By Jim Spencer
SpencerSpeaks.com
November 1, 2007
Tom Tancredo, the most divisive politician in Colorado and an embarrassment in the U.S. House of Representatives, will not run for re-election. Hallelujah. Let the healing begin.
Whichever Caucasian male succeeds Tancredo in the white bread, solidly Republican 6th Congressional District, he likely won’t be talking about bombing Mecca, calling Miami a Third World city, singing the praises of torturing terrorists or singing Dixie in front of a Confederate flag. Thank you, Jesus. Or whoever your higher power happens to be.
Constituent service took a back seat to race-baiting in Tancredo’s final term. His rants against so-called “illegal aliens” morphed into a bigot’s message against brown people. He wanted to suspend all immigration to get control of the undocumented folks crossing the southern border. He bucked any attempt to deal with an estimated 12 million undocumented workers already in the American economy with anything other than police-state tactics.
Tancredo obsessed on immigration to the exclusion of the people who elected him, most of whom are not Latino.
“The more he became focused on immigration,” said pollster and political analyst Floyd Ciruli, “the less he represented the district. Tom alienated himself from a substantial part of his own party.”
So much for bringing home the bacon.More…
The four men who have expressed interest in replacing Tancredo as the Republican nominee in next November’s election are Secretary of State Mike Coffman, state senators Tom Wiens and Ted Harvey and Will Armstrong, the son of former U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong.
All four will have to talk the talk on illegal immigration to keep Tancredo from attacking them in their Republican primary campaigns. But if Coffman, Wiens, Harvey and Armstrong become single-issue nut jobs like Tancredo, they miss the chance to return the 6th CD to its rightful status. The district can be a cauldron of conservatism that pushes limited government regulation, frugal spending and low taxes without fomenting hate.
“They’ll be rhetorically in line on immigration,” Ciruli predicted, “but not single issue. Tom is in a different place.”
He didn’t use to be. Tancredo got the Republican nomination for the 6th much the way his successor will - in a multi-candidate primary that splits the vote so thoroughly that a tiny percentage of district voters actually determine who goes to Congress.
Ciruli thinks Wiens looks like the front-runner at this point. My money’s on Coffman.
Wiens failed to file timely tax returns on a group he formed supposedly to help soldiers returning from Iraq. When he did file his taxes, records show Wiens distributed less than half of what he collected in donations to actual soldiers. The majority of the money donations went to pay for administration of his group. Excessive overhead is the kiss of death to anyone claiming to operate a charity.
Moreover, Wiens and Harvey often appear strident and vindictive in their right-wing politics. Both senators look like dividers in a district crying out for unification, not to mention real representation.
Will Armstrong has never held public office.
That leaves Coffman. As Secretary of State and former State Treasurer, Coffman has won statewide election twice. He’s a former state legislator. He took a leave of absence from being treasurer to serve as a Marine officer in Iraq.
Mostly, however, Coffman is a nice guy. Coffman is a fiscal and social conservative, but even lefties like him as a person.
That’s a far cry from the human lightning rod he would replace.
And at this point, just what the 6th Congressional District needs.
Copyright 2007 by Jim Spencer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
18 users commented in " Tancredo’s Successor Won’t Be Tommy One-Note "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackHallelujah! He’s leaving. The Sixth District of Colorado deserves better than it got from Tancredo. The right-wing of the Republican Party foisted this loser on a lot of decent people. Before you say a word, Hammond, you’re welcome to him. Remember, this guy didn’t even have a majority of the Republicans when he first ran; taking only a plurality among four Republicans in the GOP primary. Then, he reneged on his pledge to serve only three terms. We know why he’s retiring. He has secured his Congressional pension and lifetime health care based on all the years he worked in the Civil Service before going to Congress. What a guy! He speaks and votes against the very things he makes sure he has for himself. What a guy! Tancredo’s only legislative achievement in his years in Congress was to get an outhouse in a National Forest in Arizona named as a memorial to a Border patrolman who was killed by illegal immigrants. What a guy! We in the Sixth District probably will be represented by another Republican, but we at least know it will not be someone who was told by Karl Rove never to darken the White House doorstep. At least it may be a mainstream Republican, and if we really are fortunate, it will be a thinking Republican. Nah, that’s probably too much to hope for. Hallelujah!
