Posted on 03/16/2006 1:12:11 PM PST by dennisw
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Tom Tancredo and an Illinois congressman traded charges of racism during a heated confrontation following a televised appearance Wednesday on immigration reform, both their congressional offices confirmed today. Tancredo and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., are frequent sparring partners on the talk show circuit as Congress works to pass some version of immigration reform. Tancredo is a leading advocate of tougher enforcement against illegal immigrants and people who hire them. Gutierrez, the son of Mexican immigrants, calls Tancredo's approach "ugly policy" motivated by racism.
On Wednesday, they appeared together on CNBC, and when the cameras stopped rolling the debate continued with a spat first reported by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.
Gutierrez's office claims that Tancredo aggressively continued the discussion off camera and tried to slow Gutierrez as he was trying to reach the elevator.
Tancredo spokesman Will Adams, who was present, said it was Gutierrez who was the aggressor, hurling comments and, before it was over, saying he thought about hitting Tancredo.
The words exchanged are in little dispute, based on this account in Roll Call:
At one point, Gutierrez reportedly asked Tancredo if he had ever eaten in a restaurant.
"How could you eat from the plates touched by those nasty illegal immigrants?" Gutierrez said.
He then asked Tancredo: "Have you ever eaten an orange? A grape," an apparent reference to illegal farm workers. He then repeated the phrase several times as Tancredo tried to answer. "An orange, a grape, an orange, a grape, an orange a grape."
Gutierrez, who has a cast on a foot, reportedly tried to walk to the elevator, but Tancredo tried to stop him by putting his hand on his shoulder. Gutierrez reportedly demanded: "Get your hand off me!"
Adams said Tancredo had done little more than tap him on the shoulder.
Gutierrez said to Tancredo: "You racist! You bigot!"
Tancredo told Gutierrez: "You look in the mirror if you want to see a racist."
Gutierrez and staff members finally got on the elevator, while Tancredo and his team took the stairs.
When they met again on the first floor, Gutierrez told his staff, "Better hurry up -- the KKK is coming," according to Roll Call. He accused Tancredo of following him, although Adams said they simply needed to use the same exit because Tancredo's office is across the street.
Just outside, Gutierrez said to aides within Tancredo's earshot: "I thought about hitting him, but then I thought, 'What if I (expletive) kicked his ass,'" the newspaper reported.
"To say this is unbecoming of a Congressman doesn't go far enough," Adams said. "This is unbecoming of an adult." Asked if Tancredo wanted an apology, Adams said, "It would be nice if he apologized. We're not expecting that from somebody who threatens to beat people up."
Asked if Gutierrez wanted an apology, spokesman Scott Frotman said, "He's not going to ask Mr. Tancredo for an apology, but Mr. Tancredo may think about apologizing to all the immigrants that he scapegoats and ridicules."
Yeah, yeah. The RINOs and liberals in favor of selling out our nation's sovereignty and eliminating the middle class are getting soooooo much "productive work" done on the issue.
Some "productive" work you favor: "Gold Cards" to give illegals supra-rights in our country (inviting more millions to come) and proposals such as subsidizing farmers to hire illegals exclusively... because lawbreaking is being endorsed by the GOP to the extent that so many businesses now hire them that there aren't enough of them to "pick fruit" and "mow lawns" anymore.
It's Not Xenophobia, It's Xenonausea
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1597624/posts?page=105#105
Well....I don't live in Tancredo's district either, but he's my adopted congressman. Mine is a Democrat of the male persuasion. Not by my choice though.
Why should Tancredo pass more legislation that duplicates what's already there and will likely be vetoed by King Jorge?
A question: Why is it that so many statehood folks always stress that Puerto Rico is a "white" island, when most of the people are mixed Afro/European? By North American standards, only about 40-50% of Puerto Ricans would be considered "white", with the rest a mixture of various races.
Remember that, on the mainland, mixing with Africans was against the law until 35 years ago, so most of our white folks are "pure as snow." That's neither a good thing or a bad thing, just the way it is.
