Posted on 12/17/2005 3:57:17 AM PST by YCTHouston
GOP embraces ex-outsider and his hard-line positions Tancredo still relishes defying his party leaders on border issue
By GEBE MARTINEZ Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Tom Tancredo threw his head back and laughed the laughter of sweet vindication.
The Colorado Republican congressman was recalling in a recent interview the 2004 Republican National Convention, when White House political strategist Karl Rove wouldn't tell him where the platform committee had assembled. Rove apparently wanted to prevent Tancredo from embarrassing President Bush by trying to add strong anti-immigration phrases as Bush was wooing Hispanic voters.
Tancredo laughed again as he mimicked the scolding he said he got last year from then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, for setting up a political committee that backed Republican primary candidates, even against GOP incumbents, who shared Tancredo's call for zero tolerance on immigration laws.
But now, the immigration issue has moved to the forefront, Bush has toughened his stance against illegal immigration and the House was expected to pass legislation late Friday that would crack down on illegal immigration.
As one of the major reasons for the action, Tancredo is no longer treated as an outsider in his own party. He is invited to the weekly "unity" dinners sponsored by House GOP leaders, even as he encounters criticism of his legislative proposals from many Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
After arriving in Congress in 1999, Tancredo, the grandson of Italian immigrants, began pushing the immigration issue with a single-mindedness rarely seen on Capitol Hill.
On talk radio and cable television and in nightly speeches in an empty House chamber, he railed against illegal immigration and the increasing number of foreigners granted visas to enter the United States.
Started in the 1970s Tancredo became an immigration foe in the 1970s when, as a junior high school teacher, he saw the start of Colorado's bilingual education programs. During four years as a state lawmaker, starting in 1977, Tancredo attempted unsuccessfully to strike all funding for bilingual education, contending it hurt student test scores.
Tancredo tried to make immigration an issue in his first congressional race.
"Nobody would say I was right; nobody would say anything," he recalled. But he kept talking about it.
"Then 9/11 happened and everything turned topsy-turvy."
When the 9/11 attacks were carried out by Middle Easterners who entered the country with documents that appeared legal, national security concerns entered the immigration debate. And again Tancredo was at the forefront.
The GOP maverick thought no one was listening. But he had underestimated the appeal of his message. The House Immigration Reform Caucus, which began with 16 members, now has five times that number.
Tancredo is even thinking about a presidential bid.
"It was completely serendipitous," Tancredo said, explaining his rise from obscurity. "I certainly never planned to be at odds with the president of my own party and my own leadership."
These days he seems to relish defying party leaders. When Bush recently bowed to criticism by party conservatives and urged stronger border enforcement, Tancredo said: "As with all politicians who change their rhetoric and their policies under political pressure, the public must continue to push the administration to follow up on its words."
Under the banner of compassionate conservatism, Bush has proposed a way for illegal immigrants to get temporary legal status as guest workers.
Tancredo's approach, in his own words: "If you are truly compassionate, what you will do is to construct a [physical] barrier ... so that you will be able to discourage people from trying to come. Because those folks are the ones dying in the desert."
Critics, however, suggest he's using the immigration issue to make a name for himself.
"I know that Mr. Tancredo is sincere, but I don't think he has been constructive," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the cosponsor of an immigration bill in the Senate. "Is a politician making a sincere effort at trying to find a solution to a problem? Or are they using it as a lightening rod to generate political support?"
Rep. Linda T. Sánchez, D-Calif., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the nation needs comprehensive immigration reform, including border security and a way for immigrants to earn legal status.
"His personal vendetta and venomous rhetoric against immigrants does not contribute anything constructive to the immigration debate," she said of Tancredo.
His allies regard him as a political warrior unafraid of bucking establishment opinion.
"He's been a really outstanding voice and has had to arm wrestle with members of the administration who haven't been interested in moving this issue," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.
Tancredo annoyed some Republicans by aggressively campaigning in a California special House election against the GOP nominee and in favor of Jim Gilchrist, co-founder of the Minuteman Project of armed citizen border patrols.
Gilchrist ran as an American Independent Party candidate with an anti-immigration agenda and came in third. He lost the conservative Orange County seat to Republican state Sen. John Campbell. Democrat Steve Young finished second.
