Posted on 09/20/2002 1:51:01 AM PDT by sarcasm
Friday, September 20, 2002 - The national Republican Party moved rapidly Thursday to distance itself from Rep. Tom Tancredo on immigration issues, fearing that controversies swirling around his views may spoil efforts to woo Hispanic voters.
"Clearly Congressman Tancredo speaks for himself and the people in his district. He certainly doesn't speak for the Republican Party at a national level (on immigration), and he doesn't speak for the president," said Sharon Castillo, deputy communications director for the Republican National Committee in Washington.
Her comments were echoed by Rudy Fernandez, director of grassroots organizing at the RNC.
"Tom Tancredo is one of 435 members (of Congress), and he has every right to have his opinion on immigration or any other issue for that matter," Fernandez said Thursday. "When you look at the head of the party, the head of the party is President Bush."
Bush has offered a variety of reforms to benefit Hispanic immigrants, although several were shelved after Sept. 11.
The unusually sharp remarks show what Republicans say is a growing anger with Tancredo's kink in their campaign strategy for November - one that depends heavily on attracting Hispanic voters in key races nationwide.
Tancredo's recent demand that the INS deport an undocumented honor student from Aurora and an allegation from two undocumented workers that they helped remodel his house under contract to a local firm, have caught the eye of the national news media, as well as Hispanic activists in both parties.
In an impassioned speech on the House floor Wednesday Tancredo said he didn't know whether the workers were illegal and said he brought the Jesus Apodaca case to INS detention because the family was blatant in publicly admitting its illegal status.
As head of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, Tancredo has been one of the nation's most vocal critics of immigration policy.
Rep. Bob Schaffer, R-Colo., a member of the reform caucus, declined to comment directly on Tancredo's actions Thursday, saying Tancredo's "constituents are the ones who have the right to decide whether he's doing the right thing."
But Schaffer said he isn't worried about a Hispanic backlash in the voting booth.
"I haven't given any thought to that, and I frankly don't care," Schaffer said. "If Republicans conclude breaking the law is good for politics, then Republicans deserve to lose."
The INS is far too lax in enforcing immigration law, and Tancredo's caucus is the "only organization in Washington looking at finding balanced, sensible solutions," he said.
"The government has gone too far by suggesting that critical laws go unenforced," Schaffer said. "The INS is an incompetent agency that has made a mockery of citizenship."
But political operatives say the case has struck a chord with Hispanic voters nationally - and not the ones the Republican party is spending millions of dollars this campaign season to court.
One recent effort - a monthly Spanish-language television show called "Abriendo Caminos" (Forging Paths) highlights Bush administration policies beneficial to Hispanics. It cost the Republicans $1 million to produce and air, party officials said.
Tancredo "has created a problem for Republicans at a national level," said Robert de Posada, president of the Latino Coalition, a Republican-allied Hispanic group in California.
"There is an anger among a lot of the more moderate Hispanic voters who were very involved in the Republican effort this time around," he said. "The Republicans had a lot of momentum going (among Hispanics), and now they are trying to figure out how to erase that fear in voters that (Tancredo) represents the Republican party."
Some recent polls have convinced Republicans they are making important inroads among Hispanics voters, traditionally a Democratic stronghold.
An August poll commissioned by the Latino Coalition found that the Democrats' advantage in party support among Hispanics had dropped from 35 percentage points above Republicans to just 12 in the past year.
As Hispanics become key swing votes in a growing number of congressional and Senate races around the country, it's critical the Republicans close that lead, party strategists say.
Republicans are courting Hispanics in close races in states as diverse as North Carolina, Oregon, Arkansas and New Mexico.
Moderate Republicans credit much of their progress with Hispanics to President Bush, who de Posada said has charted a pragmatic course on immigration. Before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, the Bush administration had announced a major push for immigration reform, including a proposal that would have allowed undocumented immigrants to "earn" legal status after living in the United States for several years.
Tancredo's stance, de Posada said, threatens to reverse those gains.
"When you have a president that is friendly on immigration, then the immigration issue becomes a nonissue," de Posada said.
"Now by changing the issue back to immigration, I think it is nothing but helpful to Democrats," he said.
Minorities are gonna read this in the paper and say, "Those racist Repubs are at it again, trying to make America all-white," and vote Democrat, and they're missing the point. We have no problem whatsoever with immigration. We have a serious problem with illegal immigration, which also takes much needed $$$ from taxpaying citizens and rewards it to those who have no regard for our laws. I wish more members of the GOP would explain this to folks instead of simply pandering for votes.
Also the crime and criminal behavior of new immigrants casts a shadow on the older immigrants in the form of discrimination against all hispanics. The hispanic vote is not a solid block seeking favoritism for their ethnic background.
Those of us fighting illegal immigration can borrow some of the president's own words: "You are either with us, law-abiding citizens, or you are with the illegal immigrants."
Last time I checked illegal Mexicans were busting their balls working in the fields and cleaning houses, not skulking around plotting mass murder of our populace.
He should be talking about getting rid of the illegal Muslims at least as much as he talks about Mexicans.
I think he has already made his goddamned point on the subject of illegal Mexicans.
I think a lot of people on this forum have made the point that they don't like illegal Mexicans, and don't care much for the legal ones either.
He should try shutting the hell up until after the election, but I realize that, being the moron he is, that would be impossible.
I couldn't have said it better myself. I won't support anyone that panders to lawbreakers. Democrat or Republican.
Go Yancredo Go!!
And all that talk some years ago during impeachment about their commitment to "the Rule of Law" was nothing but cynical lie.
I think the former is true. I think the latter is gross hyperbole. Name three. With example links.
Is it possible to look at Mexican culture and not like what you see (and not want to import it here) without becoming a "racist douchebag"?
Is it possible to dislike any culture (except ours, of course) and without becoming a "racist douchebag"?
First on the list to go should be the illegals from the terrorist countries, and most of the resident aliens as well.
With what is going on in the USA today, the subject of illegal Mexicans is a high priority only to racist Tancredo types.
Oh,well. If you can't believe a briainic like a Kennedy,who CAN you believe? Besides,ain't he Bubba-2's bestest buddy when it comes to education?
(First of all, they aren't illegal "immigrants"...which implies they're here to stay. The people who come here illegally are criminals, and should never be granted a permanent status.)
Everything's about winning. I doubt these smears are being done to stop Tancredo and like-minded congressmen. It's probably to scare others from running on anti-illegal positions.
If the Republican Party doesn't stand for preserving the security and intergrity of US borders, citizenship, security, culture, values,and jobs (with decent wages)for citizens, that only leaves them with corporate interests.
Illegals mean cheap labor and more sales for corporations. That's not what I believe in.
Of course.
I'm not a fan of most any culture other than American, there is practically nothing about Mexico that I like and I'm sorry that a lot of the western states have become overun with illegals.
That being said, if Tancredo went around calling for the internment and deportation of illegal and resident alien Muslims I could support him, but his obsession with Mexicans makes him racist in my opinion.
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