"Raise those American flags!" shouted US Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat. "This is our country, and this is where we will stay."
Tell me how this guy doesn't sound like a racist hispanic power La Raza idiot.
Tom Tancredo is a gentleman and a statesman.
I never cease being amazed at how often outspoken conservative statesmen are slimed by liberals.
And sometimes those liberals masquerade as conservatives...
re: Tancredo "a loudmouth self-promoter."
Never having seen the Congressman or read much about him, I cannot say that you're wrong.
But consider this: Where exactly have the quiet, humble types (like GWB, and Bill Frist, and Denny Hastert, and oh so many other Republican "leaders") gotten us on immigration?????
Often, it's less-than-smooth, even less-than-pleasant people who tackle the hard issues that the nice guys won't touch.
Gutierrez sounds like real pond scum.
"Why is it that so many statehood folks always stress that Puerto Rico is a "white" island, when most of the people are mixed Afro/European?"
I wouldn't say most of the people here are mixed afro/european. I would say many in the cities and around the coasts are mixed afro/european, that most of those who moved to NYC are of this group. I would also say that most of the people in the interior are "white". But then again, white is relative. Cetainly not scandinavian white, but more like mediterranian white.
And even at that, you are aware that most of Spain was occupied by the Moors for 700 years, so that Spanish "whiteness" is further diluted.
In the end I can say that most people here don't care or at least are not uptight about races. That's why there's so much intermarriage. But there's also a number people who imagine themselves as descentants of Spanish Royalty, and have a fixation with preserving the race, or if they are not quite white enough, to marry a "whiter" person to "mejorar la raza" (improve the race).
My ex-wife grew up in NYC and moved to the island when she was a teenager. She expected the island to be full of black natives. When she arrived she was surprised to find that most of the people she met were "blanquitos" (whities). At least in her estimation.
Again, this "Puerto Rican" race thing was invented in the mainland. Here you are either white, black or "jabao" (pronounced HA-bow, which means mulatto) if you are a native. Or you are a gringo (in the affectionate sense) if you're from the mainland U.S. or Canada, no matter what your race. Or you are "Chino" if you are Chinese, Japanese or Korean. And the worst "ethnicity" in many people's minds: europeo (European), belch.
Thanks for the clarification. But he still isn't Mexican, and that was my point. And in the hyphenated America that we live in, "Puerto Rican" applied to Gutierrez is a description of ancestery and heritage, the same way "German" or "Ulster Scot" applies to me. He might want to make more of it than that, and no doubt does. But it's good that people in Puerto Rico are on to him. It's just too bad that a lot of Chicagoans are not.
"Puerto Rican" applied to Gutierrez is a description of ancestery and heritage, the same way "German"
I'm almost with you. My point is that rather than ancestry and heritage of "Puerto Rican" vis a vis "German", for example, a closer correlation would be of "Puerto Rican" vis a vis "Texan", since Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and those born there (here) are born Americans. Puerto Ricans who move to a the states are not "immigrants". They are American citizens who move around within the American realm.
So, Gutierrez' pandering to the immigrant community is truly disingenous.
Point well taken. He definitely is blurring some important distinctions, which should be expected from the demagogue he is.
Latin Americans have always been more fluid in the issue of racial identity than here in the States. In the U.S., those with even a drop of black ancestry were considered black until very recently, whereas in PR they were/are often considered white. That is why 80% of PRs identify themselves as "white" even though the real number would be around 45-50% if we used the mainland standards. In my trips to PR, I found that most of the folks I encountered had some African blood, and that they had African (non-med) features. Of course there are the Jibaros in the mountains who are usually of European ancestry (similar to the Jibaros in Cuba), but the coastal areas and the cities are largely mulatto/quadroon.
Besides, real white folks don't dance, especially an African dance like Salsa. ;-)
Correction: To the GUAJIROS of Cuba.
Agreed.
It is not insanity. Insane people are not in control of their minds and are not responsible for what they say.
It is demagoguery.
Do you think he will apologize?
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