Posted on 06/30/2004 9:38:32 PM PDT by Reagan Man
Colorado Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo is in big trouble with the GOP leadership. And just what, you may be wondering, is his great sin? "Team America," a political action committee originally founded by Tancredo, worked to unseat Representative Chris Cannon, a liberal Republican from Utah, by supporting Matthew Throckmorton, his challenger in the Republican primary.
Chief among those organizations caterwauling about the actions of Tancredo is the liberal "Tuesday Group," a coalition of approximately thirty liberal Republican House members whose goal is to steer the party to the left. Hiding under the cloak of a grossly distorted rendition of Ronald Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment" ("Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican"), the Tuesday Group is now expressing concern that party conservatives are finally making efforts to strike back.
Apparently, undermining the conservative agenda by abandoning the party at key junctures during the legislative process is perfectly fine with these Republican "centrists." But any discussion of such matters by conservatives, who have tired of seeing their party abandoning its principles, is strictly taboo. By such hypocritical assertions, these liberal "Trojan Horses" hope to continue dominating party politics from within.
Of course Ronald Reagan never intended for his "Eleventh Commandment" to be arbitrarily invoked as a means of allowing liberalism to spread, unchecked, within the ranks of the GOP. Rather, it was supposed to prevent the sort of backbiting and mud slinging within party ranks, which can ultimately undermine the credibility of the entire party.
House Majority leader Tom Delay, a longtime champion of conservatism, has found himself in the middle of this row. Seeking to maintain a cohesive Republican majority, he is promoting themes of "team spirit" and "comity" among party members. Delay even referenced Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment" in a meeting with Tancredo in which the Colorado Congressman was apparently warned to change his ways and endorse a unified party, or face retribution within Republican circles.
Unfortunately, such rhetoric fails to deal with the fact that it is the Republican liberals who regularly undermine party unity by voting with Democrats at critical junctures. With such people constantly placing the philosophies of liberalism ahead of traditional Republican principle, the only manner in which even a facade of "unity" can be maintained is for the entire party to shift to the left. This, of course, is precisely the strategy of the liberal Republicans.
Tancredo's major issue of concern is unchecked illegal immigration and the resulting compromise of America's borders. Hardly a miniscule "pet issue" of a fringe constituency, the immigration problem goes to the very core of maintaining America's national integrity and heritage. Little else of GOP principles or goals can be regarded as significant in any way, as long the party remains indifferent to the invasion of the nation's borders by a flood of illegal immigrants who, as soon as they are able to do so, will vote against such things. Yet, major forces within the GOP are once again actively working to insure that at best, the Republican counterpart to Democrat plans of opening the borders will only amount to a watered-down version of the very same thing.
By supporting truly conservative Republican challengers, Tancredo's PAC hopes to specifically target key players of the open borders advocacy for defeat during their respective state primaries. While it is not entirely clear whether or not Tancredo is still officially participating with the work of the PAC, his political ideology remains consistent with that of its members. Tancredo realizes that threats to the future of the nation are no less virulent when advanced by so-called "Republicans," than when spawned by their traditional advocates, the Democrats.
Tom Delay has, in the past, shown himself to be extremely principled, with the one notable exception being his support, under severe White House pressure, for an education bill that was essentially crafted by Ted Kennedy. He knows that if his party persists in its claims to uphold both high and low standards, only the low standards will prevail. Though presently striving to remain within the boundaries of party loyalty, he is surely aware that, as a principled conservative, his own future is no less threatened by the underhanded actions of the "moderates" than is Tancredo.
For Delay and Tancredo, whose differences are far outweighed by their political common ground, the most pressing matter is to maintain the party according to conservative principle rather than allowing the "centrists" to reinvent it in the image of the Democrats.
Ronald Reagan wasn't afraid to wear his conservatism in public. Reagan supported, promoted and advanced conservative issues and gave to quarter to liberals. He did compromise on political issues, but only as a last resort. Reagan never surrendered his conservative principles. Reagan admitted that one of his biggest mistakes as President, was the passage of amnesty legislation for some 2-3 million illegals aliens back in the mid-1980`s.
