Tancredo Quits GOP Race, Endorses Romney

Republican Rep. Made Opposition To Illegal Immigration The Centerpiece Of His Campaign

(CBS/AP)  Rep. Tom Tancredo dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday and endorsed rival Mitt Romney.

Tancredo, a five-term congressman from Colorado, had based his campaign on fighting illegal immigration and has run television ads that link lax border control to terrorist attacks, rape and other crimes. He has consistently polled at the bottom of the nine-person Republican field.

He announced his withdrawal two weeks before Iowa begins the presidential nominating process with the precinct caucuses.

Tancredo, who has consistently polled at the bottom of the nine-man Republican field, said he decided to drop out in part because of concern that his presence could split the vote for other candidates who have taken a hard line on immigration, helping those who would take a less restrictive approach.

"I fear remaining in this race, one which I cannot win, would contribute to the nomination of one of these candidates," he said.

In the latest CBS News/New York Times poll, Tancredo received just one percent support among Republican primary voters nationwide.

In Iowa, he received three percent support among likely caucus goers in a CBS News/New York Times poll last month.

Tancredo identified Mike Huckabee and John McCain as two Republican candidates whose records indicate they wouldn't be tough enough on immigration.

"We have done too much, we have come too far for me to allow that to happen," Tancredo said.

Romney was campaigning in Iowa and planned to make a statement later Thursday.

Tancredo said he and Romney met Thursday for more than an hour and he left the meeting convinced that the former Massachusetts governor would do what's necessary to fight illegal immigration.

None of the other candidates hit the issue as hard as Tancredo. One of his campaign ads showed a man in a hooded sweat shirt with a backpack in a crowded mall. The screen goes dark at the sound of an explosion, then shows clips of the aftermath of terrorist acts in Europe.

Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University in Des Moines, said Tancredo forced his GOP rivals to talk about immigration.

"What Tancredo has done is analogous to what a third-party candidate does," Goldford said. "They call attention to and articulate an issue that the other two main parties neglect or don't see" and then after forcing the issue they disappear.

Tancredo announced in October that he would not seek a sixth term in Congress, but hinted he would consider running for the Senate after his presidential bid.

Colorado will have an open Senate seat next year when Republican Wayne Allard retires.

Fears about illegal immigration boosted Tancredo's profile, but it didn't translate into support as reflected by his low standing in national and state polls and his limited fundraising. In part, candidates such as Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani usurped Tancredo's hardline stance on the issue, prompting the congressman to quip at one debate that "all I've heard is people trying to out-Tancredo Tancredo."

Tancredo drew criticism for a controversial campaign ad that showed a man in a hooded sweat shirt with a backpack in a crowded mall. The screen goes dark at the sound of an explosion, and then the ad shows clips of the aftermath of terrorist acts in Europe, including a picture of a bloodied child.

"There are consequences to open borders beyond the 20 million aliens who have come to take our jobs," a narrator says. "Islamic terrorists now freely roam U.S. soil, jihadists who froth with hate, here to do as they have in London, Spain, Russia. The price we pay for spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill."

"I approve this message because someone needs to say it," Tancredo says at the beginning of the ad. (Click here to read more and watch the ad.)

Tancredo took credit in July for some of the political woes that have befallen McCain, once the front-runner in the GOP race. Tancredo has hammered McCain in Iowa and other states for supporting a failed immigration bill in Congress that would have legalized millions of immigrants now in the country.

The grandson of an Italian immigrant, Tancredo says he became angry about illegal immigration because of bilingual education requirements in schools. He says those requirements turned out students who were illiterate in two languages.

Tancredo wants the military to patrol U.S. borders and employers to be required to prove a need for short-term foreign workers.

Never shy about stirring controversy, Tancredo told a radio talk-show host that "you could take out" Islamic holy sites should terrorists ever launch a nuclear attack against the United States.

When asked if he meant bombing holy sites like Mecca, Tancredo answered: "Yeah" and said he was "just throwing out some ideas."

[nolalou]

uuforyou, it doesn''t matter, Huckabee, Romney.. they are both spelled L O S E R next November!

[tacyr1242]

Given that Mr. Tancreado comes from Colorado Springs, home base for at least 60 right wing evangelical Christian churches, I''m sure ya''ll appreciate the irony in my salutation regarding his dropping out of the presidential race: THANK GOD!

[terrapin78]

I am in Tancredo''s district and I for one will be glad to have a chance at having a US Congressman that represents my views instead of his own narrow, Right-wing views.

He always had views contrary to mine. I contact his office weekly.

