”
Going back to Campfield’s blog, Campfield has not removed nor corrected his “mistake” and seems steadfast on his comparison. Truly, if the Tennessee Republican Party wishes to strengthen the relationship between the party and the Jews, they need to look deep into their party as well as their elected officials and teach their colleagues to think before they speak or write what is on their mind. Resignation or not, there is a divide between conservative Christians and Jews that can rip the relational fabric apart…Campfield is proof.
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