IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

Tuned in conservative talk radio yesterday, and heard a caller
bemoaning how there's no candidate a true Republican konservative kan
kommit (sorry, Krusty) to in the presidential race. It's a topic
that's been raised a lot in the last year, and the more I think about
it, it's misguided. Thus far Republicans have failed to embrace three
guys with pretty good conservative cred. Recall Sam Brownback? When
the U.S. senator from Kansas -- red state "What's The Matter With
Kansas?" Kansas -- announced his presidential bid, I figured he'd be a
formidable candidate. The first time I covered Brownback in the city,
it was a closed affair in which an evangelical Christian leader held
forth on the role of religion in American history.

Labels: Sam_Brownback, Tom_Tancredo

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo announced today he's ending his long-shot bid
for the White House. The Colorado Republican made his exit from the
race official at a press conference this afternoon in downtown Des
Moines. He'll throw his support behind GOP candidate Mitt Romney, he
said. Tancredo's name was most associated with his fight against
illegal immigration, one of the presidential election's most
controversial issues. But his hard-line approach to curbing the
unlawful migration of millions across the United States' southern
border wasn't enough to vault him from the back of the GOP field.

Labels: Mitt_Romney, Tom_Tancredo

As I have said many times on this site, I have a great deal of respect
for Tom Tancredo. He has made immigration a key issue in both the
Republican and Democratic presidential race. Because of his dogged
pursuit of the issue, every candidate has had to take a position. But
from the start, I knew and I am certain that the congressman knew that
he would never be president. I had a conversation with the congressman
earlier in the year. As I recall he said: "... I know that I am a long
shot, but my hope is that come November of 2008, you will have a
candidate that you can vote for ..."

Labels: Mitt_Romney, Tom_Tancredo

The situation has "changed hourly," Tancredo's wife says... Rep. Tom
Tancredo plans to meet with some presidential rivals in Iowa on
Thursday, and then there's only a "slim" chance he'll remain in the
Republican contest, his wife said Wednesday night. "What he's trying
to do is get a commitment that someone will continue his (illegal
immigration) issue and do it in a way (that) he can support them,"
Jackie Tancredo said in a telephone interview. If he's satisfied, then
Tancredo plans to end his long-shot bid for the presidency on
Thursday, which is his 62nd birthday.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

While barnstorming in Iowa, Rep. Tom Tancredo's most often repeated
joke is about how he and his good buddy, Rep. Steve King, are
sometimes mistaken for one another. They bear a slight resemblance
physically, and their hard-line views toward illegal immigration could
hardly be more in line. When Tancredo set up a campaign outpost in
Council Bluffs, Iowa, earlier this year, he did it right across the
street from King's office. A lot of folks presumed that Tancredo was
King's presidential pick -- even if he had not officially endorsed
anybody. Well, that changed today.

Labels: Fred Thompson, Steve_King, Tom_Tancredo

Rep. Tom Tancredo is taking the fear factor to an explosive new level
in the Republican presidential contest… On Monday he unveiled a new
television ad that shows a hooded man slip into a peaceful shopping
mall, set down a black backpack -- not far from where children are
playing -- and then, boom! Interspersed with images of a bloody body
and the destruction from recent terrorist attacks in London, Spain and
Russia, it argues that this could be "the price we pay for spineless
politicians who refuse to defend our border against those who come to
kill."

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

The long subject line of the email showed "NRCC Chairman Tom Cole's
Statement on Congressman Ton Tancredo's R....." Forgive me if I confess
I thought Republican Tancredo might be dropping out of the 2008
presidential race. But that's not what it was. A day after he
campaigned in Odebolt, Iowa, and then today in Storm Lake, Tancredo
announced he would retire from his congressional position at the end
of the current term, which ends January 2009. Tancredo has held
Colorado's 6th District congressional seat for more than 30 years. As
he pursues the presidency, Tancredo, whose candidacy is staked to
get-tough immigration policy reform, is polling in the low single
digits in Iowa. Two Republicans have given up their quest for the
presidency -- Tommy Thompson in August and Sam Brownback on Oct. 19.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