“Wiens and Harvey often appear strident and vindictive in their right-wing politics. Both senators look like dividers in a district crying out for unification, not to mention real representation.”
Hmmm. Right-wing Republicans appearing to be strident and vindictive? There’s a surprise.
When I first lived in metro Denver, I was in Tancredo’s district by about 100 yards. More’s the pity. Then I moved to Loveland, where my Congressional Representative was Marilyn “Helmet Head” Musgrave, and my state “representative” was Jim “Gays want to have sex with animals” Welker. Imagine my relief upon moving back to metro Denver and finding myself in the 7th Congressional District, where elections are not foregone conclusions!
I echo LHKMan about the Congressional pension, health care, &c. Tancredo may be a nice guy in person, but as a legislator, the only person he’s represented for a long time is himself and some genuinely racist lunatics.
Where’s my freeking valid comments Spencer?
I don’t appreciate being named by cretins
on you’re blog and being Liberal P.C.
censored by Spencer the Censor. I don’t
agree with you most of the time but
according to your home page that’s ok.
ha. Hallelujah! whatever.
Coffman’s the man to beat. You are right: He’s a nice guy and even us in-your-face Latino Democrats who defy the odds by living in the 6th Congressional District would agree with that assessment. Plus, he’s just more experienced and professional.
Yes, it’s a great day for Colorado and for those believing in common sense and believe in “popular, secular, self rule”! Tancredo has finally realized that he’s a “has been”. He’s been in that category for a long time now though not willing to admit it. Now that he’s in the minority in the House of Representatives, he’s even more of a “no body!”
That pro-militia guy, former state senator Charles Duke(R-Monument) was the one whose political base Tancredo parlayed off of and grabbed onto it sometime back before The tragedies of the Oklahoma City Murrah Fed. Bldg. Bombing…and the Columbine Massacre. “Gun Nuts on the Loose, all of them.” With Tancredo, et al, spurring them on!
These fruit cakes are also with Grover Norquist
and his anti-tax reform movement!
As the disgust with the NRA and the Gun Owners of American,(Duddly Brown) grew, so did the influence wane of these right wing political idiots and lunatics who’d aligned themselves with the Christian Right and Pro-Lifers!
So much for those who are hypocrits of the Nth Degree who on the one hand encourage anti-government sentiment and promote guns until someone gets hurt…and on the other hand promote “pro-life issues, except for War and the Death Penalty!”
See Ya Around, Tom! ~ GP
p.s. Maybe you, Tom, can go back to working for the Independence Institute and be a guest again on that right winger, Mike Rosen’s radio talk show on KOA! (He’d probably like to hear from you…about all your “wonderful accomplishments in Congress.”)
Dennis: (I hope you don’t mind me calling you by your first name. We have had so many exchanges it just feels right - like we were old friends having a pleasant political discussion - an oxymoron, if ever I’ve heard of one.)
The news just came out that Bush vetoed the Water Resources Development Act because it had more in it than he wanted. Funny, but I don’t recall seeing the picture of him vetoing the $286 billion highway program two years ago. That one only had 6,000 earmarks worth $24 billion. Oh, I forgot, the Republicans controlled Congress then, so it obviously wasn’t profligate spending, but good government. Yes, and I’m from the government and I’m here to help you, too.
Bush will again veto the SCHIP program that provides PRIVATE insurance for children of the working poor. That’s insurance, not socialized medical care, as he and his a**-kissing pals on Capitol Hill keep braying. In fact, it’s the same concept that Mitt Romney, another Republican, instituted in the PRoM - that’s People’s Republic of Massachusetts.
It becomes increasingly clear that Bush is only the latest Republican hypocrite, and that he doesn’t hesitate to make up false reasons for what he does and doesn’t do. We could start with his attempts to tie Iraq to 9/11. We were no better than Germany was on Sept. 1, 2939, when it cooked up a rationale for invading Poland. Somehow, it’s hard to justify preemptive wars when the stated reason for preemption are not valid. And what ever happened to Osama bin Laden? You remember him. He’s the head terrorist we were going to catch in Afghanistan, some six years ago. Oh, well, what’s a little hyperbole among friends, especially when Afghanistan has no oil, but Iraq has a lot of it. GWB says he would like to negotiate an acceptable version of SCHIP, but his version of negotiate is “my way or the highway.” He has not met with any Democrat Congressional leaders, but he sure looks cute when he says he wants to compromise, doesn’t he?
