Campfield Says Casada The Source Of Rumors That Led To Libel Suit Against Him
Posted on April 29, 2009 at 7:09 amHouse Republican Caucus Chair Glen Casada is again under a cloud of suspicion as this morning it has been revealed that Campfield believes that Casada is the one who told him that then Democratic state house candidate Roger Byrge had been arrested in connection with drugs.
Campfield subsequently shared the rumor on his blog. Byrge has never been arrested for drugs and is now suing Campfield.
Casada doesn’t confirm he is the source but will not deny it either:
Byrge’s lawsuit quoted Campfield as writing on his blog: “Word is a … mail piece has gone out exposing Byrge’s multiple separate drug arrests. Including arrests for possession and drug dealing. (I hear the mug shots are gold).”
Campfield’s initial legal response was to claim he held legislative immunity for comments he made on his personal blog. But his attorney last month abandoned that defense.
Casada said it was difficult to remember the details of every conversation surrounding last year’s tumultuous House elections.
“My thing is, we’re running 15, 18 races concurrently in October and November of 2008,” he said. “And there’s no telling.”
“I’m just trying to rack my brain, and don’t recall who would have told me or where I would have gotten that,” Casada said. “I don’t recall. But if Stacey says I did, then obviously I did. I’m confirming that if he says it, I must have.”
Campfield Passes His First Bill
Posted on March 30, 2009 at 7:17 pmNow in his third term as a member of the General Assembly, Rep. Stacey Campfield has finally seen a bill he sponsored pass a floor vote.
UPDATE: Humphrey with the report:
The vote on the amendment was 50 for Stacey, 45 against — a squeaker that relied upon winning a few key Democratic votes, including Memphis Reps. G.A. Hardaway and Mike Kernell, who (as I understand, but have not verified) have both been through divorces and are thus somewhat sympathetic on the matter of dad visitation rights.
The upshot: Stacey Campfield, when willing to compromise in committee and deal with selective Democrats, can be effective in advancing a reasonable piece of legislation despite otherwise making a lot of Democratic people mad and some Republicans uneasy. But just barely.
Taxing The Slutty, Not The Yummy
Posted on March 20, 2009 at 8:53 amRep. Stacey Campfield says his idea to cut the food tax by replacing lost revenue with a porn sin tax is catching on in other states.
Baby Daddy Drama: Campfield Spars With Another Colleague Over Paternity Bill
Posted on March 16, 2009 at 2:22 pmAs was reported by Tom Humphrey over the weekend, Rep. Stacey Campfield has once again ignited some fireworks in a state legislative committee on Wednesday of last week.
Just like last year’s famous standoff with Rep. Rob Briley, at issue was Campfield’s bill, HB 805, dubbed the “Baby Daddy Bill” which would allow a mechanism for paternity be disestablished in the event that a conclusive DNA test proves a previously assumed parent is not the biological father.
Rep. Jeanne Richardson raises some concerns about the bill and whether legislation is necessary. Richardson seems to be saying that the bill makes her uncomfortable because it presupposes some mass distrust of women and that there simply aren’t that many cases women deliberately attempting to defraud the men in their lives about offspring to justify codification in law.
Aunt B. somewhat similarly delves into the psychology that could be behind this legislation engaging in speculation about Campfield’s past interactions with women.
My question about all this is: so what?
Let’s say Rep. Stacey Campfield is as demented as Aunt B. projects that he is. Let’s say further that we concede that a very large majority of women are not attempting to defraud men who they have slept with and that most cases of inaccurate paternity are honest mistakes by virtuous women. Lets also concede that most all these cases are very rare exceptions from the norm.
So what?
The question at hand is: should a man be forced to pay for a child not of his line once that fact has been determined? If the answer is no then should not the law afford these men the protect they deserve regardless of the rarity of these instances and morally upstanding nature the women involved?
If the legislation would do nothing objectively “wrong” then what does the motivation for filing such legislation have to do with anything? The legislation is either just or unjust, right or wrong?
Right?
Campfield On Kent
Posted on March 11, 2009 at 1:45 pmThe Rep. on the vote to confirm Speaker Williams as a member of the Republican caucus:
“Kent was trying to drive a wedge in our caucus. It got to the point where people who hated him just said, ‘Let him in because we’re not able to talk about what we’re doing.’ I don’t think anybody spoke glowingly of him the whole time. Almost every single member of the caucus spoke and I never heard anything glowing or loving about him. All I heard was, ‘He’s dividing our caucus and he’s tearing us apart. We need to move forward and talk about our agenda.’ Hopefully, now we’re back to being 49 and Kent.”
More at Campfield’s own place.