In today's Republican debate, Chris Matthews asked Rep. Ron Paul this
question: Congressman Paul, do you promise to support the nominee of
the Republican Party next year? Paul Responded: Not right now I don't...
Matthews then asked the same basic question to Tom Tancredo, Sam
Brownback and Mitt Romney. Tancredo said: You know, I've said, I don't
know how many times, that I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of
being forced to go to the polls and say I'm going to make this choice
between the lesser of two evils. I really don't intend to do that
again... Romney and Brownback both said that they will support the
nominee. As I spend time with other socons in Iowa I have found that
more and more of them agree with Paul and Tancredo. More and more of
them agree with Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson. And I agree,
if Rudy Giuliani is the nominee -- we will stay home or perhaps even
support a third party candidate.

Labels: Ron Paul, Tom_Tancredo

The Democratic presidential contenders squared-off in New Hampshire
Wednesday night on MSNBC, but the real fun was here at "Back Roads to
the White House." We assembled an all-star cast of bloggers and
journalists -- including one who was posting from just outside the
spin room in New Hampshire -- to comment while the debate was
unfolding. And, just for kicks, one of our featured participants was
none other than: Rep. Tom Tancredo. We started out asking Tancredo if
he had anything in common with any of the Democrats. "Bill Richardson
has said he supports the individual right to keep and bear arms
embodied in the Second Amendment. If he remains true to that position,
then I suppose he and I agree there."

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

Tonight, I attended Representative Dwayne Alons' fundraiser in
downtown Hull. Rep. Alons and his wife Clarice are two of the nicest
and most dedicated people you will ever meet. I was pleased to attend
this event. They had upwards of 100 people there and so it was a very
good event for him. I got to spend a good quantity of time talking to
two fellow bloggers: Mike Tate with Tancredo and Vincent Harris with
Huckabee. Both of these guys are in college (Tate goes to school in
Pennsylvania and Harris in Texas) and they are both playing HUGE roles
in the campaigns of these two fantastic campaigns. I'm definitely a
fan of their work. As I have mentioned many times, the 'new media' is
the wave of the future and these guys, both about 20 or 21, are way
ahead of 99.999 percent of everyone else with their knowledge of this
and how it applies to political campaigns.

Labels: Duncan_Hunter, John_Cox, Mike_Huckabee, Tom_Tancredo

Wow, a politician is finally listening to the Real Sporer. We have
been saying for years that the most effective TV ad would feature the
candidate talking to the public, now Tom Tancredo is doing it. We just
saw the new ad-Tom Tancredo speaking against a plain black background.
Imagine that, a Presidential candidate actually just addressing the
audience, foregoing the use of camera magic to create direct or
subliminal marketing messages. We've always felt that Tom Tancredo is
among the most obviously sincere of politicians and man does this ad
evidence that proposition. The basic format of the ad is nothing more
than the pre-television radio and MovieTone sound bite. Before TV's
ability to manipulate imagery, the actual words employed by
politicians were more important than the far less tangible concept of
imagery. Tancredo clearly feels his message is the most important
feature of his campaign.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

The spat between Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep. Tom Tancredo kicked up a
notch on Monday morning, with both sides firing new "distortion"
charges at one another. It's a fight taking place on the second tier
of the Republican presidential contest, where Brownback and Tancredo
are among a group of candidates hoping to gain traction before the
Aug. 11 Ames Straw Poll in Iowa -- a symbolic test of candidate
support that's expected to winnow what's now a crowded GOP field. The
recap in a nutshell: Tancredo has long questioned Brownback's
commitment to fighting illegal immigration because of his past
co-sponsorship of comprehensive immigration reform that Tancredo
equates to "amnesty." Brownback fired back earlier this month,
demanding that Tancredo return campaign contributions he has received
from John Tanton, "the founder of a major Planned Parenthood network
in Michigan."

