Posted on 01/19/2004 12:31:08 PM PST by Spiff
Colo. Rep. Tancredo flexes political muscle at fund raiser
By Nate Searing Sierra Vista Herald/Review 19 January 2004
SIERRA VISTA, ARIZONA - Amid a flurry of chants, including "Tancredo for President," and "Stop rewarding illegal activity," U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo stumped in Sierra Vista Saturday night as part of a fund-raiser for the Cochise County Republican Committee.
Tancredo, R-Colo., an avid proponent of immigration reform and closing the U.S.-Mexico border has established a dedicated following in Cochise County among residents opposed to guest-worker programs proposed by President Bush and Arizona legislators Sen. John McCain and Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake.
"Due to a constant lack of representation from Kolbe, he (Tancredo) is our surrogate representative," said Todd Evans, president of the Southeast Arizona Republicans Club. "Tom Tancredo listens to our concerns and sometimes seems like the lone voice of reason on this whole issue."
Speaking to a crowd of about 200 local Republicans, the congressman reiterated his opposition to the guest-worker program, calling upon local elected officials to make their opinions known to state representatives and so on up to the state's federal representation. More than a dozen local politicians were on hand for the event, including Mayor Tom Hessler, several City Council members, Sheriff Larry Dever and state Rep. Randy Graf.
Many angry local residents, expressing their disgust with the current state of border politics in Cochise County and nation, as well as their dislike of Kolbe, also were at the meeting.
"Basically we are the only county in the entire nation that has no representation in Congress," said Robert Jarratt, referring to his feeling that Kolbe has abandoned local concerns regarding immigration reform. "He has no business associating himself with Cochise County and has permanently lost my vote."
While Cochise County Republican Committee President Gail Griffin, the organizer of the event, said many local Republicans are at odds with Kolbe's position on immigration reform, Tancredo was not invited to speak at the meeting just days after a Kolbe town hall to oppose to the re-election efforts of the representative.
"Congressman Tancredo told us he would be in Arizona and asked if we would interested in having him address our group in some way," Griffin said prior to the representative's speech. "His is a stark contrast to the message coming from the Kolbe camp, and I don't think the irony of their two addresses so close to one another is lost on anyone here, but this is not about bashing Kolbe"
And after a town hall with Kolbe on Thursday that packed the Sierra Vista City Council chambers with more than a hundred residents chastising the congressman about a guest-worker program, dozens of local Republicans have not only expressed their desire to oust Kolbe but also to write-in Tancredo for president come November to show their anger with President Bush over the guest-worker idea.
When asked about his response to the outpouring of support in Cochise County, including the push for the man to run for president of the United States, Tancredo smiled and replied, "I love the people here, they are just wonderful to me."
And while he appeared to relish in the thought of a presidential bid, when addressing the crowd later in the evening, Tancredo told the group that his support for President Bush runs much deeper than the immigration issue.
"The fact is the president and I are at odds on this issue. I never came to Congress with the thought in my mind that I would be arguing with my president from my party," Tancredo told the crowd. "But you can disagree with the president without being disloyal Š because this is a basic fundamental difference about how we view the future of the country and despite supporting
Plus, my comments made the front page again. Woo-hoo!
I agree. He'll be my write-in on election day. GW has no idea of what he has done to his conservative base and that middle group on the fence. I see he is down 10pts over this & I eally don't see it coming back that much. If ever there was a guy to fire it would be Rove. Possibly Rove has nothing to do with this as it is out of his hands & totally in the elites. Whatever, this has turned off many of my friends who were a lock for GW. My guess is that they will just sit out. Throwing a small bone out to us won't change things this time.
Does that make you the darling of the Arizona press, the man to interview, the guy with the always quotable quotes, etc.? ;^)
Wish I could've been there.
For those that haven't read it, here is a related thread:
After Action Report: Tom Tancredo Returns to Cochise County
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1060709/posts
No. It does help if you corner the reporter, who had just written a report quoting you the day before, praise him profusely, and then give a few off-the-cuff quote-worthy comments while he has his notepad out.
"....we in the United States today hard-core, indigestible blocs which have not become integrated into the American way of life, but which, on the contrary are its deadly enemies. Today, as never before, untold millions are storming our gates for admission and those gates are cracking under the stain. The solution of the problems of Europe and Asia (insert Mexico)will not come though a transplanting of those problems en masse to the United States... I do not intend to become prophetic, but if the enemies of this legislation succeed in riddling it to pieces, or in amending it beyond recognition, they will have contributed more to promote this nation's downfall than any other group since we achieved our independence as a nation." Senator Pat McCarran
Now attempt to address McCarrin's words taking into consideration the ties that the Atzlan supporters have with socialists.
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