Posted on 05/30/2008 10:42:31 AM PDT by AuntB
Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado donned his bulletproof vest last year and hit the campaign trail expressly to get his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination - and the voters - to make illegal immigration a real, rather than rhetorical, priority.
And he doesn't trust Democratic Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or even presumptive Republican nominee John McCain to do the right thing on immigration .....
"Nobody's going to enter the White House in January of '09 who is committed to securing the border and ending the disaster of illegal immigration," said Tancredo, who wears the vest when he feels insecure about the enemies he has made over the years while touting his anti-illegals stance.
"Therefore, the next stage in the battle is going to be in the states," he said.
.... Tancredo is leaving the halls of Congress to join the front lines, possibly with either a new or established advocacy group, and promote court-tested efforts states and localities have adopted to address the strain illegal immigration has put on the educational systems, social services and law enforcement.
"We will have to see if we can replicate Arizona and Oklahoma in other states because that's what states and localities do whenever the federal government walks away from its responsibility," said Mr. Tancredo....
Mr. Tancredo's distrust of McCain on questions such as amnesty for illegal immigrants - which each man interprets differently - is so deep that he is not sure he will vote for the presumptive Republican nominee in November.
The distance between the two men, as Mr. Tancredo sees it, is even more evident when he is pressed as to whether they can come to an agreement that would allow Mr. Tancredo to endorse the senator from Arizona and thus stir reluctant conservatives to work for his election...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
The radical left has become dangerous, which is an understatement. Not only to individuals who opposed their Stalinist tactics, but to the country in general, and its freedoms.
So he is leaving where he actually could have legislative influence?
Romney, at worst, would have been George Bush without the enthusiasm for illegal aliens. Hucksterbee, at best, would have been Juan McCain lite without the enthusiasm to win in Iraq.
Washington’s no place for good men anymore. Tanc, Hef, and Hunter all retiring this year will leave a huge void in the House. Tough time to be a conservative.
It caused McCain to lie and say he would secure the border, but look at him now, going full steam a head with his amnesty. All he asks for is the “confirmation” of 4 open border governors that it is “secured”, and then Fred Barnes’ pool boy will never have to worry again.
Liberalism has undermined the sanctity of marriage and the cohesiveness of the family. It has undermined the natural harmony that exists between individual, family and community. It has weakened the obligations of promises, contracts, ownership and property rights. It has disconnected rewards from merit and desert. It has corrupted the moral and ethical basis for civilized living. It has polarized the population into warring classes with false claims of victimizing and villainy and contrived needs for political rescue
Because if border state citizens continue to elect pro-illegal Govs and legislatures, all is lost.
IMO, the absolute best pressure on the Feds, are strong State Governments.
“Washington’s no place for good men anymore. Tanc, Hef, and Hunter all retiring this year will leave a huge void in the House. Tough time to be a conservative.”
Indeed, CowboyJay, indeed.
Liberalism has undermined the sanctity of marriage and the cohesiveness of the family. It has undermined the natural harmony that exists between individual, family and community. It has weakened the obligations of promises, contracts, ownership and property rights. It has disconnected rewards from merit and desert. It has corrupted the moral and ethical basis for civilized living. It has polarized the population into warring classes with false claims of victimizing and villainy and contrived needs for political rescue....
:::::
Well said, and the list goes on beyond this. It has to be ended.
I hope he continues to help on the issue. It is not PC to do so, so I credit him with his courage.
I never expected someone as unqualified and of poor character as McCain to get the GOP nomination.
ping
Based on his record of results, it's clear that Mr. Tancredo had very little influence in Congress -- primarily because he spent all of his political capital issuing scathing press releases about his own party. When push came to shove, Tom's legislative proposals invariably withered and died, because he had alienated all of the folks who could have been valuable allies.
Even among Congresscritters, Tancredo was notable for his self-promotion. I guess now he'll be following the time-honored tradition of niche politics/punditry, which is much more friendly to self-promotion. He'll find his money and column-space among a fairly small base, in much the same way that Pat Buchanan does.
Bump that. Either party.
http://www.hunterforcongress.com/
You do realize the public servant you’re lambasting has a lifetime ACU rating of 98%?
Tom did exactly what he was sent to DC to do by his constituents. His exit from Washington is every conservative’s loss. We could use a dozen more (not one less) just like him.
Is he/she aware? Are you kidding, its probably the reason for his/her antipathy.
We're not all here for the same reason.
So what? He's still a self-promoting loudmouth whose lack of legislative accomplishment speaks for itself. Tom can talk, but he got nothing done. Tom's flaming press releases pretty much burned all of his political bridges, leaving him with no support when it came time to get legislation passed.