Labels: Sam_Brownback, Tom_Tancredo

Sen. Sam Brownback vs. Rep. Tom Tancredo. As of today, there is
exactly one month until the Iowa Republican Party's non-binding but
all-important Ames Straw Poll. From now until then, pay no attention
to the so-called top tier candidates. The ones to watch are the folks
on the bubble -- the second-tier contenders who are still trying to
break through in the polls and survive as THE conservative alternative
to the "Rudy McRomneys" and the political actors to be named later.
Already, there's a heated, increasingly nasty rivalry developing
between Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Rep. Tom Tancredo of
Colorado. It started last month and flared again on Wednesday. Here's
how it started... The Brownback-Tancredo rivalry goes back longer than
anybody has noticed. Both men are considered fairly solid social
conservatives.

Labels: Sam_Brownback, Tom_Tancredo

I can't remember when I first met Rep. Tom Tancredo. He didn't used to be as memorable as he has become. But I've known him since 1999, when I worked in my first remote outpost for the Rocky Mountain News -- the dearly departed Douglas County bureau on the southern end of his congressional district. Since being shifted to "the other D.C. bureau" at the end of 2000, I have interviewed Tancredo in person or on the telephone at least a few times per month -- sometimes, up to five times in a single week depending on the "rhetoric alert level." I've talked to him or heard him talk so many times that on Friday, when he was late for an appointment with the Professional Educators of Iowa in Des Moines, I jokingly offered to recite his stump speech for the handful of people waiting around a table. I offered up one obscure line he often uses with small crowds: "I've traveled farther to meet with fewer people." Used almost the same words I had predicted -- causing giggles in the room.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

Iowa Christian Alliance/Iowans for Tax Relief Presidential Forum: Yesterday afternoon I had the privilege to attend the Iowa Christian Alliance/Iowans for Tax Relief Presidential Forum in Hy-Vee Hall. There were six very fine Presidential candidates there and so I will talk a little about the event and then delve into the candidates' performances and remarks a little. This event was extraordinarily well organized and very smooth. There were literally hundreds, it seemed, of volunteers in yellow shirts everywhere. They all seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. While this was a big event, the Straw Poll, to be held next month, will be bigger and so that just is another reminder of the tremendous numbers of volunteers that will be needed there. Contact the state party if you can help. In order to attend the event, a person needed to have RSVP'd or be sent an invitation. Also, to be able to enter the room where the forum was held, you had to go through metal detectors and have a yellow bracelet. I think it was very nice idea to have metal detectors for the sake of the candidates' safety.

Labels: Mike_Huckabee, Ron Paul, Tom_Tancredo

Tom Tancredo is now calling on Iowans for Tax Relief and the Iowa
Christian Alliance to reconsider and invite Ron Paul to Saturday's
debate. Maybe he thinks this wins some points from the Paul People,
but I doubt it. I would think the libertarian position on immigration
would be open the borders and let employers hire who they want -- the
diametric opposite of Tancredo's "stop legal immigration" view. Paul,
meanwhile, has taken up the cause of two New Hampshire tax protesters:
'Paul expressed his sympathy for Ed and Elaine Brown, who have been
holed up in their hilltop home for several months, threatening
violence if marshals come to arrest them. The Browns have each been
sentenced to 63 months in prison for crimes related to their refusal
to pay federal income taxes for nearly 10 years. The Browns contend
that there is no law compelling Americans to pay income taxes.' On
which count they are so so wrong, says attorney Daniel Evans in an
exhaustive tax protester FAQ. In the Concord (NH) Monitor: "People who
point this out and fight the tax code and fight the monetary code are
heroic," Paul said in a video that's been linked to several pro-Brown
websites.

Labels: Ron Paul, taxes, Tom_Tancredo

Why is this man smiling? Because he really loved playing lunch lady at
a Republican Party barbecue in West Union, Iowa, on Sunday? Perhaps.
But Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado also was smiling this weekend
because he finished third in the Linn County Republican Party's straw
poll in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Saturday. The big winner: Former Gov.
Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin - 33.1 percent. Followed by: Sen. Sam
Brownback of Kansas - 30.4 percent. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado -
15.5 percent. And the Linn County also-rans: former Gov. Mitt Romney,
4.7 percent; businessman John Cox, 4.1 percent; Rep. Ron Paul, 3.4
percent; former Sen. Fred Thompson, 2.7 percent; former Mayor Rudy
Giuliani, 2 percent; David Gilbert of North Carolina, 2 percent; Rep.
Duncan Hunter, 1.4 percent; former Gov. Mike Huckabee, 0.7 percent.
(Zero percent for Sen. John McCain and Hugh McCort). It's only one
county, and the results are just a symbolic measure of who can turn
out the vote when they try. But it's something.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

