Posted on 07/23/2007 2:33:17 PM PDT by SittinYonder
WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo has demanded that fellow GOP White House hopeful Sen. Sam Brownback apologize for questioning Tancredo's commitment to outlawing abortion.
Tancredo, a congressman from Colorado, and Brownback, a Kansas senator, are vying for support from GOP conservatives who influence the Iowa caucuses.
Brownback's campaign has been making phone calls in Iowa that criticize Tancredo for taking campaign money from a Planned Parenthood backer. It has also posted a press release detailing the accusations.
"Say no to Tom Tancredo and his Planned Parenthood friend and help end abortion in America," the caller says, according to a script confirmed by Brownback's campaign.
"Congressman Tom Tancredo has accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Dr. John Tanton, a founder of a major Planned Parenthood network," said Brownback's Iowa communications chief John Rankin on the candidate's Web site.
"Federal Election Commission records show that Tancredo's presidential campaign, political action committee, and congressional re-election campaign have accepted thousands of dollars personally from Tanton, and thousands more from a political action committee connected to Tanton," Rankin said.
"Given Tanton's obvious ties to Planned Parenthood, Tom Tancredo should publicly denounce his ties to Tanton and should donate all previously accepted funds to an Iowa crisis pregnancy center," Rankin said.
"How can pro-life Iowans believe Tom Tancredo's commitment to life when he has accepted money from such a prominent abortion supporter?"
Tancredo demanded an apology.
"Sam [Brownback] and I have been friends for several years and he is well aware of my lifelong commitment to the unborn. Yet he has approved the use of despicable and deceitful campaign tactics in an effort to deliberately mislead the voters of Iowa concerning my record and my commitment to life," Tancredo said.
"I call on Sen. Brownback to cease with the maliciously misleading push calls intended to harm me and apologize."
Tancredo's campaign also accused the senator of trying to divert attention away from illegal immigration, Tancredo's main issue. Unlike Tancredo, Brownback has supported giving legal status, under certain conditions, to illegal immigrants.
"Americans from all walks of life, from all racial and religious backgrounds, and from all political persuasions support me because they believe as I do that illegal immigration is the greatest domestic threat we face as a nation and they know I will never resolve this issue by giving amnesty to illegal aliens," Tancredo said.
Tancredo's campaign said the Coloradoan has an "A" rating from the National Right To Life Committee, an abortion opponent.
I believe I’ve already my clear my strong disagreement with Dr. Tanton. I will, however, elaborate.
I am pro-life. Dr. Tanton is pro-abortion.
I do no support abortion under any circumstances.
Dr. Tanton suports the taking of innocent human life. It is hard for me to understand how any medical doctor could support the deliberate killing of an innocent fetus.
I have never suggested that Tom Tancredo is perfect. I’m quite sure that he has cast votes with which I disagree. However, his voting record on the subject of abortion has been one hundred percent perfect. Tom Tancredo has been one hundred percent pro-life his entire political career.
Would you ever vote for a candidate that was paid to lobby for the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, a group that is as strongly pro-abortion as Planned Parenthood?
Would you ever vote for a candidate that was paid to lobby for the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, a group that is as strongly pro-abortion as Planned Parenthood?
The double post was not intended.
Tom’s words to the caller (partial quote) “What I do is more important than who gives me money”
Still trying to decide who to support at the straw poll.
No to McCain, Romney, Rudy or Paul.
Still looking at Tancredo, maybe Hunter or Huckabee
I completely understand your points.
All presidential candidates receive contributions from persons with whom they do not agree on every issue. This contribution has gotten so much attention, though, that maybe it should be returned.
The reason that John Tanton gave Tom Tancredo the contribution is because of Tom Tancredo’s stand on illegal immigration. Even so, it may very well be best just to return it.
Tom is one hundred percent (100%) pro-life. He always has been and always will be. He also has the highest lifetime rating of any presidential candidate from the American Conservative Union. He also gets an “A’ from the NRA.
Tom received a higher percentage of contributions that were $200 or less than any other presidential candidate.
After the straw poll, maybe you can post about it here at FR.
Thanks.
But you are fine with the rest of Tanton's Environazi views? The Environazi views which are the source his his support for abortion, coercive "family planning", his opposition to immigration (doesn't want brown people coming here to breed), etc?
And you think it's good that Tancredo accepts his money and support?
That's what this is about. Not some lobbying work from decades past. Tom Tancredo. Here, now, accepting support from a "man" who has made a career of promoting the nastiest, most hateful causes of the lunatic left fringe.
I'll give you a little credit. You are the first Tancredo supporter to admit that the contribution should not be kept. (Why you prefer giving it back to Tanton instead of to charity, who knows.)
But you are wrong when you say "the reason that John Tanton gave Tom Tancredo the contribution is because of Tom Tancredo’s stand on illegal immigration". Tanton doesn't care about illegal immigration, per se. He cares about keeping dark skinned people with high fertility rates out of this country. He is the anti-immigration extremist that most conservative immigration reformers make clear they are not.
Also, you think the contribution (maybe) should be returned because .... it's gotten bad PR? Not because it's wrong? Just because it was found out, it's gotten a lot of attention, and it's a PR problem?
And you want to set yourself up to nitpick other candidates? Pathetic.
I have posted absolutely nothing that indicates that I have any agreement with any of Dr. Tanton’s views regarding abortion.
