GOP targets Tancredo

Newsmax.com ^ | 11-19-02 | Carl Limbacher

[nonliberal]

GOP Targets Pro-borders Tancredo

Rep. Tom Tancredo, the nation's most outspoken opponent of the invasion of illegal aliens, is being targeted for defeat - not by the Democrats, but by the GOP establishment.

Just last week Tancredo, R-Colo., crushed his Democrat challenger by 37 points. But the moderates and liberals see him as a conservative loose cannon packed with ammo.

His "criticisms of President Bush's immigration policy bought him a 40-minute rebuke earlier this year from Bush adviser Karl Rove, who, in the Congressman's own words, warned him 'never to darken the door of the White House again,'" Roll Call reported Monday.

"I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a primary" in 2004, said Floyd Ciruli, an independent Colorado pollster. "It's a given."

Possible Republican rivals in '04 include popular state Treasurer Mike Coffman, state Sen. Jim Dyer and former Arapahoe County Commissioner Steve Ward. Democrats have given up on the conservative district south of Denver.

Tancredo's other capital crime, in addition to urging that the U.S. actually maintain its borders, is violating his pledge to serve only three terms. (Note that Democrats didn't raise a fit - publicly, at least - when the late Sen. Paul Wellstone made the mistake of breaking his word not to run again.)

Roll Call says "Tancredo is not one of the president's favorite people. Earlier this year, the Congressman accused Bush of pandering to Hispanic voters and trying to prop up Mexican President Vicente Fox by offering amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants. That declaration brought an angry 40-minute phone call from Rove, and Bush pointedly failed to introduce Tancredo to the crowd during a political rally in Colorado in September."

Ciruli said Tancredo's views on immigration were in line with his constituents'.

"Nobody who's going to argue the soft side of immigration is going to beat him in the Republican primary, or even in the general," he said.

Oops: Tancredo, founder of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, was embarrassed earlier this year when it was revealed that a house contractor he had hired employed illegal aliens, Roll Call reported.

But as the congressman said at the time: "I hired a reputable company, I did not hire the labor. It is the government's responsibility to enforce our immigration laws, and if the INS were doing its job, no illegal immigrant would be available to violate our labor laws."

[nonliberal]

Tancredo 2004!

[AppyPappy]

The Republicans are worried he might prevent more Democrat voters from coming into the country.

We are destined to lose.

[nonliberal]

This is simply another example of the Republicans shooting themselves in the foot by turning their back on the conservatives.

Tancredo 2004!

[madfly]

[Dave S]

Trancredo for dog catcher in 2004. Better suited to his temperment.

[madfly]

Congressman Tom Tancredo
(R-CO)
Statesman

[madfly]

Tancredo ping!

[madfly]

ping

[MileHi]

I voted proudly for Tancredo 2 times. I would have again if I had not been redistricted.

BTW, I just returned from Phoenix and Tancredos position on illegals is well founded from what I saw there.

[Gritty]

the Congressman accused Bush of pandering to Hispanic voters and trying to prop up Mexican President Vicente Fox by offering amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants.

I don't know what Rove is so upset about. That's exactly what happened!

[madfly]

Trancredo for dog catcher in 2004. Better suited to his temperment

By this are you equating illegal aliens to dogs?

[RicocheT]

Tancredo's voice is needed to remind both parties that our borders need to be defended from illegal crossers. I hope he gets reelected in 2 years.

The Republicans are afraid to back him publicly as they don't want to scare off the Hispanic vote. Pete Wilson made similar comments when California was being overrun and was broke due to health-care and welfare payments to illegals. Wilson's comments were seized on by CA Democrats to win Hispanic voters to the Democrats.

The message Republicans must get out is that we offer economic and social opportunity to all citizens and legal immigrants. Republicans do believe the defense of America includes secure borders. Illegals of all nationalities should be found and deported. Framed that way, legal Hispanics will vote Republican as they have good family and social values.

[Bikers4Bush]

He's better suited to be an illegal catcher so I think the American public should keep him where he is.

[Brandon]

More pandering from Newsmax. Notice that their only sources that suggest there will be a GOP challenge are outsiders. They have no source inside the administration.

[Lion's Cub]

Is anyone surpised by this? I'm not. They were willing to lose California rather than see Simon win. He was doing OK as far as I know until Bush sent his people went out there to split the party.

[taxed2death]

Heaven forbid we actually have any Republicans on the floor with any BALLS. No, we certainly can't have that.

I swear.....the Pubs are their own worst enemy.


Meanwhile, back in the real world, homeland insecurity has been passed and we still have 4000-6000 illegal trespassers crossing our borders every 24 hours.......1 out of 5 being OTM's (other than Mexicans).

[taxed2death]

Rove obviously can't handle the truth.

[madfly]

You won't here any politicians here say that. And there are plenty of OTM's here as well as Mexicans. Many from terrorists countries. Remember the flight schools! How many are America haters.

Used to be immigrants were lovers of our Country and our Constitution. Now a good percentage do not care for Americans at all. (Not all of them.) This does not reflect well on the legals and Mexian-American citizens who have complied with the law and contribute to society.

just a general reply to all the comments that usually make their way to these threads)

[Tuco-bad]

And there are plenty of OTM's here as well as Mexicans. Many from terrorists countries. Remember the flight schools! How many are America haters.

And the terrorists are still allowed to come into America.

Unbelievable!

[4Freedom]

When was Tancredo nominated to head up the INS?