Campfield Legislation Clears Subcommittee
Posted on February 24, 2009 at 10:23 amPossibly for the first time:
My world has turned upside down. A bill sponsored by Rep. Stacey Campfield has just cleared a subcommittee. Stranger still, this bill might actually make sense. It would change family law to accommodate parents called to active military service. They could ask a judge to temporarily assign someone else their rights to visit their children.
SEE ALSO:
Tom Humphrey
R. Neal
Why Kick Him Out?
Posted on January 26, 2009 at 11:25 pmWhile the Tennessee Republican Party has not yet taken the action against Speaker Kent Williams many expect them to, Rep. Stacey Campfield and others are patiently waiting for the inevitable. They wait for the day that the state party takes away Kent Williams’ ability to appear as a Republican on a Tennessee ballot.
My question is why? Why would a Republican who wants desperately to witness the end of Williams’ political career want the TNGOP to throw him out? Williams may be just a sophomore representative but one needs to be careful when describing him as a political lightweight.
In 2006, Kent Williams unseated an incumbent legislator, Jerome Cochran, to gain his seat in the legislature. Two years later, the same man challenged him again with support from members of the house caucus and again he emerged victorious. And say what you want about how he got there, the man is Speaker of the House. It is a powerful position and one that will allow him, tight budget times or not, to help the people of his district.
Speaking of his district, Carter County is not exactly a haven for liberalism. You don’t run as a Democrat in Carter County. Not if you expect to win anyway. East Tennessee is Republican country, hill country. If the Republicans throw him out, Williams will be able to play the martyr. He will be able to say that he didn’t leave the party but that the party left him.
East Tennesseans are Republicans but they are also independent minded. If the party shuns him he can fashion a narrative as the independent Republican that got thrown out by an overzealous, hyper-ideological party.
If they leave him as a party member, however, that’s when things truly get tricky politically for Kent Williams.
You see, while it may offend the sensibilities of party members, the best way to get rid of Williams is to leave him be. Williams can’t win a Republican primary. He has to run as an Independent. He doesn’t have a choice. He’s not trying to go out like Kurita. So in two years, in 2010, Kent Williams will file for reelection as an independent. He will no longer be a Republican.
So why make it easy for him? Why not force him to leave? Then, not only is he the rogue legislator who colluded with Democrats to make himself speaker, he is the ungrateful Judas, a man who refused the outstretched hand of a forgiving party.
It’s a no brainer. It may be hard. It may be distasteful. But if Republicans really want to hurt Kent Williams politically, they should leave him as one of them.
SEE ALSO: Brainstem
Word Pictures
Posted on January 18, 2009 at 12:02 pmRep. Stacey Campfield sums up the state of the General Assembly under Speaker Kent Williams:
Your father and his plan will not decrease partisanship. He will increase it. What he is setting up is a system where no one has any control. It will be bedlam with a mess at the end at best. No real change. What he is doing is Putting a steering wheel in the middle of a car and have two people driving it. It goes along smooth when there are no big issues but when a little kid jumps out in front of the car both drivers will try and pull the car their direction. End result. Dead kid and two drivers arguing over who was at fault.
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Sharing Concern
Posted on January 14, 2009 at 9:13 amProgressive Sean Braisted and conservative Rep. Stacey Campfield are both wondering the same thing: Can Rep. Kent Williams actually run the state House?
Campfield also says that Republicans might have preferred Naifeh to Williams as Speaker if not for anything else, because Naifeh was skilled at the job of running the show. I too am concerned that Williams’ lack of experience will be a hindrance to his ability to keep the House moving in good order. It will be interesting to see how often he relinquishes the gavel to have someone else deal with the parliamentary duties that the office entails.
Naifeh’s “Negro” Rebuke Politically Convenient?
Posted on December 30, 2008 at 8:00 amWhat comments aren’t these days. Rep. Campfield reacts to the outgoing Speaker’s impressions of CHip Saltsman’s actions:
I laugh at the thought that Naifeh is coming out against harsh words in a political campaign. OK so he has had a change of heart, I am sure Naifeh is now going to speak out against Obamas sexest “Lipstick on a pig” comment or Kerrys ageism “McCain wears depends” comments too now, Maybe Naifeh just didnt like the word “Negro” being used. He can start with condemnation of the “United Negro College fund” and anyone who uses the name. I mean “These things need to be brought to the forefront no matter who’s saying them.” Right?
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Rep. Stacey Campfield In His Pajamas
Posted on December 26, 2008 at 7:57 amThe blogging legislator sits down with the better half of Tennessee’s blogging king.