Tom did exactly what he was sent to DC to do by his constituents.
What ... issue press releases? Tom's job was to get legislation passed. Can you provide me a comprehensive list of how many of Tancredo's proposed immigration bills became law?
Revisionism is a typical lib ploy.
Tom’s flaming press releases were a result, not a cause of RiNO legislators failing to back conservative causes. We can lay that at the feet of too many greasy palms and too much K-Street corruption being tolerated within the GoP ranks for too long.
He finally got frustrated and started using the press to go directly to the people out of frustration after a decade of trying to play the game. Can you say ‘stacked deck’?
Thanks, I'll be sure to if I ever decide to insult you.
Tancredo still has an active PAC to raise money for conservative candidates at all levels, I have contributed once and will do so again.
What's "revisionist" about it? Tom's flaming press releases are a fact, and I've been commenting on them for years, predicting that he'd get nothing done. And I was right, too: on his signal issue, Tancredo failed to get any legislation passed ... precisely because he spent his time attacking the very folks whom he needed to get any traction.
Tom’s flaming press releases were a result, not a cause of RiNO legislators failing to back conservative causes. We can lay that at the feet of too many greasy palms and too much K-Street corruption being tolerated within the GoP ranks for too long.
Nice rant, but the fact is, Congress is a political entity. Mr. Tancredo surrendered his chances at influence when he decided it would be better to alienate his potential allies, than to work with them. Politics is called "the art of the possible" for a reason: it's only possible to get things done in Congress if you're willing to work with other folks to get them done. That means, among other things, that you don't always get exactly what you want, but you get some of what you want. The liberals are real masters of the game: they've won huge victories by being satisfied with winning a series of incremental gains over time. Tancredo is not alone among Republicans (especially conservatives) in his inability to play that game.
Tancredo failed more dismally than most, however -- he actively alienated his potential allies, pretty much guaranteeing that he'd get nothing done.
He finally got frustrated and started using the press to go directly to the people out of frustration after a decade of trying to play the game. Can you say ‘stacked deck’?
Tom's wild-eyed approach to "going to the press" helps to explain why he never got out of the decimal places during his unlamented candidacy.
Huh. You seem to have dismissed me as a liberal ... I’d call that an insult. Sorry if I read it wrong.
Hm. Well, your obvious liking of Mr. Tancredo notwithstanding, you’ve basically admitted my point, which is that Tancredo was a rather ineffective Congressman.
Thank You Thank you for showing others this.
“Even among Congresscritters, Tancredo was notable for his self-promotion. I guess now he’ll be following the time-honored tradition of niche politics/punditry, which is much more friendly to self-promotion. He’ll find his money and column-space among a fairly small base, in much the same way that Pat Buchanan does. “
Fine, you got your way, Tancredo is gone, but why the need to still stretch the truth about him? Isn’t getting McCain for a prez nominee bad enough without rubbing salt in the American wound?
If Tancredo was so, as you say .... ‘Even among Congresscritters, Tancredo was notable for his self-promotion’....(I think you made that up), why hasn’t he made the list of those he works with for that? BUT, guess who did?
Capitol Hill staffers rate their bosses. McCain got no glory from those who work with him.
“Every election year we survey top aides on both sides of the aisle—administrative assistants, press secretaries, legislative directors, and chiefs of committee staffs—to get their up-close and personal, and anonymous, views. While there may be lots of partisan backbiting among congress members, their staffers seem far more capable of putting politics aside and making honest judgments. It wasn’t unusual for aides in both parties to name one of their own as “spineless” or give the “workhorse” nod to someone across the aisle. “
Worst Follower 2. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Show Horse 2. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Hottest Temper 2. John McCain (R-Ariz.) , known to snap at staff when the cameras are off
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/mediapolitics/1666.html
“Is he/she aware? Are you kidding, its probably the reason for his/her antipathy.
We’re not all here for the same reason. “
El Bingo!
ping....
“Tom’s wild-eyed approach to “going to the press” helps to explain why he never got out of the decimal places during his unlamented candidacy. “
Oh, give it up. Tancredo is a choir boy compared to McCains antics and press releases....Tancredo never cursed and called his collegues names to the press (McCain did the same to POW families!) The press likes Maniac McCAin...it insures a liberal winning. You know it and I know it.
You might appreciate this. It’s the list prepared by talk show host Lars Larson. Larson is about as GOP as it gets, and he can’t even stomach this.
www.larslarson.com
If you need to convince yourself to vote for Sen. Juan McCain, just keep repeating the words below.
“I don’t mind Voting for McCain because he….
Is a man who votes against drilling for American Oil, in ANWR (and other places) that would help make America more energy independent?
