Tennessee state senator compares signing up for Obamacare to Nazi 'train rides for Jews'

Tennessee state Senator Stacey Campfield is coming under bipartisan fire for his "Thought of the Day" post on his blog.

"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," he wrote today.

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Roy Herron responded in a statement that "Senator Campfield's blog post this morning is just the latest example of Tea Party Republican extremism. To compare attempts to save American lives through access to healthcare with Nazis killing European Jews is outrageous, pathetic, and hateful."

"Sen. Campfield and other Tea Party Republicans," he continued, "ought to look at the 5,000 Tennesseans who will die within the next 3 years because Tea Party Republicans refused to take the 100% federal funding to expand Medicaid and have denied working Tennesseans access to healthcare."

Campfield's fellow Republicans were no more supportive. In a statement, GOP Chairman Chris Devaney wrote that "[w]hile 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."

At this time, Campfield has yet to issue an apology, but he did speak to WKRN, saying that he "is not minimizing loss of life" in Nazi Germany," but that "it is not an accurate portrayal for the administration to brag and signups for Obamacare when it’s mandatory."

“When you control people's health, you control their lives and if they live or die," he added.

[Screen capture via Americans for Prosperity Tennessee]