Thread: Video interview with Tom Tancredo about running for Pres

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LITTLETON - Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado) says he will run for President in 2008 if that's what it will take to get a "legitimate" national discussion on the topic of immigration reform.

Watch the full interview with Tom Tancredo. July 1, 2005. link

The 4th-term Republican made the comments Friday from his home in Littleton where he is preparing to head to Iowa next week to speak with voters in one of the early Presidential Primary states.

Tancredo has already visited New Hampshire and the Carolinas, all states with early Presidential Primaries. His trips are being coordinated by Bay Buchanan, sister and former campaign manager of former Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan.

"I'm not so naive to think I'd be a huge threat to the nominee," Tancredo said. "(But) I am in a position to be influential in the process."

Tancredo has received national attention for his stance on tightening up this country's borders, clashing with not just rival Democrats, but also with leaders of his own party including the President. He says while Congress may want to discuss social security and health care, the American public wants to talk about immigration reform.

"I think it is the most important domestic policy issue we can face," he said. "I am intent on making this immigration issue part of the national debate during that Presidential election... and I will do that any way I can."

If he does run for the nation's highest office, Tancredo would be the fourth Colorado politician to do so in recent years. Former Governor Dick Lamm sought the 1996 Reform Party nomination, losing to Ross Perot. Former U.S. Senator Gary Hart tried twice unsuccessfully (1984 & 198 to become the Democratic Party's nominee for President and former U.S. Representative Patricia Schroeder ran for President in 1988, but dropped out early on.

Political analysts say Tancredo's chances of winning are slim, but his chances of impacting who will, are significant.

"The public is demanding some action (on immigration reform) and Tom Tancredo is the man of the hour," said 9News Political Analyst Floyd Ciruli. "I do believe he is doing a masterful job using this Presidential campaign as a tool to both move the issue up in terms of everybody's attention, but also potentially put pressure on other Presidential candidates.

"This is his issue. He owns it. By Tom being in New Hampshire and Iowa, he is giving himself clout in the Washington debates."

For his part, Tancredo says he does not have the "fire in the belly" needed to run for President and hopes Congress and the President will actually embrace significant immigration reform before the 2008 Presidential election. However, if they don't, he will run for the office.

"If it means at some point saying I'm a candidate, I'll do it," said Tancredo. "Stranger things have happened in politics. I just can't think of any."

"There are people in the administration, and in Mexico, and in Congress, who believe that we should do away with borders entirely. Their ultimate goal is to create this hemispheric ‘free trade’ area consolidating all of North and South America into some kind of ‘United States of the Americas." -Tom Tancredo

I wish Tom would stop being so humble. He can win. A lot of people are ready to support him.

Not only would I vote for him, I would campaign for him and contribute to his campaign! I know of no other politician that gives a rip about this country! Every one of the politicans that voted for CAFTA should be run out of office!

Originally Posted by ohflyingone

Every one of the politicans that voted for CAFTA should be run out of office!

They ought to be tried for Treason!

Humble politicians don't come often. Their arrogance is caused by the relationships they have with lobbyists.

The thngs I've been hearing about Mr. Tancredo leads me to believe that there'd be people that would be willing to cross party lines to vote for him, lots of people, if he runs on this issue.

Originally Posted by ohflyingone

Not only would I vote for him, I would campaign for him and contribute to his campaign! I know of no other politician that gives a rip about this country! Every one of the politicans that voted for CAFTA should be run out of office!

Reoublican United States Senators Allen, Brownback, Frist, Hagel and McCain all voted for CAFTA. All will likely run for president in 2008.

Tom Tancredo will vote against CAFTA.

I WATCHED THAT TAPE. HE IS A NEAT MAN.

HE WOULD BE AN AWESOME PRESIDENT!

http://tancredo.house.gov/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Will Adams

June 30, 2005
(202) 225-7882

Tancredo Blasts CAFTA’s Back Door Immigration Provisions

Trade Pact Threatens U.S. Sovereignty, Allows Foreigners to Side-Step Immigration Laws


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, outlining the lawmaker’s serious concerns with the nearly 1,000 page-long Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).



“This agreement opens America’s borders to a lot more than sugar and bananas,� said Tancredo, “This agreement, as drafted, will effectively give people from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic a de facto right to work in the United States.�



The agreement comes on the heels of prior trade agreements with Singapore and Chile, both of which also included provisions liberalizing immigration law.



Despite continued insistence by CAFTA’s supporters that the deal does not include immigration provisions, the plain language of the agreement suggests otherwise.



Tancredo pointed to Chapter 11 of the agreement, which stipulates that, “Cross-border trade in services or cross-border supply of services means the supply of a service…by a national of a party in the territory of another party.� The agreement goes on to say that the U.S. must ensure that, “measures relating to qualification requirements and procedures, technical standards and licensing requirements do not constitute unnecessary barriers to trade in services,� and are “not in themselves a restriction on the supply of the service.�



“This agreement will allow foreign companies to challenge our immigration policies in international CAFTA tribunals and argue that the laws impede their ability to access the U.S. service sector,� said Tancredo. “That would force Congress to change our immigration laws, or subject our businesses to trade sanctions.�



“If this agreement is approved, the ‘exclusive’ power of Congress to regulate immigration policy will be subjugated to the whim of international tribunals – the same way that Congress ceded its once supreme Constitutional authority to ‘regulate commerce with foreign nations’ to the WTO.�



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I hope everyone gets a chance to listen and view the tape of Tom Tancredo above. It will really motivate everyone to help with his campaign!!

2008