[dan9111]

Hopefully the Tancredo supporters will switch to Ron Paul. I cannot see voting for RP only because he is still amoral and an apologist for violence-driven policy. But he is slightly better. And even if he isn''t, what could be better than to prove the biased media-driven pollsters have it wrong once again.

[manq-2009]

It is on February 5th that 20 states have the unique opportunity to tell our government that we want to change the course our country is currently taking. We have the opportunity to tell our government:

* That America and other nations want to end the wars that are costing lives and %u201Clooting%u201D America
* That we demand restoration of the Constitution and the respect for the rule of law in our nation
* That we demand a fiscal policy that will not expand, but reduce the debt upon our future generations
* That we demand policy change that does not punish people who save money with consistent inflation
* That we want a phase-out of the Internal Revenue Service and elimination of income taxation
* That we demand an end to the corporate welfare paid by taxpayers (i.e. big oil)
* That we demand sponsorship of legislation designed to encourage the development of alternative and sustainable
energy for the environment and for national security
* That we demand comprehensive immigration reform that removes incentives to break the law
* That we demand retention of our national sovereignty by stopping the NAFTA superhighway or coming merger with Canada and Mexico via the (2010) North American Union or %u201CS.P.P.%u201D ( www.spp.gov )
* That our private property rights must be respected and not stripped away for land developers

The man to do it is Ron Paul

[cdfoxtrot]

Never heard of him. Didn''t know he was "in" the race.

[davidlar2]

I thought the Libertarian movement was largely about free trade (eliminating government restrictions, duties, and tariffs on imported goods to have the freedom to buy what you want) and freer immigration (so long as you can support yourself/not having the government tell employers that they need to hire more expensive less qualified Americans instead of whomever they want to hire). Seems to me that trade protectionism and opposition to liberalizing immigration laws amount to big government and are very un-libertarian.

Why are the most vehement supporters of the "Libertarian candidate" (Ron Paul) also opposed to freer trade and freer legal immigration? As a Libertarian, I ask myself that and other questions (like about Ron Paul being pro-life) as I think about voting for him anyway as possibly the best candidate available.

[andor3]

Tancredo is a fringe nutcase with radical views on immigration. He got a little attention back when immigration seemed to be an issue, and thought that meant he should be king... err president.

[cdfoxtrot]

At least he''ll be able to say he was undefeated in the primaries.

[gkc99]

Tancredo is OK with illegals as long as they''re trimming the grass at governors'' mansions.

[superdem]

All you right wing religious freaks need to understand that the millions of illegals swamping our country are running from nations that are extremely religious, have no *** eduction, no birth control, and no abortion. These countries are exploding with people who cannot get jobs because their governments coddle the rich and offer no social programs - in short, these people are running from nations which are just like what THEY WANT HERE.

[randaids]

These countries are exploding with people who cannot get jobs because their governments coddle the rich and offer no social programs - in short, these people are running from nations which are just like what THEY WANT HERE.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by superdem at 05:21 PM : Dec 20, 2007

Yeah, but we don''t want our country to become like their countries which is exactly what is happening.
Our American ancestors endured plenty of hardships, persecution and a few wars to create what is America. Why would anyone here want that overrun, by anyone.

[perception5]

Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee and the 45th President of the USA.

All the candidates for the Dems are Junior 1-term Senators except for Hillary Rotten Clinton who is just starting her 2nd term. The Dems candidates are also pretty far to the left for most Americans. Just two reasons why no Dems take the White House in 2008.

America is the largest enterprise in the world and Mitt Romney is the only candidate from either party that is qualified to run this enterprise.

If Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney............best candidate hands down!

[vastr-wcon]

.
Tancredo played a useful role in the campaign by bringing the undeclared war with mexico to the attention of millions. The support and encouragement that mexico provides to the 10,000 daily invaders of our country, in addition to their turning a blind eye to attacks on our Boarder Patrol agents from their side of the boarder, are acts of war that must be addressed.

Tancredo highlighted that fact that America needs a president that will defend the boarders, instead of caving to the profit interest of corporations - at the cost of better wages for American citizens.

Good job, Tancredo!

.

[davidlar2]

Countries that have less restricted access to the labor their economies need will end up wealthier in the global economy than countries that end up with higher labor costs and less access to qualified hard working labor.

America does not have high unemployment and America has a labor shortage in both the highly skilled and the unskilled ends of the labor market. Its too bad that we can''t have a functional legal immigration system that meets the needs of the American economy and Tom Tancredo is partly to blame for standing in the way of immigration reforms, even reforms like ending the H1B visa cap that have nothing to do with Mexico or illegal immigrants.

