Thread: Tancredo spars with border mayors

Tancredo spars with border mayors

Web Posted: 05/02/2008 03:32 PM CDT

By Lynn Brezosky
lbrezosky@express-news.net

BROWNSVILLE — Members of the Texas Border Coalition are sparring with Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo over his muttered suggestion that if border politicians think a border fence will disrupt the region’s multiculturalism, the best place for it might be north of Brownsville.

Tancredo sent a letter to Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada and Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster on Thursday “clarifyingâ€

Members of the Texas Border Coalition are sparring with Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo over his muttered suggestion that if border politicians think a border fence will disrupt the region’s multiculturalism, the best place for it might be north of Brownsville.

gotta love this guy and sounds reasonable to me!!

Congressman, Texans clash over border

McALLEN, Texas — South Texas officials who oppose a border fence are stepping up their criticism of a Colorado congressman who favors the divider.

The mayors of Brownsville and Eagle Pass said Friday that U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo falsely suggested that they believe there is no border between the two countries.

In a letter Friday, Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada and Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster, who is also chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, called the suggestion "ridiculously juvenile," and noted that the Rio Grande is a clear border between the United States and Mexico.

They accused Tancredo of committing a "Washington drive-by attack" and suggested that he "grow up."

At a congressional hearing this week, Tancredo said if people in Brownsville oppose the fence, they should build it around the north side of the border city — in effect, leaving the city on the Mexican side of the fence.

Tancredo's office released a statement Thursday saying that he had written to the two mayors clarifying his comments from a congressional hearing Monday.

"This is a matter of national importance, and the American public should not be asked to sit back and allow a handful of local governments and their friends in the 'open borders' lobby to exercise veto power over something that impacts not only our national security, but our national sovereignty," Tancredo said.

Tancredo, a Republican who has served five terms in the House, ran for president on a platform of opposing illegal immigration. He dropped out of the race in December after consistently polling at the bottom of a nine-person Republican field.


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May 2, 2008 - 10:36 a.m. PDT

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Fences: Anti-immigration leader building verbal barriers


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LONGVIEW NEWS-JOURNAL

Friday, May 02, 2008

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,

Don't fence me in

Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,

Don't fence me in

— Lyrics by Cole Porter made famous by Bing Crosby

B ing Crosby and Cole Porter are no longer with us — and that might be a good thing.

If they were still alive they might find themselves dead in the sights of Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, a politician who has waged the only anti-immigrant campaign that could steal the thunder from CNN's Lou Dobbs.

When one listens to some of Tancredo's proclamations, it becomes easier to understand Sen. Barack Obama's observations about bitterness.

Several weeks ago Tancredo, whose presidential campaign based on anti-immigrant vitriol never gained steam, was in the headlines because he decided Pope Benedict XVI could not possibly be expressing his faith-based views when he came to America and said, "I want to encourage you and your communities to continue to welcome the immigrants who join your ranks today, to share their joys and hopes, to support them in their sorrows and trials and to help them flourish in their new home."

Citing a prior report that the Catholic Church had been losing many American-born members but was gaining many new immigrant members, Tancredo responded to the pope's call for benevolence saying, "This isn't preaching; it is faith-based marketing."

For a politician so focused on shutting down our nation's southern border to illegal immigration, Tancredo certainly seems to recognize few boundaries when it comes to civility and tact.

As if to prove that observation, the bitter lawmaker tried to trump even his own callousness this week when visiting Brownsville, down in the region where his beloved border fence would have to end when it reaches the sea.

Tancredo was not warmly received in Brownsville. He was actually greeted with boos and hisses when he contradicted some Texans' views that a border fence as envisioned by Tancredo and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would be a travesty for people living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Of course, the rude behavior might have started with Tancredo, who at one point dismissively described a local woman's objections as a "multiculturalist attitude toward borders."

Yes, congressman, there are many people in our state with multicultural attitudes toward borders and a host of other issues. That may well be because our state has, since its inception, been blessed with a multicultural population.

When people in the crowd at the Brownsville hearing jeered Tancredo's rejoinder, he added, "I suggest that you build this fence around the northern part of your city."

People in Brownsville might want to adapt Porter's lyrics to: "Don't fence us out . . ."

All we know is that Tancredo and leaders of his ilk are doing little to really advance the kind of changes that could help our nation comprehensively address the issue of illegal immigration. Their brand of vitriol and their unwillingness to consider the views of people who disagree with them have resulted in a long, acrimonious stand off that ultimately allows the problem to not only continue, but to grow.

First he tells the pope to keep his nose out of our business and now he tells Americans to keep their nose out of our business. He doesn't seem to understand that Americans who disagree with him are still "us."

Link

Texas Border Coalition

These guys are hand picked by OBL TX Gov. Rick Perry. No wonder they are fighting the fence. It's all about them.

Those fools on the border need to get over it. I'm sure the good people of Kansas don't want to live on top of a bunch of missile silo's either and they do it for the protection of all Americans. I think one of those little border mayors should live in a house near an air base, artillery range or military equipment manufacturer. Hmmm, that's not pleasant either but people do it for the greater good and they don't bitch and moan like children. They are realistic, and understand that it's best for the majority of Americans.

Dixie

Tancredo was not warmly received in Brownsville. He was actually greeted with boos and hisses when he contradicted some Texans' views that a border fence as envisioned by Tancredo and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would be a travesty for people living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

There obviously aren't any Americans living in Brownsville.

Tancredo is a great American.

Tancredo and U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, are strong proponents of the fence and were at odds with Democrats on the panel who said the fence will be an ineffective blight for a region that thrives on social and economic ties with Mexico.

Two real heros !

Speaking of blight.....no one ever mentions the tons and tons of garbage, discarded clothing, food and drink containers etc left behind by the IA's. Come to think of it, the pro IA's NEVER mention anything negative, at all. Not even when presented with concrete evidence.

These people (Texas cities),should be allowed, no, forced, to make a vote whether they want to be part of Mexico or the USA. If Mexico, we build the fence north of them. If USA--they need to shut up, grow up and recognize that their cities are the first line of defense against the illegal invasion.

I blame no one for wanting the best of both worlds, but when it harms the rest of America, they need to stand down and do what is right.

PS Way to go Tom Tancredo!

If USA--they need to shut up, grow up and recognize that their cities are the first line of defense against the illegal invasion.

We can't give up an inch of US soil to these invaders !