Tancredo Plots Anti-Immigration 2008 Campaign

New York Sun ^ | November 22, 2005 | MEGHAN CLYNE

[Icelander]

WASHINGTON - As Republicans look to the 2008 primaries in search of a candidate whose credentials and personality can triumph over Senator Clinton, one potential candidate has no expectation of winning on the basis of his personality or record - or of winning at all, for that matter. Instead, Rep. Thomas Tancredo, a Republican of Colorado, is hoping that his participation in Iowa's caucuses and early primaries will bring a victory for his signature issue: immigration reform.

He isn't waiting until 2008. Mr. Tancredo, 59, who has earned a national reputation for being an advocate for stricter border controls on Capitol Hill, has yet to make a firm declaration of his candidacy. But he is already making campaign stops from coast to coast and writing a book about immigration, tentatively titled "In Mortal Danger." It could serve as Mr. Tancredo's campaign platform and will be available in June, the congressman told The New York Sun yesterday.

In addition to laying the groundwork for his own bid, Mr. Tancredo is headlining campaign events for others who share his immigration philosophy. Reached yesterday by phone in Orange County, Calif., Mr. Tancredo was campaigning for the founder of the Minuteman Project, James Gilchrist, who is running for the congressional seat vacated by the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Christopher Cox.

Mr. Tancredo has also visited New Hampshire and South Carolina. Bay Buchanan, who is the sister and adviser of another opponent of illegal immigration and former presidential candidate, Patrick Buchanan, has helped Mr. Tancredo make contacts in such early primary states, the congressman said. This weekend, Mr. Tancredo was in Alta, Iowa, on his fourth visit to the crucial caucus state in the last six months.

Mr. Tancredo has said that he will throw his hat into the Iowa ring if no other Republican emerges who will "include immigration in their platform ... and do so with some degree of vigor, "the congressman said yesterday. So far, Mr. Tancredo said a former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich - who wrote in a recent report for the Center for Immigration Studies that immigrants' dual citizenship posed an "insidious challenge" - has come the closest to being satisfactorily strong on the issue.

Yet Mr. Tancredo appears to enjoy some advantages Mr. Gingrich and his likely 2008 competitors do not, principally the support of an influential Iowa Republican, Rep. Steven King. Mr. King is one of 91 members of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, of which Mr. Tancredo is founder and chairman.

"Tom Tancredo needs to keep coming to Iowa," Mr. King said. "I want him on the stage in this debate."

Messrs. Tancredo and King, and the executive director of the Iowa Republican Party, Cullen Sheehan, indicated yesterday that Mr. Tancredo will have a natural base of support among 2008 caucus-goers.

While Iowa is further removed from the issue of illegal immigration than border states such as California and Arizona, Mr. Tancredo said, it has been surprisingly receptive to his message of ending illegal immigration and reducing the number of legal migrants permitted to enter the country. His Iowa audiences, the congressman said, "are as concerned about it as any group I've ever spoken to in Arizona."

Mr. Sheehan said that illegal immigration is a matter of importance to Iowa's caucus-goers, saying that most "want people to obey the law, and they want our government to uphold the laws we have." Mr. King said jobs in the agricultural industry were also a factor, citing as an example the Farmland Foods packing plant in Dennison, Iowa. Ten years ago, Mr. King said, eight Hispanics worked at the facility compared to 850 today.

Iowans, however, are focused mostly on national security: "How can a nation have a border they don't defend?" Mr. King said. "If it's not really a border, then you're not really a nation."

Mr. King said he also anticipated Mr. Tancredo's message to resonate with caucus-goers because of his focus on the cultural effects of massive immigration. Mr. Tancredo said that today's immigrants decline to become Americans, leading to a "balkanized" society. Immigration, Mr. Tancredo said, fuels and reinforces the divisive multiculturalist ideologies propagated by American elites in academia, the press, and politics.

In fact, it was outrage at multiculturalism in American schools that first brought Mr. Tancredo's attention to immigration. The congressman is a former junior high school teacher, and the schools' insistence on bilingual education and hostility toward America in textbooks and classrooms, combined with his reading of Arthur Schlesinger's "The Disuniting of America" in 1992, served as his road-to-Damascus moment on the need for immigration reform, Mr. Tancredo said.