Do you want to buy $20 oranges while the high tech sector moves to Asia because of not enough qualified Americans and visa hassles for qualified immigrants?

[cdfoxtrot]

I think the guy got more coverage today for his withdrawal than he did for his entire campaign to date. Why is it that Republicans always get a lot of attention for "withdrawals"?

[lawyertom1]

Another nut bits the dust. Adiss tz pedazo de mierda.

[thisandthat1]

perception5 .... you''re very perceptive! I agree that Mitt Romney WILL get the nomination and win the general election next Fall and go on to be one of our best Presidents. (Prediction #2 ... Bill and Hillary give up their phony N.Y. address and go back to Little Rock and open a used car dealership.)

[standlee5]

If Romney is tough on border security and illegal immigration than maybe he is the right for the GOP candididate.

[gkc99]

"reforms like ending the H1B visa cap that have nothing to do with Mexico or illegal immigrants.
Do you want to buy $20 oranges while the high tech sector moves to Asia because of not enough qualified Americans and visa hassles for qualified immigrants? "--Posted by davidlar2


What a crock that is. The H1B visa program was a training program for Asians so they could take American jobs back to their own countries. It was bought and paid for by the Bill Gates and Larry Ellisons. Hundreds of thousands of highly competent US tech workers were laid off so the corporate masters could use the H1B to import their coolie labor from Asia. Now the coolies are going back to Asia with their jobs!

You can thank the globalizers when your job goes offshore. And be sure to thank Dianne Feinstein for her suckie=up to the Silicon Valley elite in importing hundreds of thousands of foreigners to take American jobs so the Larry Ellisons could buy another yacht.

[gkc99]

"Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee and the 45th President of the USA."--Posted by perception5


Looks like the "gates of perception" are a bit cloudy from all the boolsheeyit being spun here!

Romnuts doesn''t have a chance. The Dems hate him for his smarmy Bushit-kissing positions on foreign policy, and the Endtimers hate him for his blasphemous religious beliefs. Maybe Romnuts can explain to us how many times Jeezis boinked Mrs. God.

[perception5]

Romnuts doesn''''t have a chance. The Dems hate him for his smarmy Bushit-kissing positions on foreign policy, and the Endtimers hate him for his blasphemous religious beliefs. Maybe Romnuts can explain to us how many times Jeezis boinked Mrs. God.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by gkc99 at 07:27 PM : Dec 20, 2007

.........wont need the Dems(too far to the left).......the Independents will be flocking to Mitt Romney plus the GOP means President Romney..........the most qualified candidate running from either party in 2008.......hands down!..........GO MITT!

[tessies101]

Next in line for being the hardest on NO AMNESTY and SECURING OUR BORDERS WITH OUR OWN TROOPS is Ron Paul. With all the flip flopping Mitt has done I am just shocked that Tancredo would endorse Romney.
Tancredo was just another neo-con like Romney.

http://RonPaul2008.com

[sgtrds]

If I was a Romney supporter then (just before I shot myself for being so ignorant as to support him) I''d ask Romney to turn down the endorsement of a racist like Tom Tancredo. Unless of course they get their white sheets and hoods cleaned the same cleaners.

[p-syrus]

There are two questions that REAL news journalists would have asked. Neither of those questions were raised in this report.

A. What is the amount of the remaining campaign debt for Rep. Tancredo?

B. How will that debt be paid off?

My bet is: the Romney campaign did a leveraged buy-out. :-)

[prinzowhales]

Now, the real Tancredo has stood up...he was the Establishment''s candidate to attract those opposed to illegal immigration and try to insinuate them back into the mainstream...now, he''s endorsing the New World Order''s Romney...and the two Border Patrolmen rotting in prison for doing their job that he had championed?...The two ''Religiosities''--Romney and Hucksterbee--as far as I know, have failed to address their plight. The vile animal, Bush, had his chance to grant them forgiveness...instead he chose to grant that to a few drug offenders while Romney employees illegals.

Romney will follow Bush''s war policy. Tancredo will reward Americans who don''t spend their billions in the United States by taxing the spending of working Americans. There is little or no difference between the remaining Republicans other than Ron Paul.

When will CBS have the guts to address the tons of CIA dope captured on CIA linked airplanes connected to big Republican donors and renditions?

When will CBS ask where the $2.3 TRILLION went that Donald Rumsfeld said on September 10, 2001 was missing from Pentagon accounts?

