Tancredo: Abolish race-based caucuses

AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/25/07 | Laurie Kellman - ap

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - White House hopeful Tom Tancredo said Thursday the existence of the Congressional Black Caucus and other race-based groups of lawmakers amounts to segregation and should be abolished.

"It is utterly hypocritical for Congress to extol the virtues of a colorblind society while officially sanctioning caucuses that are based solely on race," said the Colorado Republican, who is most widely known as a vocal critic of illegal immigration.

"If we are serious about achieving the goal of a colorblind society, Congress should lead by example and end these divisive, race-based caucuses," said Tancredo, who is scheduled pitch his longshot presidential bid this weekend in New Hampshire.

Tancredo's request, relayed in a letter to Administration Committee Chairwoman Juanita Millender-McDonald (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., revived his effort to change House rules to abolish the groups. Besides the Congressional Black Caucus, Democrats also have a Hispanic caucus with 21 members, and Republicans have a comparable Hispanic conference with five full members and 11 "associate" members who are not Hispanic.

The request comes in the wake of reports that freshman Rep. Stephen Cohen (news, bio, voting record), D-Tenn., was refused admission to the Congressional Black Caucus because he is white. All 43 members of the caucus are black.

Cohen said in a statement that he told a reporter that he would be honored to join the caucus but did not apply, "nor has the CBC denied membership to me."

The political Web site Politico.com, which first reported the issue, quoted Rep. William Clay, Jr., D-Mo., as saying the black membership in his group is "an unwritten rule."

Tancredo is chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, which seeks to toughen border security to stem illegal immigration from Mexico. He also opposes guest worker programs and immigration proposals by President Bush, saying they would facilitate more foreigners coming to the United States illegally.

He won re-election in November from voters in his south-Denver district with 59 percent of the vote.

[gidget7]

Please Do!!

It nothing but feminists and lesbians anyway.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

Tancredo is chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, which seeks to toughen border security to stem illegal immigration from Mexico everywhere. He also opposes guest worker programs and immigration proposals by President Bush, saying stating the obvious fact that they would facilitate more foreigners coming to the United States illegally.

That's better.

[SoCalPol]

Duncan Hunter will be on Neil Cavuto on FOX 1pm pst

[L98Fiero]

"It's called The Food Network."

LOL! I thought it was SpeedTV.

[DennisR]

It is not only segregation, it is blatant racism.

[JTHomes]

Might be a good idea before a Muslim caucus is formed.

[TexasCajun]

Thanks for the reply, but what did he say about Miami that has you so riled up?

[Terpin]

"I'm still waiting for WET (White Entertainment Television)"
__________________________________________________________

It's there. It's called SPIKE TV. Everything from Star Trek to James Bond movies to Walker, Texas Ranger! Yee Hah!!

[Kieri]

Might be a good idea before a Muslim caucus is formed.

You just scared the crap out of me.

Any bets on what will happen during the next congressional prayer breakfast?

[river rat]

Sure.... Congress will outlaw Congressional segregation or racial "set asides" just as soon as they show their faith in the Social Security Administration and switch from their very lucrative "insider" fund and join the rest of us peasants in the Social Security Ponzi Scheme.

Semper Fi

[Between the Lines]

"If we are serious about achieving the goal of a colorblind society, Congress should lead by example and end these divisive, race-based caucuses," said Tancredo

We should also quit enumerating the people by race. No race question should be on the census.

[twonie]

God love Tom for standing up in a public place and saying this.

[isthisnickcool]

but I don't like what he said about Miami

I have not been to Miami in years. Recently I was watching a show called "Hogan Knows Best" and Hulk Hogan had moved his family to Miami. They quickly found out that they had to learn Spanish to live there. They showed video of the Hogan family going places and everywhere they went npbody could speak english.

[b9]

Duncan Hunter will be on Neil Cavuto on FOX 1pm pst

Thanks ~ just saw it.

What did you think?
Divisive interview, but good to see Hunter's face out there.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Somewhere in the Constitution or in an amendment it says something like "it's illegal to treat people differently based on race". That part of the Constitution is being completely ignored in order to please some major contributors of the democrat party.

[Red_Devil 232]

This is good stuff. Tancredo's got guts.

The third "g" should be a "n"

[wku man]

Howdy, Preacher.

I'm behind Tancredo 100% now. I was looking at Duncan Hunter, too, but this tipped my scales to Tom. Granted, it's a long time until the primaries, and anything could happen, but for now, my mind's made up.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Paperdoll]

>hmmmm<

Can you imagine the feeding frenzie that would occur in the MSM if Congress promoted a "White Caucus"? Like blood upon the waters!

[Teacher317]

Freedom of Association doesn't apply in Congress?

And what exactly do these Caucuses do other than get together and discuss votes, like any other gaggle of talking pols?

[cherokeenation]

very funny.

Yes, he's got those too.