The internets are ablaze with righteous indignation that libertarian slash GOP longshot Ron Paul has been excluded from Saturday's Iowans for Tax Relief/Iowa Christian Alliance debate. The conspiracy minded even note that Iowans for Tax Relief's Ed Failor Jr. is a major McCain backer. But McCain's not even showing up. And the Daily Iowan, while also objecting to Paul's exclusion, makes the point no one else has bothered to mention: "Romney, the debate's "front-runner," has the support of a whopping 12 percent of GOP voters, according to a June 20 poll conducted by Newsweek. Huckabee, Thompson, Brownback, Tancredo, and Hunter and are polling at an abysmal 4, 2, 2, 1, and 0 percent respectively." ... by joining a forum of second and third tier candidates, Romney runs the risk of reducing himself to their level. Meanwhile, Paul is playing the classic card of the uninvited, holding a counter-debate event immediately following. Such events usually rally a candidate's own die-hards, but are rarely if ever persuasive. Paul's protestation of exclusion from this bush-league event reeks of the paranoid.

Labels: Duncan_Hunter, John_McCain, Mike_Huckabee, Mitt_Romney, Ron Paul, Sam_Brownback, Tom_Tancredo, Tommy_Thompson

The first head-to-head debate in Colorado's 2010 U.S. Senate race will have to wait. For a time on Friday, it looked as if Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, and Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Littleton, were destined to square off on a nationally-televised, Sunday morning talk show. But alas, Salazar will be on CBS News' "Face the Nation" broadcast and Tancredo will not. Before the joint appearance fell through, the thought of a head-to-head appearance made Tancredo and his staff enthusiastic to say the least. ... Yes, Tancredo currently is making a long-shot run for president. But there's at least a slim chance he won't win. A future run for the U.S. Senate appears to be his back-up plan. [Tancredo spokesman] Espinosa describes a Tancredo-Salazar contest as the congressman's dream match-up. ... Tancredo has long expressed an interest in a U.S. Senate seat -- even before he began his decidedly uphill march for the 2008 Republican nomination. But wait. How could Tancredo run for the Senate if he's living in the White House in 2010? "He'll do what's best for Colorado," Espinosa said, laughing. "If that's what it is, that's what it is."

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

"I must admit to you that the solution I bring to you, I know, is very controversial, it's very scary when I say it. People cringe - oh my goodness, he can't really mean this. This can't really be the answer, but I assure you it is. Summed up in three words: enforce the law." Rep. Tom Tancredo made that statement at the Iowa Republican Party's Abraham Lincoln Unity Dinner in Des Moines in April. He uses the line everywhere he goes while campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination. So what is he talking about enforcing? Apparently not mandatory seatbelt laws. Check out this video of a rolling interview that's posted on Tancredo's presidential campaign web site. He's driving and talking at the same time. See if you can tell us which portion of the tape shows evidence that Tancredo is wearing a seat belt. We couldn't find one, so we called Tancredo's people.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

... Fox asked much harder questions and allowed the candidates to go at it. We, the Republican voters, are adults and we should demand far more of this and far less of the commercials, the stump speeches etc…. Nothing instructs like dialogue. It also makes the Democrats look like the intellectual cowards that they have become. ... we're going to rate each debater on a scale of 1-30.
Sam Brownback ... 1st debate/25 2nd debate/21;
Jim Gilmore ... 1st debate/24 2nd debate/21;
Rudy Giuliani ... 1st debate/21 2nd debate/27;
Mike Huckabee ... 1st debate/25 2nd debate/27;
Duncan Hunter ... 1st debate/23 2nd debate/24;
John McCain ... 1st debate/23 2nd debate/24;
Ron Paul ... 1st debate/21 2nd debate/20;
Mitt Romney ... 1st debate/25 2nd debate/24;
Tom Tancredo ... 1st debate/21 2nd debate/22;
Tommy Thompson ... 1st debate/21 2nd debate/21.