[hobbes1831]

i need to see tancredo''s underwear before making a judgement...

[jsilver2th]

PUTS MITT OVER THE TOP FOR SURE
HA HA

[brianbwb-2009]

I''''d ask Romney to turn down the endorsement of a racist like Tom Tancredo. Unless of course they get their white sheets and hoods cleaned the same cleaners.
Posted by SgtRDS

If Romney had even half a soul, you wouldn''t have to ask, but you are not far from the truth with the second sentence of your post.

[coolprophet]

MORMONS ARE GOOD PEOPLE
There are lots of Mormons where I live. For the most part, they are good people, but they mostly keep to themselves. However, they do have some strange beliefs: that people of color are descendants of Lucifer (Lamanites); that they need to wear special undergarments they obtain from their church; celestial marriage; that mankind was created on a different planet and planted here by the Mormon Jesus and his Brother, Lucifer. There''s more, but I''ll spare you. Research it yourself. I personally think Joseph Smith ate some really good mushrooms before Moroni appeared to him in the woods of New York and inspired him to write the Book of Mormon. I don''t hold anything against Romney for being Mormon, though. I don''t like him because Romney, like Giuliani, is soft on illegal immigration and national sovereignty (as most globalist CFR members are), and he''s a war-monger who approves the use of torture. I love my country, and with a guy like him in office, Old Glory will be coming down soon, and the North American Union flag goes up. They are already minting the "Amero" (the replacement for the Dollar) at the U.S. Mint in Denver, and most people are clueless. Why do you think The Fed is tanking our Dollar. It''s the age old "Problem Reaction Solution" dialectic--after they cause our economy to collapse, we''ll be begging them to save us with their new, silver-based NAU currency. Ron Paul is the only candidate who has done anything to protect U.S. sovereignty.

[keithle1]

The only people that cared about Tancredo running were his wife & mother. Next to drop out will be Mr. Invisible Duncan Hunter.

[keithle1]

On the Democratic side, if you''re not Clinton, Obama or Edwards, you need to start thinking about dropping out. You''re going to get your head handed to you in Iowa. Why waste money? You''re tired. Your family is tired. Do us all a favor. Disappear.

[perception5]

Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee and the 45th President of the USA.

All the candidates for the Dems are Junior 1-term Senators except for Hillary Rotten Clinton who is just starting her 2nd term. The Dems candidates are also pretty far to the left for most Americans. Just two reasons why no Dems take the White House in 2008.

America is the largest enterprise in the world and Mitt Romney is the only candidate from either party that is qualified to run this enterprise.

If Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney............best candidate hands down!

[hwy71so]

"I am glad to see that an old fashioned racist, hatefulled campaign doesn''''t have a chance in the 21st century.

Posted by koko98 at 11:17 AM : Dec 20, 2007"

What''s racist about wanting security from illegal immigration? Considering these illegals are taking for free what the legal immigrants are paying hard earned money, effort and time for? I think you''re the one with a racist agenda.

[simonsez40]

If Americans liked Ronald Reagan they are going to love Mitt Romney............best candidate hands down!


Posted by perception5

Oh sweet Jesus I just regurgitated! I think a Democrat will be the next president. Republicans have made the majority of Americans angry..........

[hwy71so]

There''s a lot of Mormons living in Colorado...

[coolprophet]

We have got to realize that we are being conditioned on a mass scale. Start challenging this corporate slave state that rules over us all. The Twenty-first Century is going to be a new century. Not the Century of Slavery. Not the Century of Lies. It''s going to be age of Americans standing up for something pure and something right. What a bunch of garbage--liberal Democrats, conservative Republicans. It''s all a phony, poorly-staged, left-right paradigm designed to control you. It''s two sides of the same coin--two management teams bidding for the CEO job of Slavery Incorporated. The truth is out there in front of you, hidden in plain sight, but they lay-out this buffet of lies for us to consume. I''m sick of it, and I''m not going to take a bite out of it anymore. Ron Paul is going to win this thing. The American people are too good. We''re not a bunch of underachievers. We''re going to stand-up together and beat the odds. We are going to get fired-up and use our creativity, our enegy, and our burning desire for freedom to show Slavery Incorporated that the dynamic human spirit of the Twenty-first Century refuses to submit.

[pelostilaho]

Tancredo,

You might as well have endorsed Ron Paul. Mitt Romney is a Mormon joke.

Fred Thompson should have been your choice. Frankly after all your tough talk, this choice is soooooooo hypocritical and disappointing.

[jonesforch]

MERRY CHRISTMAS