GOP Targets Pro-borders Tancredo

NewsMax ^ | 11/19/02 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Rep. Tom Tancredo, the nation's most outspoken opponent of the invasion of illegal aliens, is being targeted for defeat - not by the Democrats, but by the GOP establishment.

Just last week Tancredo, R-Colo., crushed his Democrat challenger by 37 points. But the moderates and liberals see him as a conservative loose cannon packed with ammo.

His "criticisms of President Bush's immigration policy bought him a 40-minute rebuke earlier this year from Bush adviser Karl Rove, who, in the Congressman's own words, warned him 'never to darken the door of the White House again,'" Roll Call reported Monday.

"I'll be surprised if he doesn't have a primary" in 2004, said Floyd Ciruli, an independent Colorado pollster. "It's a given."

Possible Republican rivals in '04 include popular state Treasurer Mike Coffman, state Sen. Jim Dyer and former Arapahoe County Commissioner Steve Ward. Democrats have given up on the conservative district south of Denver.

Tancredo's other capital crime, in addition to urging that the U.S. actually maintain its borders, is violating his pledge to serve only three terms. (Note that Democrats didn't raise a fit - publicly, at least - when the late Sen. Paul Wellstone made the mistake of breaking his word not to run again.)

Roll Call says "Tancredo is not one of the president's favorite people. Earlier this year, the Congressman accused Bush of pandering to Hispanic voters and trying to prop up Mexican President Vicente Fox by offering amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants. That declaration brought an angry 40-minute phone call from Rove, and Bush pointedly failed to introduce Tancredo to the crowd during a political rally in Colorado in September."

Ciruli said Tancredo's views on immigration were in line with his constituents'.

"Nobody who's going to argue the soft side of immigration is going to beat him in the Republican primary, or even in the general," he said.

Oops: Tancredo, founder of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, was embarrassed earlier this year when it was revealed that illegal aliens had been hired to work on his Littleton home.

[rintense]

Oops: Tancredo, founder of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, was embarrassed earlier this year when it was revealed that illegal aliens had been hired to work on his Littleton home.

Ooops!

[Malcolm]

Only because of his style, not his position on immigration control. BTW, this has been posted before, several times yesterday.....

[Jack Black]

Personally I hope he runs for Senate. That would give him a much better platform to raise this issue, and it would give a shot over the bow to Rowe at the same time. Wayne Allard is up for re-election in the next round. I'd tell Rowe, "I see a RNC supported challenger in this district and I run against Allard. I will get zillions of dollars from FAIR and other anti=immigration groups."

[rintense]

That thing about hiring illegals is new to me. I'm all for his stance on immigration, but that illegals stuff doesn't help his cause.

[meenie]

Tancredo received a lot of Hispanic votes to beat his challenger by this percentage. The immigration and open border question is going to harm the Pubbies if they don't wake up. By 2004 the immigration issue will not be simmering, it will be boiling.

[meenie]

Tancredo hired a contractor which it was found had hired a couple of illegals. Strictly third party. Democrats don't hold the monopoly for lying if it suits their purpose. The Republicans can do a pretty good job of it too..

[B Knotts]

It's a lie, perpetrated by the Denver Post. He had some work done in his basement by a contractor, and the Post claimed that the workers were illegals. The contractor specifically denied hiring any illegal aliens, and even if they had been illegal, they worked for the contractor, not Tancredo.

As far as I know, the Post never produced any evidence apart from an anonymous accusation.

[nanny]

[That thing about hiring illegals is new to me. I'm all for his stance on immigration, but that illegals stuff doesn't help his cause.]

This is political smear - supposedly he had some work done in his home and the contractor hired a sub contractor who worked illegals. To me it points out the pervasiveness of the illegal problem. It is grasping at straws, but yes, he will be the target of the WH as well as the Democrats.

His stance must really be a threat to the WH and Republicans at large - you don't go hunting fleas with an elephant gun.

[Chi-Town Lady]

When is Bush going to wake up? It should be crystal clear to him that Tancredo won by 37% of the votes because of his stand on immigration. I sent my fax to President Bush today telling him to stop the insanity in regards to immigration. If Bush does pander to the illegals - guess who won't be in the WH in 04?

[FryingPan101]

Roll Call says "Tancredo is not one of the president's favorite people. Earlier this year, the Congressman accused Bush of pandering to Hispanic voters and trying to prop up Mexican President Vicente Fox by offering amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants. That declaration brought an angry 40-minute phone call from Rove, and Bush pointedly failed to introduce Tancredo to the crowd during a political rally in Colorado in September."

I'm not happy with this, if it's true, Mr. President.

[rintense]

Has Tancredo said anything about this? Like I said, this is all new to me.

[grania]

That thing about hiring illegals is new to me. I'm all for his stance on immigration, but that illegals stuff doesn't help his cause.

Tancredo didn't hire them. He hired a contractor to do some work on his house, and a newspaper did a hit piece that there were illegals on the contractor's payroll. The contractor denied it.

It was just some of the hit-piece nonsense to try to get Tancredo for not toeing the line. It did succeed in keeping the focus off the real issue before the election. That would be the tremendous support Representative Tancredo earns both in and out of his district for his coherent and unwavering support for the laws being enforced with regard to residency.

[KC_Conspirator]

So what? Its the equivalent of buying a hamburger and fries in a restaurant where an illegal is employed as a dishwasher in the back.

Tancredo is right and Bush and Rove are wrong.

[nanny]

[Has Tancredo said anything about this? Like I said, this is all new to me.]

Others can answer better, but from what I have read on FR - he did. Explaining it was a sub contractor of a contractor. This is so lame because there isn't anyone in this country that hasn't third-party had work done by illegals - heck we eat in restaurants, eat chicken, etc. I think he should turn it around and show it just shows how many are here. I would also tell them if that is all they can find against me - I must be some kinda really good guy.

[banjo joe]

...hit-piece nonsense to try to get Tancredo for not toeing the line...

Isn't this why certain founding fathers warned against political parties?

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Mr. Limbacher appears to be targetting the GOP, and without checking his facts. A few days ago he wrote an article with an inflammatory headling implying that the Bush administration was thumbing its nose at pro-life voters...which was a pure lie. Is it ego? Fear? I don't care. Tell a lie often enough and you're sharing the gutter with the Dem-Rats and we're an ever more foolish and divided nation. Osama smiles.

[Morgan in Denver]

Wayne Allard just won so he will not be up for reelection until 2008. You may be thinking of Ben Nighthorse-Campbell, who switched parties a few years ago to become a Republican. Ben still needs to decide whether or not he will run but if he does Tancredo will not challenge him. Another minor point, Tancredo told his constituents "this" year he would not limit himself to term limits two years from now. So, voters knew he was not honoring his past commitment before this years election, and he won handily anyway.

I'm a Bush fan and supporter, but I will support Tom Tancredo here in Colorado as long as he wants to run. The truth is, Tancredo is right on this issue and I don't have a problem with his holding Republicans feet to the fire over it.

[Badger1]

I am a precinct captain in Tancredo's district and I can tell you that unless a tremendous amount of political clout is brought to bear against Tancrado, there is no way he will lose a primary. There has been no problem within the Douglas County Republican party regarding Tancredo whatsoever. Of the three names mentioned in the story for a possible Republican challenger for Tancredo, Mike Coffman is far to politically savvy to risk his career on this type of move (he has higher ambitions) and state Sen. Jim Dyer and former Arapahoe County Commissioner Steve Ward are virtual political nobodies.

[Morgan in Denver]

Thank you for your post. You're right.