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Stacey Campfield is no Newt Gingrich
Posted By katie allison granju
Ken Whitehouse at The Nashville Post talks about Campfield in his latest Monthly Political Futures Index:
…his antics in the legislature are becoming difficult for many of his own colleagues to stomach. The Republican is a “bomb thrower” in the legislature: He introduces legislation that has no hope of passage but raises awareness of social or economic issues.
There are other bomb throwers on both sides of the aisle, but they usually have allies. Two examples, one local and one historical, are State Rep. Glen Casada and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. They both started their careers in legislative bodies making speeches and comments that upset the status quo in their own parties, but they also worked with their colleagues and eventually became leaders in their caucuses.
Campfield throws the bombs, to the delight of an element of his party, but it has become increasingly less effective because he has no significant allies to realistically affect the change he desires.
The most recent example is attempt to “ban the teaching of homosexuality” in Tennessee schools. Campfield had no help in the committee he introduced the legislation in, split more hairs than an 80s “glam” band, and then refused to speak to the press outside of the committee room when his legislation failed, instead asking people to come to his office.
He came back later to the Capitol’s press room to apologize for running off, but said that he had been told by friends he shouldn’t be in large crowds after introducing legislation like that.
Seems like there is a larger message there that is being missed by the Knoxvillian.
Feb 26th, 2008