O'Connor was appointed by Reagan 25 years ago. I'm sorry if you think Reagan was too far to the left for you. Dubya argued against AA. You need to get your facts straight.
I'll grant that Bush is a better choice than Kerry on defense. However, that's damnation by faint praise. Who wouldn't be better than Kerry? All the same, the administration refuses to actually enlarge the military so we don;t become overstretched and allow our enemies to perceive us as weak.
So Dubya is only marginally better than Kerry? That's rediculous...and let me remind you Reagan cut and ran after Beirut.
Gun rights? Why hasn't the Republican Congress and White House restored the people of Washington DC their right to bear arms?
Dubya is about to let Clinton's AWB sunset...yet you see no difference. What gun ban has the Republican party passed in the last 20 years? None that I can recall. Hey wasn't Reagan a supporter of the Brady Bill?
And on abortion, the administratpion was great n the partial birth abortion ban. But where is a ban on human cloning? We have New Jersey getting ready to allow it within its borders and its on the way here in California. Why has the Republican leadership not moved to cork the genie in this bottle?
I said abortion not cloning. have 'rats passed a abortion ban?
Blah Blah blah...I get it now. To you, it is irrelevant what the majority of people in America believe or want. You want instant change and you want it right now.
ain't gonna happen. We didn't get to be a socialist country over night. Change takes time. It is unfortunate that many far right fringers can't see progress and fight against those who really are making the world a better place.
Three steps are critical to solving the illegal immigration problem facing America today. Seal the borders shut, enforce existing immigration law and halt govt welfare payouts to illegals by removing those incentives immediately. Most of those 12 million illegals will eventually head back home, making the management of finding and prosecuting, then incarcerating to deporting the remaining illegals an easier process, if not a perfect process.
President Bush favors border controls. I was referring to those single-issue border-wedgies who truly are xenophobic.
Nonsense. The vast majority come here to work, not sponge off of welfare. Furthermore, a 10 foot high wall can be made useless with a 12 foot long ladder.
I concluded some time back CJ, that you don't know you're arse from a hole in the ground. Take that as my final word to you. Dingbat.
There is still hope, as the campaign of Greenie Ralph Nader and his Socialist Worker's Party cohort are carrying the UberKonservative banner for them, and leading the way to national salvation!
Ah, the only arrows in your quiver are ad hominems, we see.
In WHICH remark in that message do you find **any** inaccurate statement? Do please cite one, and, if you would be so kind, describe the particulars AND the degree of the inaccuracy.
TIA.
The Party is pissed that their negotiatied and handpicked committee candidate faces opposition in a primary?!!
President Reagan October 30, 1984
"Today we're part of a coalition of people who share some values that are traditional to America. Whether our forefathers and mothers came here from a Latin country, or from Africa, or from Asia, or from Europe -- in my case, I guess it's Europe, Ireland and England -- we hold dear those ideas that brought our forebears here. We're bound together by a love of family and neighborhood and a respect for God. We believe in hard work and peace through strength. And these are not Republican values, these are American. Our opponents don't seem to see things this way. They view our country not as people of varied backgrounds who share common values and aspirations; instead, they see us as warring factions and interest groups. They try to divide us, using envy, and playing people off against each other by telling us we're competing for a piece of a pie that is ever getting smaller. Well, that's not our way. We don't see people as members of this group or that; we see them as Americans, with all the rights and opportunities that go with being American. "
Buchanan is a traitor, a very bitter loser, and most likely Deep Throat. I can't think of a more despicable person.
I posted the letter in this thread. Read it carefully and see if you can figure out what Tancredo's stated goals are. I had a little trouble. Maybe you'll do better.
Amnesty for illegal immigrants is probably not something most Americans support(ed). I don't know if it's a GOP core value or not. Is it? Do we support party bosses? (What's IS a party boss? Who does he mean?) Is Congress arrogant? Is GW arrogant and power mad? Do Americans support corporations? Are corporations hiring illegal immigrants and paying them (high?) salaries that aren't going to American workers? Tancredo seems to think so.
He can support Bush-Cheney all he wants, but I believe they will win in spite of that.
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