Posted on 06/30/2004 9:38:32 PM PDT by Reagan Man
Colorado Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo is in big trouble with the GOP leadership. And just what, you may be wondering, is his great sin? "Team America," a political action committee originally founded by Tancredo, worked to unseat Representative Chris Cannon, a liberal Republican from Utah, by supporting Matthew Throckmorton, his challenger in the Republican primary.
Chief among those organizations caterwauling about the actions of Tancredo is the liberal "Tuesday Group," a coalition of approximately thirty liberal Republican House members whose goal is to steer the party to the left. Hiding under the cloak of a grossly distorted rendition of Ronald Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment" ("Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican"), the Tuesday Group is now expressing concern that party conservatives are finally making efforts to strike back.
Apparently, undermining the conservative agenda by abandoning the party at key junctures during the legislative process is perfectly fine with these Republican "centrists." But any discussion of such matters by conservatives, who have tired of seeing their party abandoning its principles, is strictly taboo. By such hypocritical assertions, these liberal "Trojan Horses" hope to continue dominating party politics from within.
Of course Ronald Reagan never intended for his "Eleventh Commandment" to be arbitrarily invoked as a means of allowing liberalism to spread, unchecked, within the ranks of the GOP. Rather, it was supposed to prevent the sort of backbiting and mud slinging within party ranks, which can ultimately undermine the credibility of the entire party.
House Majority leader Tom Delay, a longtime champion of conservatism, has found himself in the middle of this row. Seeking to maintain a cohesive Republican majority, he is promoting themes of "team spirit" and "comity" among party members. Delay even referenced Reagan's "Eleventh Commandment" in a meeting with Tancredo in which the Colorado Congressman was apparently warned to change his ways and endorse a unified party, or face retribution within Republican circles.
Unfortunately, such rhetoric fails to deal with the fact that it is the Republican liberals who regularly undermine party unity by voting with Democrats at critical junctures. With such people constantly placing the philosophies of liberalism ahead of traditional Republican principle, the only manner in which even a facade of "unity" can be maintained is for the entire party to shift to the left. This, of course, is precisely the strategy of the liberal Republicans.
Tancredo's major issue of concern is unchecked illegal immigration and the resulting compromise of America's borders. Hardly a miniscule "pet issue" of a fringe constituency, the immigration problem goes to the very core of maintaining America's national integrity and heritage. Little else of GOP principles or goals can be regarded as significant in any way, as long the party remains indifferent to the invasion of the nation's borders by a flood of illegal immigrants who, as soon as they are able to do so, will vote against such things. Yet, major forces within the GOP are once again actively working to insure that at best, the Republican counterpart to Democrat plans of opening the borders will only amount to a watered-down version of the very same thing.
By supporting truly conservative Republican challengers, Tancredo's PAC hopes to specifically target key players of the open borders advocacy for defeat during their respective state primaries. While it is not entirely clear whether or not Tancredo is still officially participating with the work of the PAC, his political ideology remains consistent with that of its members. Tancredo realizes that threats to the future of the nation are no less virulent when advanced by so-called "Republicans," than when spawned by their traditional advocates, the Democrats.
Tom Delay has, in the past, shown himself to be extremely principled, with the one notable exception being his support, under severe White House pressure, for an education bill that was essentially crafted by Ted Kennedy. He knows that if his party persists in its claims to uphold both high and low standards, only the low standards will prevail. Though presently striving to remain within the boundaries of party loyalty, he is surely aware that, as a principled conservative, his own future is no less threatened by the underhanded actions of the "moderates" than is Tancredo.
For Delay and Tancredo, whose differences are far outweighed by their political common ground, the most pressing matter is to maintain the party according to conservative principle rather than allowing the "centrists" to reinvent it in the image of the Democrats.
No I don't want it all and want it now, but I'm of the opinion that those issues while good campaign slogans are not the lithmus test of whether I will vote for a canadate or not.
You may stick your head in the sand and drink the pink coolaid but I'm not.
That's not to say I'm not voting GOP, I am, most of the 3rd. parties are not viable options and loosing to the Dem's is not an acceptable outcome.
What I am saying is that there is not enough being done to effect change from the inside of the party, and too many so-called conservatives are accepting way too much infringements on the American way of life that I happen to love.
I don't even know why I bother repsonding to you when you make such accusations. If you can read what I've written and call me a quitter, and someone who thinks America sucks, you're off your proverbial rocker.
What are you doing for your kids who do deserve a better America? They might but I'm not sure you do.
You believe in miracles I see. (Just kidding.)
"He is a US patriot."
He's maniacal, ala Buchanan. And like Buchanan, he will never rise above the position he finds himself in today. Sorry, actively campaigning against another Republican thats not even from your state in this manner is such a terrible comment on Tancredo's character it defies words.
Well said Spiff. I too grow tired of his "extremists, xenophobes, racists" rant. He's is truely a one note band.
Get a grip.
My sister and brother just met up in Bozeman last week for some expoloring. Gotta love Montana.
"Tancredo is a pro-life conservative and a loyal member of the GOP."
Riiiight. You missed why the GOP is irritated with him contained in the article, huh?
My "grip" especially when it comes to reading comprehension, is quite firm.
Most so-called "moderate republicans" are SOBs who are too lazy to mow their own yard and too cheap to pay the teenager down the street to do it.
The GOP leadership is telling Tancredo to knock it off for one simple reason: to NOT do so would be to OK retaliation against Tancredo.
For what it's worth, the Liberal bastion of Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley is a beautiful spot, a great hiking and fishing area. I'm sure your brother and sister are having a wonderful time there. :)
>> For most people the choice is clear on issues of abortion, gun rights, taxes, and defense. It is too bad you don't see a difference.
Has the republican controlled executive or legislative branch repealed any abortion laws?
Has the republican controlled executive or legislative branch repealed any of the idiotic gun laws?
Has the republican controlled executive or legislative branch gotten ride of the immoral and incomprehensible tax laws? ( the "tax cut" was paltry )
Tancredo is a loser. Granted I hate RINOs and liberal Republicans as much as the next conservative, but holding your breath until you're red in the face and throwing hissy fits isn't going to get you anywhere. Tancredo needs to work with Bush and advocate sensible border control in a gentlemanly manner or else join the losers in the Constitution Party.
Thanks Jim for Post #76.
They should also take a little side trip to Tijuana. Illegal aliens bring their culture with them, recreating their home environments right in the middle of our towns. It ain't pretty. Good deal for illegal aliens, very bad deal for us, and expensive too.
Ping to Post #76...Cannon's apparently a sinner on ONE issue.
We are talking about abortion, gun rights, taxes and defense. Your quote from a previous post was...
I'm afraid abortion, gun rights, taxes and defense are just not enough anymore.
I think those issues are important and the bedrock of the Republican platform.
What I am saying is that there is not enough being done to effect change from the inside of the party,
My quote from a previous post was...
You want it all and you want it now.
I think I'm just going over the same stuff.
That was a primary. Toomey couldn't win over half of the Republican votes. How do you think he could win a general election? Dubya decided it would be better for him, PA, and America to have a liberal Republican who votes for conservative issues 50% of the time, rather than a socialist 'rat who votes for conservative issues 0% of the time.
Thank God for Tancredo and the handful of other fighting to keep the GOP standing for something right.
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