White Lawmaker Wants to Join Black Caucus

No, this isn't from the Onion. For real: Tennessee State Rep. Stacey Campfield, pictured here, has been asking what it would take for him to ...

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No, this isn't from the Onion. For real: Tennessee State Rep. Stacey Campfield, pictured here, has been asking what it would take for him to join the Tennessee Black Caucus.

Caucus members have basically told Campfield no. They think Campfield's inquiry is an insulting odd prank. "He's using this as a joke," Tennessee Black Caucus member Rep. Larry Miller told the AP. "Why he chose to focus on the Black Caucus, I have no idea other than he is crazy and a racist."

Campfield returned fire. He claims that the Ku Klux Klan's bylaws are "less racist" than the those of the Black Caucus (the KKK doesn't ban members according to race, Campfield says). On his blog, Campfield explains that his Nashville district includes a large percentage of African-Americans. Joining "actually might be beneficial to many of my constituents," he wrote.

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Christopher Swope was GOVERNING's executive editor.
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