Thread: GOP congressman wants Tancredo booted from party

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3084227

Article Launched: 10/04/2005 01:00:00 AM

GOP congressman wants Tancredo booted from party
Rep. Darrell Issa of San Diego says the Coloradan, who backs an anti-illegal-immigration independent in a Calif. race against Republicans, "doesn't care who gets hurt."
By Anne C. Mulkern
Denver Post Staff Writer



Washington - A San Diego Republican congressman wants Colorado U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo kicked out of the Republican Party because he endorsed an independent who is running against a Republican in California.

"He doesn't care who gets hurt. He doesn't care what the damage is that gets done to the Republican movement or the conservative movement as long as he gets on television," said Rep. Darrell Issa.

The criticism came after anti- illegal-immigration stalwart Tan credo taped a radio advertisement backing Jim Gilchrist for election to a Newport Beach, Calif.-based seat in the U.S. House. Gilchrist founded the Minuteman Project, a citizens group that patrols the U.S.-Mexico border.

Gilchrist is running as an independent in a special election today against two Republicans, one of whom - John Campbell - is endorsed by the California Republican Party. The election is to fill the seat of Christopher Cox, who was recently appointed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under California law, unless one candidate gets 51 percent of the vote or more, there will be a runoff with the top vote-getters for each political party, which could push Gilchrist into a runoff against a Republican.

"He's great on my issue," Tancredo said of Gilchrist, referring to immigration. "He's a leader that has actually done something rather than talk about it."

Gilchrist is a former Republican who left the party because of his frustration over how it was handling the immigration issue, Tancredo said.

Tancredo said he did not expect Gilchrist to win but that his campaign pushes the immigration issue into the election.

In California, a Republican who endorses a candidate running against another Republican can have his or her membership in the party revoked. The same is not true on the federal level, though Issa said Tancredo has hurt his ability to work with other U.S. House members.

Issa is the latest Republican to criticize Tancredo. Utah's Rep. Chris Cannon also questioned Tancredo's Republican credentials after Tancredo backed a challenger to Cannon in a Republican primary.

Issa lambasted Tancredo last week at the Republican U.S. House members' weekly meeting.

Tancredo said he came in at the end of Issa's criticisms and then stepped to the microphone to explain his position.

"I long ago gave up any sort of idea that I was going to be able to work within the party structure to accomplish my goals," Tancredo said in an interview.

Tancredo called Issa a "country-club Republican" who is out of touch with the common man.

Issa said he served in the Army and started his business with $7,000, adding, "I've never gone to a country club, and I don't golf."

Tancredo called Issa a "country-club Republican" who is out of touch with the common man.

Bingo.

Bah, will never happen. I don't think you can actually kick someone out of a "Party" can you? There has been a lot of poo throwing here in Denver the last few days. I didn't see this pop through the forum so here it is:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3084994
http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_3067596
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3076639

Originally Posted by rakishoner

Bah, will never happen. I don't think you can actually kick someone out of a "Party" can you? There has been a lot of poo throwing here in Denver the last few days. I didn't see this pop through the forum so here it is:

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_3084994
http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_3067596
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_3076639

Looks like 2 of those articles were posted on the forum.


https://www.alipac.us/ftopict-10500.html

https://www.alipac.us/ftopict-10331-lawmakers.html

Thanks Brian, sorry for the double.

A San Diego Republican congressman wants Colorado U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo kicked out of the Republican Party because he endorsed an independent who is running against a Republican in California.

Well, so much for the Republican Big Tent.

Yeah, well perhaps we should just place all those that dont do a thing and charge them with treason? Cant we do that as citizens? Hell iam all up for Impeachment of Bush just to scare the hell out of him, though i doubt that would happen. Also What has Issa done in his county that he is Congressman of? All i see is a bunch of Aliens coming across.

P

Given what the republican't party looks like, and with the indictment of Delay, etc., I almost think to be thrown out of the reprehensible party would be an honor. Tom would land on his feet, no big deal.

In my view the distancing of viable candidates from the influence peddling mill(washington d.c. dc = disconnected) is vital to someday getting a 3rd party, free from the parasitic paid lobbies that infest the current incarnation of our governmnent.

As usual those who are corrupt need only be given the rope to hang themselves. g

Although I've always voted Republican (or independent a couple of times) and used to contribute to Republicans and generally lean further to the conservative side than the liberal side, I think Tancredo's nation movement is much more important than Issa's Republican movement and conservative movement. Don't those movements require having a nation in order to make them possible? Seems that Tancredo cares more about the nation while Issa cares more about his own little cliques. And, I thought preserving the nation was supposed to be both a Republican value and a conservative value anyway -- maybe not.

The only thing that the two "big parties" show a commitment too is the steady flow of political donations and peddling for special interest.