White House Assails Tom Tancredo for Suggesting Obama Go "Back" to Kenya

AP

The White House slammed former Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado today for his recent remarks suggesting President Obama was not born in the United States.

"If his wife says Kenya is his homeland, why don't we just send him back?" Tancredo said at a South Carolina Tea Party rally over the weekend, the Greenville News reports.

The so-called "birther movement," questioning Mr. Obama's origins, began during his presidential campaign. It has steadily persisted through Mr. Obama's presidency, in spite of overwhelming evidence he was born in the United States -- including his 1961 birth announcement, printed in two Hawaii newspapers.

Tancredo is known for making incendiary remarks, particularly with respect to immigration, and has used extreme rhetoric to talk about the president before.

When asked today about Tancredo's recent remarks, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said he had no comment.

"I could probably fill the better part of my afternoons responding to the general lunacy of somebody like Tom Tancredo," Gibbs said.

A number of Tea Party supporters have adopted inflammatory rhetoric to talk about the administration and the federal government in general. On the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, some are saying the vitriol could lead to another home-grown terrorist attack.

[Fight4Rights]

Did Obama change the term to "Birth Announcement"? Is this like the idea that this administration won't use the word "Terrorist"? I forget that freedom of speech is only ok if people want to hear what you have to say. It's a shame.

[SCREW_ALL_THE_REPUBLICANS]

Why anyone is surprised by this is beyond me! We all know that the TEABAGGERS are the media arm of the KKK(REPUBLICAN PARTY). No one minded this country having a deficit when that ******* thug GW was burying us in debt all in the name of WMDS!!!! Helluva shorterm memory you guys have.

[Fight4Rights]

People were screaming about Bush too...it's the Democrats that have a short-term memory. But I am happy to see that there are still ignorant Democrats around to show people how to be racist without proof. I am glad that society still has people that love to create drama with the race card. Schmuck.

[msbobbie43]

shop77, Tom Tancredo has spoke often about his Italian heritage, and his grandparents who came here legally, learned to speak English, insisted English be spoken in their home, studied to become American citizens and worked hard to achieve the American Dream.

Tom has spoke often of the illegals who have come here, including European visa overstays, and against our government that has not enforced the laws.

Before getting into politics he taught Civics in a Denver area middle school.

As a U.S. Congressman, he challenged President Bush on Immigration Reform so often Karl Rove banned him from the White House, then went to Littleton, Co to try to find someone to run against Tom and was laughed out of town.

Racist he is not! Perhaps you were not paying attention when he was the only GOP Presidential Candidate to accept the NAACP invitation to speak at their 2007 convention in Detroit, and received at least two standing ovations.

I supported him in 2006 and I would support him again if he chose to run.

[jestrader]

I demand to see proof that Tancredo's grandparents came here legally. If he can't produce authenticated birth certificates, I think he and all his klan should be shipped back to Italy posthaste!

[montana3000]

Send the alien back to Mars would have been more appropriate.

[jgg000101]

instead of "assailing tom trancredo" why doesn't the white house clear this up? any US citizen on this board could resolve this in 5 minutes if it were them. With what obama has provided he couldn't be approved to play Little League baseball much less be POTUS. I can't believe that this is still an issue. This should be an easy problem to solve. I can't blame anyone but obama for this.

[Zann-Zel]

They did clear this up, for those that would listen.
But for those that wouldn't believe it if it hit them over the head, (because they just don't want to) - sorry, there is no Hope!

[jgg000101]

obviously, they haven't cleared anything up if the problem persists.
There's a mayor in illinois, trancredo, soldiers, generals, as well as a large segment of the population who have questions. Why did obama's aunt say she witnessed his birth in kenya? His stepbrother said the same thing. Michelle called kenya obama's "home country". What has been provided, and what you claim as "cleared up" has been either a forgery, or unacceptable -- to even the freaken little league! The only hard evidence are the two hawaiian officials who say he was born there and that a long form bc exists, and a newspaper article. If anyone can clear this up it's obama, and he has not done it. It should be the easiest thing in the world to do without flying through a volcanic cloud.

[maxboll]

I?m proud of him where ever he come from.

[allienavale]

Gerardo...you are absolutely right. There are so many priests, ministers, imams and the like who spew "VITRIOL" and applaud racist nonsense. Men like Louis Farrakhan AKA Louis Eugene Walcott, Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr., Alfred Charles Sharpton, Jr, Rev Jesse Jackson, Rev Michael Pheilgler, Elijah Muhammad, Master Wallace Fard Muhammad, Leonard Jeffries (the melanin theory..really?)...would you like that I go on? I can. It really is not difficult to find overt racism embedded in every race (why you yourself are a racist by your own remarks). Or you can, if you choose, struggle to make a connection to racism because a man who happens to be white makes a remark regarding a remark made by the president's wife. She named Kenya as the president's birthplace...his home country. If Barbara would have said that Bush was happy to be back in his home country of Denmark, there would have undoubtedly been "Go Back to Denmark W" stickers everywhere. Like the Dumber than a Rock stickers, the Kill W stickers, the Kill W movie...(wondering why none of those were considered racist...). Ahh well. Keep going with your line of faulty logic though. In the end it makes the rest of us look that much more intelligent.

[Carlasta]

It is against our Constitution for someone born out side the US to be elected President. Other than being born in Kenya, there are other reasons this man should never had been elected. 1) He is a liar, 2)He is a murder of the innocent, and 3)His mission he was hired for is to destroy the people of the US. This is to be done by keeping our troops in other countries, fighting false wars, so the Elite can start a Police Nation to in-slave us and put us in Concentration Camps that are spread throughout the US. The man is a murderer of the innocent.

[valleywiz]

Tom Tancredo is a complete moron.

[jramos2010]

Moron is an understatement....I often wonder why and how such an inhumane person like him is ever given an opportunity to even play a part in anything having to do with politics...For him to attack the President, now that's pretty "low class" if you ask me.The comical part of politicians like him is that these idiots actually think they are "educated individuals".OH PLEASE GIMME A BREAK!!!!!

[shop77]

i wonder how Tancredo's elders feel about his attitude toward immigration; i wonder how a man like him was even able to get into political office and has he forgotten that America was built by people of colour and immigrants... goodness... does he know his civics or is he among the many that seem to be trying to rewrite it ... People need to get out the VOTE this mid-term ...we cannot allow people like him or McConnell get into office or take back their country ... this country is in great need of being fixed by people who care about all Americans unlike Republicans and the Tea Party group who only care about a select few and who not only practice behavior of the 1800' might even prefer it...
i vote to move into the 21st Century

[timdgrim]

by AlanW2126p April 19, 2010 7:09 PM EDT
What's a lune? Oh yeah, I forgot, spelling is not a liberal strength, is it?
*******************
That's the French slang version of the word...'Loo-nay' YOU are just an American LOON like that RASCIST (is that spelled right?)LOON Tancredo!

[chitown639]

Just when the Tea Baggers thought they were turning the corner on the racist label, then their true colors are revealed again by this nitwit....