I oppose abortion under all circumstances. I find it disgusting that a medical doctor would support abortion under any circumstances.
I don’t know all of Dr. Tanton’s views on abortion. However, I assume that I would disagree with him on every postion he takes with regard to abortion.
If he supports “coercive’family planning’”, then I am cerainly in disagreement with him in that regard.
If Dr. Tanton is a left-winger, then I probably disagree with him on nearly every postion he takes on political issues. However, I don’t know what Dr. Tanton’s positions are on most issues.
I certainly am not familiar with his views on environmental issues. If he is an “EnviroNazi” that supports left-wing environmental causes such as Al Gore supports, then I would strongly disagree with his views.
As far as his views on immigration, I’m not very familiar with all of those. If he opposed the Senate amnesty bill, then I agree with his opposition to that bill. I, however, opposed the Senate amnesty bill because I support the rule of law, not because of opposition of “brown people coming here to breed”.
I can have no respect for a physician that supports abortion. One fortunate thing is that Dr. Tanton was an eye surgeon and not a doctor that performed abortions. I’m glad he didn’t go into an area of medicine that would have allowed him to perform abortions.
I don’t know how I can say it any clearer. I have no respect for Dr. Tanton. I have no use for a medical doctor that supports abortion.
I am one hundred percent (100%)pro-life, just as Tom Tancredo always has been and always will be one hundred percent (100%) pro-life.
Obviously, you know who I like. Hunter is also a good candidate. I'd check with the Arkansas Freepers before you support Huckabee, though. He's got a good talk, but they say his game doesn't look anything like his campaign promises - specifically on illegal immigrants and taxes.
Tom’s words to the caller (partial quote) “What I do is more important than who gives me money”
I agree with him. Tancredo doesn't have the luxury of tossing back campaign donations on principle. He doesn't have RudyMcRomney's money or donations, and he needs what he can get.
He's got as good or better voting record on abortion as any of the candidates, so there's no question there.
As I said, if Hillary or Gore or Michael Moore decided to toss some money into Tancredo's campaign, it wouldn't matter a bit to me ... he's proved over and over again that he is his own man and his vote will not be bought.
This whole issue, IMO, says more about Brownback than it does Tancredo.
If you do not know anything about John Tanton and his radical views, how can you possibly comment on whether Tancredo should accept his money and support?
What is it, $2,000 maybe?
Tancredo can't afford to stand on principle over 2 measley freakin thousand dollars?
At least you're finally admitting that he compromised his principles in this case.
Oh oh, Brownback and Tancredo are locked in a deathmatch for each other’s 1%.
I admitted no such thing. You find where this money purchased a vote from Tancredo in favor of abortion, and I'll admit he compromised his principles.
This is a nothing issue, and just because you don't like the only consistent conservative in the race, you're trying to use it, the same way Brownback is. This is a ridiculous non-issue that Brownback is using to try to salvage a lost campaign. It makes Brownback look like a fool.
So when you said, "Tancredo doesn't have the luxury of tossing back campaign donations on principle" ....
This is a nothing issue, and just because you don't like the only consistent conservative in the race, you're trying to use it
I don't like Tancredo? Please quote the bad things I've said about him? I've criticized him on this issue, true. I've said he's running a one-issue campaign to promote that issue and isn't in it to win; Tom Tancredo said the exact same thing when he was planning/announcing his campaign -- that's where I got it.
Phyliss Schlafly has recorded a phone call of her own for Iowa voters. Here are its contents:
Hello, this is Phyllis Schlafly.
Senator Brownback’s campaign is making calls to cast doubt on the pro-life commitment of Congressman Tom Tancredo.
I want to go on record as saying I’ve known Tom Tancredo for 30 years and I know for sure he has always been a champion of the right to life of the unborn.
The national right to life committee grades him A. Tom has an outstanding and consistent pro-life record.
Paid for by Tancredo for President.
Would you ever vote for a candidate that was paid to lobby for the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, a group that is as strongly pro-abortion as Planned Parenthood?
Fred Thompson was paid thousands of dollars to act as a lobbyist for the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association. That group advocates the intentional killing of innocent unborn human life, just as John Tanton does.
Unlike Fred Thompson, Tom Tancredo has never lobbied for a group that supports that deliberate killing of innocent fetuses. Tom Tancredo has never cast a single pro-abortion vote in his legislation career.
I did not post that I did not know anything about John Tanton’s views. I’m aware of his views on abortion.
If hypothetically John Tanton donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to anti-amnesty, pro-life politicians running for seats in the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and those donations were of such significance that they helped elect a pro-life Senate and a pro-life House, it would not bother me. If John Tanton wants to continue to give to candidates that are one hundred percent (100%) pro-life, it won’t bother me.
Should Fred Thompson return all the money that he was paid to lobby for a group that supports the intentional killing of unborn human life?
Brownback was out of order making the claim and I've heard Tancredo's ad criticizing Brownback on immigration.
It's time for Republicans to remember RR's Eleventh Commandment.
I don't want to see Republicans tearing up Republicans. I want to see them tearing up Hillary, The Breck Girl and Osama Obama.
Tanton holds extremist views -- and has been a national leader in promoting those views -- and Tancredo should give Tanton's donation to charity, treating it just like he'd treat a similar extremist like David Duke.
Because said "Planned Parenthood supporter" is also anti-illegal immigration. He can donate to whomever he wants.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.