So, we seem to have an administration and obstructionist minority in Congress for whom the truth is a stranger, that is mean-spirited when it comes to providing for American citizens, and considers the public to be too damned stupid to recognize these things. Yep, Dennis, you’re right with your diatribes against crooked politicians and tax-and-spend government. Only, it’s the Republicans - your beloved GOP - who are guilty of those sins. That’s not quite right, of course. It isn’t tax and spend. It’s really don’t tax and spend, allowing our grandchildren to pay. By the way, you do remember that there was a budget surplus and the national debt was being reduced when good ol’ George took office. Now, we have the largest national debt in our national history. So, how do you like having someone else tell you what the Republicans stand for and believe? Still think the Republicans have a monopoly on integrity and good government? Or, is your sense of humor being tested? I’m having a swell time.
Hey LHKMAn,
How did you feel when the Iranian fuc.s took over our embassy and held our people hostage for 400 plus days………are you into their nuclear aspirations? No big deal? What do you think that their ideas are? Freedom and live and let live?
LHKMAN,
Congress in whole spends too much of our
money, I agree with that but remember that
that Budget surplus you’re referring to
resulted from Clintons tax increase and
a massive cut in defense spending and
intelligence gathering assets. Now, you
might recall were in a war and we enjoyed
a recession in the early 2000’s due to
the tax increases, just as Bill was
leaving office.
And that is the last contribution I will
make to a blog that Censors and negates
peoples comments, ESPECIALLY when they are
defended people whose character is being
attacked. Like Tancredo’s was, very
unfairly. Spencer can sing to the choir,
dispite his welcoming homepage I think he
prefers that.
Arnold,
I have never owned a gun, nor fired one. But I believe in gun ownership and that doesn’t make me a freak.. What are you afraid of?
Second of all, look at a ultra sound of a baby at 16 weeks and then criticize the Pro Life stand point……
Golly, Dennis, you’re braying again. Did you have something censored? Too bad. Seriously too bad. Some of us flaming liberals don’t believe in censorship of the right or left, and we can take whatever you dish out. I trust your version of “valid” comments was a response to my comment, which clearly was aimed at you. By the way, the word is properly spelled as “freaking”, not freeking as you have it.
You don’t seem to have nearly the sense of humor you claim when it is you heaping venom on others here. Ta-ta, old boy. Don’t bust a gut. This is all in good fun — or is it only in good fun when you declare it to be?
What an apt Username, noidea. You haven’t got a clue on much of anything, do you? What in holy hell has the Iranian hostage taking got to do with Terrible Tommy Tancredo and his much anticipated decision to leave public office, and particularly with my contribution to this thread on the departure of Terrible Tommy? To give your silly post more credibility and courtesy than it deserves, I’ll answer your silly question. No, I didn’t like the Iranian hostage takeover of our embassy, nor am I “into”, as you so delicately put it, Iran’s nuclear (nucular, as a certain office holder insists on calling it) ambitions. Nor am I aware that Terrible Tommy Tancredo ever has concerned himself with those issues unless you now are trying to argue that the people crossing the border illegally really are Iranian agents. Is that it? Personally, even though it is not the subject of this message stream, I think the Iranians ought to be held accountable for a gross violation of the norms of international behavior. Even Cuba, Germany and Japan respected the extraterritoriality of foreign embassies. All civilized nations do. Ergo, Iran is barbaric and should be treated accordingly. Now, what was your point?
Dennis, did it ever occur to you in your rightwing paranoia that perhaps your comments didn’t get through to Jim’s posting board, after all computers aren’t human. I also posted on Nov. 1st and it didn’t get through, I thought it might be a computer glitch,or perhaps I got censored too since my comments were out of line. Get real. My advice is to clean it up and send it again if it bothers you that much. Mine are never worth reposting anyway.