Labels: Duncan_Hunter, Jim_Gilmore, John_McCain, Mike_Huckabee, Mitt_Romney, Ron Paul, Rudy_Giuliani, Sam_Brownback, Tom_Tancredo, Tommy_Thompson

Tonights Republican debate was a lot better than the last one. The questions were better and the crowd was more involved. Here are some thoughts I jotted down during the debate...
* Everytime I see Mike Huckabee, I wonder why he isn't gaining any traction. His counter to Rudy on abortion was clear and a lot better than Brownback's simplistic attempt.
* I think Rudy Giuliani won because of him interjecting on Paul's comment, even though I think Paul had an important point.
* Tancredo did pretty well. His line about people should have conversions on the road to Damascus and not on the road to Des Moines got a loud ovation and was a clear shot at McCain, Rudy, and multiple choice Mitt.
* I think Gilmore, Brownback, Tommy Thompson, and Hunter should drop out. Hunter might have some credibility on immigration, but is overshadowed by Tancredo.

Labels: Duncan_Hunter, Jim_Gilmore, John_McCain, Mike_Huckabee, Mitt_Romney, Rudy_Giuliani, Sam_Brownback, Tom_Tancredo, Tommy_Thompson

Short shrift. That's what Rep. Tom Tancredo's enthusiastic backers in Council Bluffs, Iowa, thought that their hero got out of Thursday night's nationally televised Republican presidential debate. The ink-stained version of the Rocky Mountain News reports today on the dejected folks leaving a debate-watching event at Tancredo's Pottawattamie County headquarters. His fans cheered each time the Colorado conservative's face was projected onto the wall, and they hooted and hollered in agreement with what he said. But he was cut short in some answers and was skipped entirely in one round of questions. In the crucial, first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa, three analysts said Tancredo did little to break out of the "other" category below the three so-called "front-runners" in the 10-man field. As Des Moines Register political columnist David Yepsen told Iowans this morning: "Some candidates seemed lost in the shuffle. Tom Tancredo, who has led the national debate against illegal immigration, was the shrinking violet and never really got a good chance to argue the issue." Tancredo has been called many things. But "shrinking violet" is a new one.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

... This was my first Republican event I attended, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. ... Tancredo began discussing immigration by framing it as a security issue. He wants to first tighten security on the southern border and then the northern border. He said that we need to know who is coming in, for what reasons, and how long they are staying. Then he said we are basically importing a servant class into our nation. ... Tancredo disagrees with people who say they can't find people to do work. He said what they really mean is they can't hire people to work for the price they are willing to pay. ... At the end of the speech, Tancredo did say that jobs are the magnet bringing immigrants here. If you crack down on employers and the immigrants wouldn't be able to find a job, they would go back home on their own. This is an example of how he should answer the question. This type of statement should be first point he makes, instead of talking about having the will to round up 12-20 million people.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo

... First to speak was Rudy Giuliani. He is fiscally conservative and has a great record as mayor for decreasing crime in New York. The man may put an R after his name but his personal life has too many skeletons for all but the most moderate conservative voter. .. John Cox was next. ... I've had the opportunity to meet John a few times and I really think a common sense business-like approach is what we need in Washington. And I really hope that whoever does win the nomination puts this guy somewhere in their cabinet. ... The final speaker before dinner was Governor Mike Huckabee from Arkansas. ... I'm all about lower taxes and liked the speech but I don't think Huckabee is the man for the job. ... Congressman Tom Tancredo from Colorado was next. ... And while I agree with him I think he is too harsh for a lot of people. ... I've met Governor Gilmore on a few occasions and have found him to be a very firm candidate. Unfortunately he seemed very mean-spirited. ... With a strong focus on family values, good manners and courtesy I really think (Brownback) can be trusted. ... And next, Tommy Thompson from Wisconsin. ... After hearing him I really think he is a strong candidate. ... He really believes in giving people a chance, be it through school choice or job training. ... And, finally, Senator John McCain. ... He was the only speaker to roam the stage and talked to the audience as "friends". He's incredibly likeable. And intelligent. And funny. And not the guy. I like him, but he's not the guy.