15 interviews a week Tancredo now does about 15 radio and TV immigration-related interviews a week. He concedes his argument benefits from some people not distinguishing between legal and illegal immigrants.
"They go into the hospitals, they go into the emergency rooms and they see people who they believe to be illegal immigrants. They read that people are coming across the border to get benefits," Tancredo said.
"You cannot tell a person's immigration status by looking at them," countered Lisa Navarette of the National Council of La Raza.
But after years of being on what he called the defensive on the issue, Tancredo brags that momentum is now on his side: "It's happening, and it's the number one topic."
gebe.martinez@chron.com
You're right Lisa. That's why we want to actually talk to them have them produce some verifiable documents so we can either let them go on their way or toss their illegal behinds out of the country.
L
Tancredo-Houston Comical ping.
This remains to be seen.
Tancredo has already helped by redefining the "center" on the immigration issue. Recall how Reagan redefined the center on the txes issue.
Its clear already that saying illegals are OK is not anywhere near the conventional centrist position today. For that we have Tancredo in no small measure to thank today.
Now if want to enforce the law you're an "extemist, hard-liner, racist".
Welcome to the liberal bizzaro world.
Bravo, Tom!
Today the Rules Committee had a vote on whether to allow an amendment to allow an amendment that would stop the children of illegal aliens from receiving automatic citizenship. Several other good immigration reforms were voted down. I urge everyone to write a short paragraph to the chairman of the Rules Committee to let him know that you that you are disappointed that his committe isn't supporting these issues and urge him to support more of Tancredo's reforms and an end to birthright citizenship for illegals. It doesn't have to be a long letter just a paragraph explaining your position.
You can reach Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier at
http://dreier.house.gov/talkto.htm
or to the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert at:
http://www.house.gov/hastert/write1.shtml
Also you can send a letter to your own representative at www.house.gov
Lets FREEP them
THis is the biggest problem with illegal immigration today.
The only reason we have so many "hispanic voters" for politico's to woo is that the same politico's by and large have allowed them into this country for the last 40 years at an uncontrolled rate.
At such a rate in fact, that their very presence is changing American Society. I have a box of Clorox toilet cleaning brushes in my bathroom that proclaims "1 extra handle inside" andon the other side of the box, proclaims the same in spanish. Who hasn't heard the voicemails asking to choose a language. Or the ATM's asking to choose a language.
Every "Hispanic" illegal changes this country, dilutes my vote, sucks up my tax money, increases the workload on emergency rooms, increases the competition for university seats and scholarships and on and on and on.
CLOSE THE FARKIN BORDER ALREADY!!!!!!!
BUILD THE WALL!!!!!
(see senate cave)
Good point. Some Republicans have wanted to maintain the status quo because illegal immigrants provide cheap labor. The Democrats want to grant illegal immigrants welfare and voting rights, for obvious reasons. So I guess the "center" position would have been to grant illegals full welfare benefits but not (yet) voting rights. Once that is established, illegal immigrant voting rights would not be too far behind. It is good to see a Republican redefine an issue rather than proposing a "moderate" version of what the leftists want.
ping
"You cannot tell a person's immigration status by looking at them," countered Lisa Navarette of the National Council of La Raza.
-- I dunno, a guy wearing one of those straw cowboy hats (just like he did in Oaxaca) is probably a good indication.
The key word there is "stance." I'll wait until it becomes "policy."
Your post bears repeating!
"Today the Rules Committee had a vote on whether to allow an amendment to allow an amendment that would stop the children of illegal aliens from receiving automatic citizenship. Several other good immigration reforms were voted down. I urge everyone to write a short paragraph to the chairman of the Rules Committee to let him know that you that you are disappointed that his committe isn't supporting these issues and urge him to support more of Tancredo's reforms and an end to birthright citizenship for illegals. It doesn't have to be a long letter just a paragraph explaining your position.
You can reach Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier at
http://dreier.house.gov/talkto.htm
or to the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert at:
http://www.house.gov/hastert/write1.shtml
Also you can send a letter to your own representative at www.house.gov
Lets FREEP them"
Dreier, Hastert and Harman got my messages, sent from the invaded state of California. Thanks for the links, WIA.
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