In the Nation

TENNESSEE

Official's health-care blog post criticized

A state senator's blog post likening the insurance requirement under President Obama's health-care law to the forced deportation of Jews during the Holocaust drew swift condemnation Monday from state leaders of both parties.

Republican Sen. Stacey Campfield of Knoxville wrote: "Democrats bragging about the number of mandatory sign ups for Obamacare is like Germans bragging about the number of manditory sign ups for 'train rides' for Jews in the 40s."

State Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney called the comment "ignorant and repugnant." Democratic Party Chairman Roy Herron called the statement "outrageous, pathetic, and hateful."

Campfield said he stands by his words. "When you have government deciding who gets health insurance and who doesn't . . . they're really deciding who lives and who dies." - AP
OKLAHOMA

Viewing fire damage

Residents in an Oklahoma community where a wildfire killed one person, burned thousands of acres, and destroyed at least six homes returned to survey the damage Monday as firefighters continued to battle the blaze. The fire in Guthrie, north of Oklahoma City, went awry Sunday and swept through the parched countryside with wind gusts at 31 m.p.h. Fire officials said Monday afternoon that the blaze was 75 percent contained. - AP
SOUTH CAROLINA

Gold recovered

An expedition to the wreck of a 19th-century steamship off South Carolina has recovered nearly 1,000 ounces of gold. It's the first time gold has been retrieved from the S.S. Central America in about 25 years. There were expeditions in the late 1980s and early 1990s that yielded gold worth about $50 million. But trips have been on hold after investors in Ohio said they never received any return. A judge cleared the way for the new expedition in March. - AP