Mr. Tancredo, a Denver native, left teaching to take a seat in Colorado's House of Representatives in 1976, and later served in the federal Department of Education under Presidents Reagan and Bush. In 1998, Mr. Tancredo was elected to Congress.

After founding the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus in 1999, Mr. King said, Mr. Tancredo's "credibility is going up as the American public puts pressure on other members of Congress" on the matter of border security. When Mr. Tancredo first introduced amendments to restrict immigration, Mr. King said, the measures would receive 20 to 25 votes. "Three years ago, that same amendment got 60 to 70 votes. Now, that same amendment will get 100 or 110."

If Mr. Tancredo's star is rising among American voters and in the House, he may not be winning friends in the circles of Republican leadership.

The editor of RealClearPolitics.com, John McIntyre, said yesterday that Mr. Tancredo's candidacy poses "a real problem" for the GOP in 2008.

While the Colorado congressman's message might win votes as a hot-button issue in 2008 and 2012, Mr. McIntyre said, demographic trends suggested the position might prove electoral poison in 2016 and beyond as the American electorate becomes increasingly Hispanic, and if the Tancredo platform paints national Republicans as "anti-immigrant."

For Republicans to succeed in quieting Mr. Tancredo, satisfying the base's yearning for a serious immigration policy, and to avoid being tarred as nativist, it would be necessary for the GOP to nominate a popular candidate with a reputation for being a moderate-such as Senator McCain, of Arizona, or Mayor Giuliani - who would then embrace the issue in the 2008 campaign.

[Borax Queen]

Anybody that is saying that the President is conspiruring with another nation to destroy America ain`t playing with a full deck.

It's all a matter of public record, all of his and Condi Rice's meetings with Vincente Fox and Paul Martin, promising them more and more giveaways. The plan to merge our countries is available online (Google CFR plus 2010). There is also the way CAFTA was rammed down the country's throats, even keeping Congress open late and calling out the big guns to plead for one more "trade" agreement to ruin the American middle class. Yeah, maybe Bush and Co. aren't conspiring to destroy their very wealthy buddies and corporations, or the very poor, but goodbye ordinary America.

[Fledermaus]

It will only to serve as a warning in the primaries that this issue is on the front burner. Wish is what I think the intention is.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Anybody that is saying that the President is conspiruring with another nation to destroy America ain`t playing with a full deck.

Well, on the border issue the President has been maddenly frustrating. On 9/12 the border should have been lined with U.S. Army troops.

I mean, c'mon. You and I both know that when it comes to the borders Bush really hasn't done anything. Even most of the diehard Bushbots here will concede on this issue.

[Borax Queen]

BTTT!!

[MikefromOhio]

Tancredo's stances aren't the problem, nor should they be, nor have they been.

Tancredo THE CANDIDATE is the problem. He just is NOT a strong candidate at all. He has not been a Governor, he does not even represent an entire state.

Outside of FR, less than 1% of the electorate has even heard of him.

the man has big time visibility problems, he has some comments that will be plastered ALL OVER THE PLACE if he gets the nomination.

Too much baggage.

[BillyBoy]

>> Thanks for posting that picture of Angela 'Bay' Buchanan, who served as treasurer of Ronald Reagan's presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980, and who was appointed to the position of Treasurer of the United States by President Reagan in 1981. Ronald Reagan must have had a lot of confidence in her, and respected what she had accomplished for him and for the Republican Party. <<

Since BayouRINO has been banned and is unable to respond with one of his incoherant rants, I will post on his behalf:

r0nAld reAgAn has OBVIOUS SOLD OUT HIS PRINCIPLES to the ANTI-CATHOLIC, ANTI-CONSTITUTION, ANTI-REPUBLICAN, ANTI-CONSERVATIVE, ANTI-AMERICAN, ANTI-FREEDOM, ANTI-LIBERTY, ANTI-CHEETOS, ANTI-EVERYTHING BuChaChanites!!!!! I Just KNOW thAt reAgAn is A PAt buChANAN SOCK-PUPPET ANywAy... thee gop MUST get at LEAST 145% of the preci0us hIspanIc v0te 0r HILLARY will win!!! HILARY = TANCReDo I tell you!! reAgAn = hiLLary t000!!!!!!"

