Posted on 08/15/2006 8:39:21 PM PDT by NapkinUser
Congressional candidate Randy Graf stood on a town square gazebo Monday to rally about 100 of his supporters and preach about the effects of illegal immigration.
Then the clouds rolled in, the thunder crashed and the rain started pouring down, forcing the crowd inside.
Perhaps it was a proper welcome for Congressman Tom Tancredo, who swept in several minutes later. The Colorado Republican is used to igniting storms — it's just that they're usually in Washington, D.C.
Tancredo has placed himself at front-and-center in the conten- tious debate over U.S.-Mexico border policies. He has criticized the Bush administration for being too liberal on that and other issues.
It's common this election year for Democrats to say how, if elected, they'll stand up to Karl Rove, one of the president's top advisers. Well, Tancredo has actually done it, earning him a permanent ban from the White House.
Tancredo's drop-in at the East Side Trail Dust Town was an opportunity for him to reiterate his support for Graf, a Republican candidate in the Congressional District 8 race to replace retiring Rep. Jim Kolbe. Graf opposes a guest-worker plan or path to citizenship for those in the country illegally and wants to increase border security.
Tancredo also accompanied Graf to a radio show later in the day and helped the campaign make some money at an evening fund-raiser in the Foothills.
A self-described "curmudgeon," Tancredo wasn't mild in his criticism of President Bush.
"Remember for three and a half years, at least, the president has been saying ... 'We can't have border security unless we have a guest-worker-slash-amnesty program,' " he said, as the audience booed the presidential position.
Then Tancredo said the president told the country recently in his radio address that the border is being secured thanks to the help of National Guard troops. "Well, hey, great news. Because if he's right it goes to show you we don't need a guest-worker-slash- amnesty plan in order to control the border, do we? But what's the deal Mr. President, we either are or we aren't controlling the border?"
"Of course, they're doing what, frankly, Boy Scouts could be doing," Tancredo said of the National Guard, praising the work of the Minuteman Project. To this crowd, immigration is the defining issue of the 2006 politician season. Graf is running against four other Republicans in the Sept. 12 primary — Frank Antenori, Mike Hellon, Steve Huffman and Mike Jenkins. Tancredo told the crowd to watch out for candidates who say they want border security.
"Everybody is on it now," he said. "That's why I am so happy to be here today to be speaking in favor of a guy who was there from the beginning."
Graf put it differently.
"Ask (the other) candidates specifically what they would do to secure the border," he said. "And don't let them talk about the impact to the economy because we need the cheap labor. There ain't nothing cheap about it."
The event ended with Tancredo leading a chorus of "God Bless America."
"It is by divine intervention that we are here," Tancredo said, referring to the founding of the country. "It's OK to ask Him again to keep His hands around us."
Addressing illegal immigration is so consequential to Tancredo, he has discussed running for president in 2008 to give the issue some political wheels. So, will he run?
"I will certainly do it if I can't find anyone to take up this banner with both their lips and their heart," he said in an interview after his speech, in the backstage dressing room of the Savoy Opera House. "I'm trying to find the tall guys with good hair."
He also wants to stop Arizona Sen. John McCain, "one of the most dangerous folks" who might run, Tancredo said. "He's an open borders, amnesty guy," he said. But can Tancredo — an outspoken, controversial figure — really win?
"Well, I think stranger things have happened in politics," he said. "I just can't think of any right now."
Is it true that Tancredo`s campaign advisor is Michael Savage?
Amen.
I hope to GOD it's not true. Savage is a good entertainer.
No way. Savage flip-flopped a week ago courting amnesty after ranting against it for months. He proved that he's no better than the legions of lesser-known media people chasing ratings at the expense of personal integrity.
Ping.
Bush resides in the White House for now and will then go back to his Texas ranch. The costs of medical treatment, schooling, and supporting criminal aliens in U.S. prisons does not affect him personallly at all, as I see it. He will always have the best medicine has to offer and his grandchildren will surely attend private schools. He won't be hurt financially by any of these added costs while middle-class Americans will bear the brunt.
Way to Go, George Bush. I expected better from you.
No it's not true. You're thinking of Chris Cannon's campaign advisor being El Cucuy.
Thank you for posting the photos of those two excellent conservatives.
It was a joke as are both Savage an Terrible Tom.
Ain't that the truth.
Ronald Reagan, Candidate
Angela "Bay" Buchanan, Treasurer
That nutjob Ronald Reagan teamed up with Bay Buchanan and now has Pat's little sister personally running his entire campaign treasury. Obviously it's being funneled by Buchanan's "people" for his little pet projects. Reagan sold out his party and is now Pat's little sock puppet, you can expect to see Ronnie run some looney "third party" bid if he loses to Ford in the primary.
< / Tancredo bashers>
Pat's a traitor and opportunist, too. Must run in the family.
Clearly Ronnie Reagan was a puppet of the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil isolationist Buchanan's, just look at the xenophobic 1980 GOP platform:
"United States immigration and refugee policy must reflect the interests of our national security and economic well-being. Immigration into this country must not be determined by foreign governments or even by the millions of people around the world who wish to come to America. The federal government has a duty to adopt immigration laws and follow enforcement procedures which will fairly and effectively implement the immigration policy desired by the American people."
Still bemoaning John Anderson's defeat to the Ronald Reagan/Bay Buchanan team, I'd wager.
Pay up. I voted for Reagan twice. Bush I once and Bush II twice. You?
Clearly Ronnie Reagan was a puppet of the eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil isolationist Buchanan's, just look at the xenophobic 1980 GOP platform:
Bay and Pat 26 years ago is meaningless today.
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