Nobody knows who sent it, but a lot of lawmakers and lobbyists got it.  The Christmas email shows a top Democratic aide giving the one-figure salute.  The subject is Skip Cauthorn, aide to House Democratic leader Gary Odom (D-Nashville). Cauthorn denies sending it, and tells Tom Humphrey at The Knoxville News Sentinel that he's embarrassed, and whoever did it had "malice" in mind.

State Rep. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) seized on the controversy by posting the photo on his blog, and asking readers to donate to his state Senate campaign.  The headline above the obscene picture says,  "What New Democrats think of the birth of Christ".

To see the picture and the gesture in question, we suggest you click here for Stacey Campfield's blog

This is not the first time tasteless email hijinx have tarred Tennessee's state capitol.  Remember Sherri Goforth, the aide to Sen.Diane Black (R-Gallatin)?  She sent a racially offense picture of President Obama.