[bybybill]

Well, that settles that. Bush is selling out the country, we are doomed. I`m moving the family and the dogs to Iceland so that we can be safe.
Thanks for the warning.

[FlashBack]

I didn't realize the Reagan connection... As someone previously posted, Tancredo's "conservative rating" is very good...more than a "one issue" candidate. Although the security of this country should be every candidates #1 position Tancredo was the lone voice for quite some time but lately there have been more and more voices joining his. Hayworth, King, Delay (even after the bashing Tom took for suggesting he step down from his leadership position)....I believe I read there were over 100 now joining in on an Immigration Reform Measure.
I like some of what I've heard Allen, Pence, others say too but if they don't pick up the ball and run with it Rep.Tom Tancredo has stated that he will and he'll do so with my support.
Team America

[Sam the Sham]

The images of Paris in flames has concentrated the mind wonderfully. That is where massive illegal immigration leads.

[AZ_Cowboy]

LOL!

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Tancredo THE CANDIDATE is the problem. He just is NOT a strong candidate at all. He has not been a Governor, he does not even represent an entire state.

Being a Congressman has its advantages over being Governor of a state. Governors can't do jack about illegal immigration or other federal policies. A Congressman can. Plus a Congressman hears it from his constituents daily and stays in contact with him. Congressional Republicans especially maintain contact with the grassroots and local officials.

Outside of FR, less than 1% of the electorate has even heard of him.

Tancredo has national name recognition and is very popular in Colorado, as well as the border states.

the man has big time visibility problems, he has some comments that will be plastered ALL OVER THE PLACE if he gets the nomination.

More MSM/Democrat/GOP establishment talking points from people who take Tancredo's comments out of context to discourage his supporters. Please, get the facts before spewing recycled propaganda.

[bybybill]

Everybody knows that the goal of both Bush Presidents has been to get rid of ordinary Americans.
But here is the part you haven`t been told. Remember the pictures of Bush with the troops, how they all love him? Here`s the deal, GWB has conned the military (maybe he promised the Utah or something)into helping him destroy the country and, right now, they are in Iraq, practicing.
If you know where to look, its all public record.

[MikefromOhio]

More MSM/Democrat/GOP establishment talking points from people who take Tancredo's comments out of context to discourage his supporters. Please, get the facts before spewing recycled propaganda.

Did you pay attention in 2004? Where you there? Hello? Does that EVER matter to the MSM/DEMs/Leftists???

Tancredo has national name recognition and is very popular in Colorado, as well as the border states.

Sure he does....again I will believe that one when I see it and not before....

Being a Congressman has its advantages over being Governor of a state. Governors can't do jack about illegal immigration or other federal policies. A Congressman can. Plus a Congressman hears it from his constituents daily and stays in contact with him. Congressional Republicans especially maintain contact with the grassroots and local officials.

I agree with most of that, but it still doesn't give him the momentum needs to get close to the nomination. VP perhaps with a good showing, but I don't think he will go for that.

[bybybill]

Bush has been slow an the border issue, sure. Is he going to get there, hope so. Lets help with our ideas and support.
But to say that the President is conspiring to destroy the country is way past stupid.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

[MikefromOhio]

ummm ok....REALLY relevant there. not.

ignore reality. Oh wait you ARE trying to convince me that nuking someone is a good thing on the other thread.

It's on you, not me.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Lets help with our ideas and support.

What do you think we've been doing since 9/11.

Ever see that Far Side cartoon where there's a suggestion box in Hell and the Devil and his minions are laughing? That's what Bush and the RNC is doing to conservatives on the border issue.

[Borax Queen]

It's "optimists" and oh-ever-so-intelligent and superior ones like you that have kept either a Bush or Clinton in office since 1980 and they'll continue to rotate until kingdom come. Yeah, that's the ticket, just keep "hoping" he'll act on the border.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Oh wait you ARE trying to convince me that nuking someone is a good thing on the other thread.

All I said was that Tancredo was responding to a hypothetical question about what would happen if a nuke or dirty bomb went off in an American city, and he suggested that nuking Mecca was an option and should never be taken off the table. Here, let me break it down for you, Tancredo never said that Mecca should be nuked outright, he's not in favor of nuking Mecca (except, of course, as a last resort), despite the MSM spin that's got you going crazy.