Thread: Tancredo: Tough Talk

Tancredo touts common culture, derides illegal immigration
By BRET HAYWORTH
Courier Lee News Service

SIOUX CITY --- Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo pushed the pedal on his get-tough-on-illegal-immigration stance and didn't let up.

Bringing his Save America Tour to Sioux City early Tuesday in a final push for a strong showing in Saturday's straw poll in Ames, Colorado Congressman Tancredo hit the immigration topic from the beginning. In the hourlong event, he referenced high gas prices and universal health care, and was asked about abortion and taxes, but Tancredo said the defining issue of the times is dealing with illegal immigration, which he said undermines the future of America.

In fact, Tancredo said "one of the reasons I undertook this endeavor" of running for president was to highlight how upset Americans are with the 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants who are a drain on resources and the nation's culture. Bay Buchanan, a key Tancredo adviser and a sister of Pat Buchanan, said she asked Tancredo to run for president to be the face of the illegal immigration issue, and she is glad he did.

Whether Republicans or Democrats, Buchanan said, "America will no longer tolerate amnesty politicians."

Frequently receiving applause from the 45 people at the Quality Inn, Tancredo said illegal immigration, generally coming from the south borders, puts much pressure on schools and medical facilities, and also harms the environment when illegal crossings damage pristine lands. There are concerns that "porous borders create national security problems" and that illegal immigrants push illegal drugs, he added.

But the "most disconcerting" aspect of illegal immigration, Tancredo said, is the "bilingualization" of America. He held up a copy of the Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier, lamenting an edition published both in English and Spanish. He said the acceptance of the "push one for English, two for Spanish" on phone messages is just another sign of "this cult of multiculturalism."

Once immigrants come to America, they need to cohere in a common culture, he said, adding that the English language is the glue that aids that.

"The public school used to be the one place where assimilation did occur," but Tancredo said those days are past with so many Spanish-speaking immigrants. He contrasted the lack of assimilation today with the approach of the Tancredo family on emigrating from Italy in the 1890s. Even when his grandparents bickered, and his grandfather returned to using Italian, Tancredo said, his grandmother would respond, "Speak American!"

Tancredo said there is a simple way to deal with the illegal immigrants -- "enforce the law" and prosecute illegal immigrants, a statement that drew considerable applause.

"It is called attrition through enforcement. It will work," he said.

Tancredo praised those who flooded Congressional phone banks last month to beat back an immigration reform bill that would have given a path to legal status by paying a fine, back taxes and learning English. Tancredo derided fellow Republican candidates Tommy Thompson and Mitt Romney as being pro-amnesty politicians, citing statements and votes. He said President Bush has failed on immigration reform, and for his outspokenness in that regard Tancredo noted he'd been banned by Bush's key adviser Karl Rove from returning to the White House.

Linking both illegal and legal immigration, Tancredo said massive immigration of the last 40 years has strained U.S. resources, so "it is time for a time-out" and to let assimilation of those in the country to take place.

Additionally, he said as western Europe becomes increasingly "Islamicized" in population ("the largest mosque in the world is being built in London, the most common name for a male child today being born in several cities in Europe now is Mohammed"), the U.S. is "the last, best hope of western civilization here. When the lights go out here, they go out all over the world."

Said Tancredo, "If there is a sort of confusion on our part about who we are and what we are, then we cannot be successful in this clash of civilizations."

Ooops! I hit the submit button twice by accident. If someone knows how to take one off, please do so. Thanks

GREAT article.. but do you have a link..?

Try this link. I think the article pops right up on this page.

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2007 ... 442666.txt