He Don’t Want Their Kind Of Help
Posted on December 19, 2008 at 7:35 amRep. Stacey Campfield sees a possible federal “bailout” of states as a potentially bad thing for Tennessee:
Lets just say that works itself out. Budget is balanced or pretty close to it. Maybe Even a little surplus. In steps Obama and the deficit spending Washington Democrats. They pass his huge spending program/state bailout. The state suddenly get a windfall of (some estimate) $400 million. That puts the state at least $400 mill in the plus late in the year. Possibly even as session gets close to end. Phil will want to re expand programs or go on a spending spree but the votes may be a little tougher to get this time. By already having a budget, with no educatin cuts, it is proven it can be done and the government does not truly need to be as big as it is. Many Republicans have supported the idea of when their is a sudden surplus when the legislature is out of session that instead of giving it to the governor to do campaign road projects with that it should go into a fund to be voted on by the legislature or to remove taxes.
We could go on a spending spree as we have in years past or we could make a strong statement that a new day has truly come to Nashville. What kind of statement could we make with $400 million that would help every single Tennessean?
Tim Burchett All In For County Mayor
Posted on November 20, 2008 at 10:20 amIt was expected but now it’s official. State Senator Tim Burchett is tired of making the trek to and from Nashville and will pursue office closer to home. The big question is: who will replace him? Will tireless campaigner Stacey Campfield make a run for the upper chamber? Or will it be a certain antiwar congressman’s son?
SEE ALSO:
KnoxViews
Granju
Chris Sanders
Three For Seven
Posted on August 20, 2008 at 7:10 pmBrian Hornback thinks the son of antiwar Republican may be looking to take a run at Tim Burchett’s state senate seat once he departs to run for Knox County Mayor:
With the announcement of State Senator Tim Burchett’s intent to run for Knox County Mayor in 2010. That means that eyes turn to the State Senate race in 2010, to replace Senator Burchett. State Representative Stacey Campfield is expected to run for the upper chamber seat. However, inside Republican sources have contacted Brian’s Blog and it appears that John J. Duncan III, the son of our popular Second District Congressman John J. “Jimmy” Duncan, Jr. is being encouraged to seek the State Senate. Young Duncan has not said No.
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Campfield A Definite Maybe On State Senate Race
Posted on at 6:10 amRep. Stacey Campfield on whether he will run for what shall be the open Senate seat of Tim Burchett in 2010 who announced yesterday his intention to run for Knox County Mayor in 2010:
I will say what I have said all along. All things are on the table. I never try to limit myself or my options. I have been receiving a lot of calls today as this story broke (My phone went through two batteries in about 6 hours). My top goal right now is to work as hard as I can to get more Republicans elected to the legislature. We will see how things progress after the November elections.
Wrong Stuntbaby
Posted on August 5, 2008 at 9:53 amIn an attempt to try and prove he is not simply a Mike Williams shillblogger, “Independent Reporter”, covers some other races:
On the other end of Senate District 4, there’s the Republican LoveFest Rematch between Stacey Campfield and Ronald Leadbetter with a cameo appearance by Jonathan Katsiros over a House seat in Knoxville. The major accomplishments in office so far of Campfield, a Caucasian by birth, have been to bring real bacon strips to the dignified House floor and to seek membership in the Black Caucus. Other than those two well-publicized pre-pubescent stunts, pretty much everything else Campfield’s ever done has just been routine amateur acts of total silliness. It’s listed as R-18, so you might want to put all the kids to bed before looking at the results of this one.
Now, you can say a lot of things about Stacey Campfield but what you cannot say is that he was the guy who brought bacon to the house floor in protest of the Community Enhancement Grants. That honor belongs to Rep. Brian Kelsey, the Stuntbaby of Germantown.
Original Or Extra Crispy?
Posted on August 4, 2008 at 8:03 amThe Knoxville News Sentinel gives some ink to the continuing feud between Rep. Kent Williams and Rep. Stacey Campfield:
Williams said he believes Campfield is not qualified and is ineffective as a legislator, but that he is not especially offended by some of the attacks.
“I grew up shining shoes, so that’s not a big issue with me,” he said, adding that Campfield is among state legislators “who need to grow up.”
“It’s like they’re playing high school games,” Williams said, adding that he considers himself a staunch Republican but willing to work with Democrats on a bipartisan basis after elections. “I think people are just sick of partisan politics.”
Campfield said Williams’ support for Leadbetter should be an asset to his re-election campaign.
“It just shows you who the conservative is in this race and who is going to support conservative ideals,” said Campfield in an interview.
“A Republican voting for Jimmy Naifeh is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders,” he said.
SEE ALSO:
Stacey Campfield
Grand Divisions
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Maintaining His Rep
Posted on August 2, 2008 at 8:39 pmRep. Stacey Campfield rolls hard:
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