Posted on 12/20/2007 4:11:53 PM PST by pissant
DES MOINES -- Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., ended his bid for the presidency just two weeks before the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses Thursday, handing fellow Congressman Duncan Hunter a loss and giving Mitt Romney a gain.
Tancredo announced Thursday afternoon what many speculated -- he's stopping his efforts to seek the Oval Office.
Tancredo then endorsed Republican Romney.
"Congressman Tancredo ran a spirited campaign focused on issues that are important to many Americans," Romney said. "I thank him for his support. While we don’t agree on every issue, we agree on the need to keep America strong. I look forward to working with him and other Republicans to achieve that end."
That move surprised many Republican insiders, who thought the congressman might swing his support to Fred Thompson. Thompson was endorsed Monday by Iowa Congressman Steve King, a close friend of Tancredo's. King also weighed in on Tancredo's decision, and praised his efforts in moving the illegal immigration debate.
"The measure of his success is in the platforms of every Republican candidate and even in that of the Democrats," King said. "No candidate has had so profound an effect on any public policy of America. Every Republican has taken the no amnesty pledge and adopted a tough-on-illegal-immigration stance. Tom Tancredo has been so successful that much his political capital has been co-opted by his opponents."
However, Hunter may have been surprised about the Romney endorsement. Just two hours earlier at an IowaPolitics.com-Drake University forum in Des Moines, Hunter's Iowa campaign director Greg Grant said Tancredo had a gentleman's agreement with the fellow congressman.
"I believe his departure will benefit Duncan Hunter the most," Grant said a couple hours before the Tancredo announcement. "Duncan and Congressman Tancredo had a gentlemen's agreement if one of them backed out they would support the one that is still in the race. When you look at Tancredo's objective as far as immigration, Duncan is right in line with Tom Tancredo's issue."
Tancredo has been very critical of the Republican's stance on illegal immigration and said it was a driving factor why he entered the race.
"For the past 10 years I have dedicated my public life to the critical issue of illegal immigration," Tancredo said. "I believed then –as I do now—that massive uncontrolled illegal immigration threatens our survival as a nation. I could not stand by and let open border politicians and corporate lobbyists sell our country out to the highest bidder. Then earlier this year when I feared that the issue would not be championed by any of the top candidates I threw my hat in the ring. It was the only way I could be certain that the candidates would be forced to take a stand."
Tancredo has been very critical of national frontrunner Rudy Giuliani about his stance on illegal immigration. Romney has also criticized the former mayor for allowing New York to be a "sanctuary city."
There was a sense Nov. 13 that Tancredo saw his campaign sinking as he acknowledged he likely wouldn't be elected president. He said Grover Cleveland was the last member of the U.S. House to be elected president.
With the Iowa caucuses just 14 days out, many were curious why Tancredo would pull the plug on his campaign unless he could shape the outcome of the caucus. Romney and Huckabee are locked in a tight battle for the Jan. 3 title, and one Republican insider thinks that endorsement could make a difference with Tancredo supporters who closely follow the immigration issue.
“But Huckabee is starting to scare the crap out of me”...
AMEN!
Pardon me, but since there really haven’t been any elections yet, how can you state with certainty that any of the candidates is not viable? At this point, we have only the polls to judge by, and a look at the last presidential election tells us very clearly how wrong those can be.
Oh, there's a point alright. The point is to show the GOP there are still a few conservatives left that will not support moderates and election year converts. This has happened election after election, until there is very little left of the conservative movement within the GOP.
Well, if those were the only 2 choices, perhaps he did. Notice anything missing from those 2 photos? I noticed there are no Marine Captains in either of those photos. Did you notice that? I couldn’t even find a Private in the whole bunch!
Tancredo is an odd man. It doesn’t speak well for him that he apparently had a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Hunter and pulls this BS. But you had to wonder why he felt the need to get in the race to begin with as Hunter was already in it?! Maybe a bit of envy? Who knows but I’ve lost respect for him. I’ve been losing respect for a lot of conservatives that should know better.
That’s exactly the word right from the Hunter campaign! Come to your own conclusions what is going on with Tancredo. He isn’t as principled as he made himself out as. More proof that he was never in a league with Duncan Hunter.
And Tancredo is no gentleman.
We have posters here on FR who have been called for polls and Duncan Hunter’s name is not even mentioned in asking who they will vote for!
Yes, that is quite simple-minded.
I assume Tancredo voted for Clinton in 1996, since he was clearly going to be the winner.
(Dole was a great man, but a terrible nominee.)
As a fan of both (but a bigger Fred-head), I have to say that it isn't obvious to me. I'm at a loss as to who I'd want after them. Most likely, I'd go third party since I'm not about to support someone who will be even mushier than our moderately-disappointing (on domestic issues) current President. At least the nation recoiled in horror at the last Clinton election, and quickly gave both Houses to the GOP for a decade. That would be far better than a soft GOP President and a radical-left Congress.
Not before kicking him when he was down. In re "Gentlemen's Agreement," how does a guy from Colorado meet a guy from Massachusetts with whom he disagrees violently, to make an agreement to contradict a previous agreement with a actual gentleman?
As one of the Tank's ancestors might have said,"Chi paga?" Or did the Tank decide to boost his pension with leftover campaign funds ala Buchanan?
Thank you! Exactly. Dane’s made the same dumb accusation. Sounds so liberal-esque
Your hate is absolutely disgusting, and YOU’RE the liar here.
Romney buried MA GOP? Are you insane, or do you enjoy spewing your lies. The land of Kerry and Kennedy? It was lib WAY before Romney
Precisely my point. Post #15 this thread.
WINNING the Presidency for the GOP in 2008 is number ONE. It is vital to defeat the likes of - Hill, Hussein,Edwards.
Right now I see Romney doing that!
I think the number of inarticulate dumbasses against Romney speaks well for Mitt.
DONT START THAT CR*P WITH ME.
I will have you and others in FR know well in advance. The usual "Oh! Goodness! Vote for the GOP guy, even if he is a RINO, because we have to stop those Democrats!" It will fall on DEAF EARS next year if a Ripon Republican is at the helm and there is a legitimate Conservative alternative.
Peddle it elsewhere, please. Examine my FR posts for the last nine years for consistency. Thank you.
Good point
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.