"...especially immigration which sets him above even Delay in my opinion..."
Just think about the mess he's caused. Tancredo lacks leadership. He lacks common sense. He lacks loyalty. He fails in the character department.
Listen, I agree he should have kept his mouth shut, especially as he knows personally how the media loves to go after conservatives (as they have eagerly with him), and since Delay hasn't been too bad on immigration.
But lets not lump Tancredo with genuine RINO's who often pull this kind of thing. Tancredo has a lifetime rating of 98 (out of 100) from the American Conservative Union's ratings. He has backed the President on his tax cuts, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He has been with the conservatives and Delay on almost everything because he is a true conservative.
He screwed up here, no doubt, and as I said the fact that he knows as well as anyone how the media works makes it even more inexplicable. But I think if he weren't already known for his battles with the Bush administration over immigration policy then this comment wouldn't have raised many eyebrows. Some in the party already despise him for those immigration battles, and as such are eager to jump on him when he does mess up.