Labels: Jim_Gilmore, John_Cox, John_McCain, Mike_Huckabee, Rudy_Giuliani, Tom_Tancredo, Tommy_Thompson

... RPI's Lincoln Dinner Winners: Huckabee, Tancredo, Thompson, McCain
... For what I saw on CSPAN and the reports people have emailed me, I think all the kandidates did a good job Saturday night, but I think some did a better job than others. I know that many of you think I'm a Huckabee homer, but I thought Huckabee used Saturday's event to make a very favorable impression on Iowa caucus goers ... Kongressman Tom Tancredo might have served up some cheesecake in his post event reception, but he dished out a ton of red meat right after dinner. ... For months I've given kudos to Tommy Thompson's Iowa kampaign team, but I was impressed by Thompson's speech. He offered the most detailed plans of any candidate that spoke at the dinner. ... Senator McCain's speech was more about style than substance. Usually I give people bad marks for this, but one of the biggest obstacles McCain must overcome in Iowa is his image.

Labels: John_McCain, Mike_Huckabee, RPI, Tom_Tancredo, Tommy_Thompson

Tom Tancredo is running ads on the Randy Renshaw show that is all about…IMMIGRATION (surprise). The most interesting part, "John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney all support amnesty." Slam. Also Fred Thompson is clearly thinking about running. Why else would you make an announcement about your lymphoma?

Labels: Fred Thompson, John_McCain, Mitt_Romney, Rudy_Giuliani, Tom_Tancredo

... I know that some bloggers and especially the media like to glance over kandidates like Tom Tancredo and Tommy Thompson, but these are the guys who will make a big impact on the Iowa Straw Poll and the Iowa Caucus if you ask me. ... Tancredo's announcement on Jan Mickelsen's radio show kaught me off guard, but I think it was a great idea and a very different way to announce that you are running for President. Mickelsen's audience is exactly the type of people who would respond favorably to Tancredo's stance on illegal immigration and his strong konservative positions on social issues. ... I've read and was told that Thompson turned out 350 to 400 people to their mid day announcement in Des Moines. I think that's a big number. Sure its not what Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, or Mitt Romney have had but it's close, and it's a lot more than other second tier kandidates could draw in Iowa. I don't think Tancredo, Brownback, Huckabee, or Duncan Hunter could put together an event that large.

Labels: Tom_Tancredo, Tommy_Thompson

Tom Tancredo's visit to Iowa over the weekend has awakened me to the fact that Americans need to face some history. Between comments to articles and some stuff in the blogosphere, American defense of "our culture" takes some disturbing tones. ... The US annexed Texas and disputed territories, with full knowledge that it was still claimed by Mexico. Further, we failed to obtain the rest of the southwest by purchase. Because of these facts, we went to war. In that war, US claims to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California were fully realized. Our war not only deprived Mexico of its rightful territory, but also led to decades of continuing slavery for blacks in those areas ... The US is the great country that it is today in spite of these facts, but these facts should humble us in considering our responsibilities to our less fortunate neighbors to the south.

Labels: immigration, Tom_Tancredo

Congrats to Steve Scheffler and the crew over at the Iowa Christian Alliance for a great kick off event. ... It was also great to see Bill Salier and Matt Whitaker back at a political venue. Matt was there in a purely personal capacity, I hasten to add. Bill is State Chair for Tom Tancredo, a good pairing, and was on duty, so to speak. Both Matt and Bill have very bright futures on our side of the aisle, if they want them. RVP was looking in fine form as both he and Danny Carroll were there for Mike Huckabee. ... Most importantly, the Republican mood seemed much, much more optimistic than at anytime since before Memorial Day last year. That was the best sign of all.

Labels: Iowa GOP, Mike_Huckabee, Tom_Tancredo