A man who wasn’t afraid to vote against the Bush tax cuts twice…because as he put it “I’m not giving tax cuts for the rich.” (Wa Post January 5, 2000)
Is not afraid to openly advocate for selling citizenship in this great country for less than the cost of a bad used car
A man with an F from Gunowners of America and a C-minus from the NRA
Who plans to close Guantanamo terrorist detention camp on his first day in office?
is dead set against torturing terrorists even to save the lives of innocent Americans?
Who is pro-life...but favors experiments on human embryos?
Who promises good court nominees...but helped block bush nominees as part of the “gang of fourteen?”?
A man not afraid to bring open-borders amnesty pimp Dr Juan Hernandez on his campaign staff...and then deny he knows Hernandez background...
Who favors global warming taxes that will cost the American economy trillions?
Who wants to allow re-importation of drugs…hurting the American Drug industry that spends billions to come up with miracle cures?
McCain Kennedy- Amnesty for millions that Americans already said no to loudly
McCain-Feingold-, which takes away the free speech rights of Americans!
McCain-Lieberman- Making Americans lose hundreds of thousands of jobs for a problem (global warming) humans didn’t cause and can’t cure!
You go right ahead and do the shouting and insulting, but it doesn't alter the facts.
Tancredo has tried to set himself up as the big wheel when it comes to illegal immigration. I see that you have not yet responded to my challenge to post Tom's legislative successes on the matter of immigration.
There's no point in you tossing spittle anymore, until you can show me where Tom Tancredo has actually had any positive, legislative effect on the matter of illegal immigration. Yelling doesn't count: show me where his "showing up to work" actually resulted in legislation.
Thanks AuntB. Looks like some promising information in there. I’ll check it out later. You take care.
My antipathy for Tom Tancredo has a long history, and it has everything to do with his antics, which have been played out in his press releases.
Tancredo has attacked everybody he needed to work with, if he really wanted to have a positive effect on immigration legislation. The only thing he was really effective at doing, was marginalizing himself.
Illegal immigration is a very important issue; but it's also a politically huge issue. Tancredo never understood that he needed to practice politics to get anything done -- he wanted everybody to bow down to his shouting, and no compromise. Well, Tom found out the hard way that there are some very capable politicians in Washington, and that he's not one of them.
Not only has he hurt himself with his actions, but he's also helped to make the real problem of illegal immigration look like just another "right wing kook issue." Thanks, Tom.
I.e. he didn't play along to get along.
BTW, interesting clips of McCain's actual words on this site:
Well, hell, man: what do you think politics is? It's not "getting my own way, and your way be damned."
It's about working with other politicians to come up with broadly acceptable political solutions that a majority can support. That's why they call politics, "the art of the possible."
A Congressman who can't work within the political process is useless.
So, given that definition, Nancy Pelosi is the epitome of a "successful" CongressPerson.
Leaders bringing up uncomfortable issues and pressing on them is a prime reason why we live in a republic and not a common democracy.
I’ve been checking out videos, and some of them are quite interesting. I appreciate the link and I’ll check out the site more later.
I do try to keep a degree of objectivity when I visit some sites, and I think this one is probably going to be one.
Still, if the information can be verified elsewhere, then it’s fair game as long as it is reasoned.
Is that insulting?
Not necessarily, and also irrelevant.
We're talking about Tancredo, not Pelosi. The fact that Tancredo could get NO traction on his one big issue, is the topic here. Last time I looked (last fall, IIRC), he couldn't even get his bills out of committee, much less up for a floor vote. Why? Because he had already alienated those colleagues who could have helped him push things through.
Leaders bringing up uncomfortable issues and pressing on them is a prime reason why we live in a republic and not a common democracy.
Sure ... but our representatives are necessarily working within a political environment. Ignore that fact, and you're an ineffective Congressman.
You forgot to put "conservative" in quotes.
I consider myself to be quite conservative. However, I don't consider myself to be "A Conservative," as I've seen too many folks who assume that the term means, "agrees with me on issue X."
In this case, being "A Conservative" apparently means that one must like and respect Tom Tancredo's behavior. Count me out on that one.
I hate to be the one to break it to ya, but that means you're not a conservative.
Can't say that. If the issue hadn't been raised, the farce of an "immigration reform" that last made it through Congress just might have been signed into law. However, the ground had been prepared for a "grass roots revolt".
This is somewhat like Ross Perot's tilting at windmills campaign of 1992. He didn't win, but did bring the issue of deficits to front and center of the national consciousness.
Not necessarily, no. I also look at what Mr. Tancredo has said, what he's done, and what he's accomplished, and judge him on that basis.
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