I remember when you were whining that you couldn’t buy a Rockies’ ticket, as if YOU were the only one who couldn’t get through. My husband spent 6 hrs. in the two days and couldn’t get through once. So did 100,000 other fans. If you want to complain about something, complain about the poor treatment genuine Rockies fans got, people who wanted to go to the game but couldn’t get a ticket, people who are older and might not ever get the chance to see a Rockies playoff game (maybe it’ll be 90 yrs.), not people who wanted to sell and make big bucks.
Quit being so freeking paranoid.
Well let’s see my good liberal friends
Wildflower and LHKMAN. I SAID in response
to Spencer’s Tancredo’s successor won’t
be Tommy One note that I admire Tancredo
for the having the courage of his
convictions in addressing a very serious
issue in this country and that is our
border security AND the ILLEGAL
immigration problem. We have very FEW
people in CONGRESS either house who address
REAL issues. THIRD rail issues which can
RUIN a political career. IMMIGRATION
has become a RACIAL ISSUE in which the
race card is constantly played especially
be people like SPENCER. I contend that
SPENCER is a REVERSE RACIST because he
used race or the issue of race to try
to muzzle those who wish to have an open
debate about various issues which effect
people of different racial backgrounds
to different degrees. Illegal immigration
has been made into a racial, taboo issue.
It’s not it’s simple economics and
security. Tancrdo is not a racist
though Spencer implies that he is. Some
kind of obsessed bigot. And I claim that
it’s Spencer who is the racist because he
continually makes it a white on brown
issue. He’s what I call a reverse racist
because he hates his own race, that’s just
as racist as hating someone for being
black or brown or green or blue.
That’s what I said. I have no quams with
reading ANYTHING anyone says about me
and LKMAN I DO enjoy the discourse. But
if you came to my website you’d see there
is no censorship of any kind.
regards
Dennis
By the way Wildflower, when is a complaint
valid? If someone has a “beef” it has to
be whining if you don’t agree? I thought
Liberals were so “in touch” with their
fellow man? If that’s the case you should
“feel my pain” right? I think it serves
the Rockies right they got swept. They
played AT HOME for a bunch of non
Coloradoans who paid ticket brokers big
bucks and I’m sure the Rockies took
advantage. I GOT THROUGH on the website
and got timed out when I was completing
my order. It was rigged and in retro
spect I’m GLAD I didn’t spend $600 on
tickets because I would have gone to watch
them get their butts kicked, like a loyal
fan.
Cheers
Dennis
I give Tom Tancredo a lot of credit for trying to focus attention on illegal immigration. This problem has not been properly addressed by either party. In fact, the Democrats seem to be in lockstep with the president on this. Noone seems to listen to the American people, who do not want a fast track to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Our country simply cannot accommodate 15 or 20 million new citizens. And it’s a slap in the face to those who came here legally.
On Halloween night, two large groups of Spanish-speaking people came to my door for trick-or-treating. Some “kids” were as big as adults, and there were several adults on the fringe. They continued to stand there after I gave the treats. When they finally left I saw a couple of large vans parked nearby and realized those groups were not from our neighborhood.
A parent of a small child later told me that a neighbor had to tell the large groups to move out of the way after giving them the treats, so the little kids from the neighborhood could get to the door. (The neighborhood kids come in groups of one or two and usually under 5 years old, and the parents often wait down at the end of the sidewalk).There are few older kids in the neighborhood.
The parent told me that two houses had set out huge bowls of treats because they weren’t home. It’s an honors system around here and the kids usually only take one. When the little neighborhood children behind the big groups of non-English speakers got there, the huge bowls were empty.
Is this the way it will be someday if they are granted citizenship? Will the immigrants use up all our country’s resources so that there is nothing left for our own children?
Wildflower, that’s some story. And the
socalled leadership minus Tom Tancredo
don’t give a damn. About Halloween
candy or public services. Or our country
and it’s borders and citizens for that
matter. These people and they are people
are here illegally and you can thank
criminal like former mayor Web who
thumb their noses at the rule of law when
it suits them. What is it call re-con
quisidore? They think this is their
rightful land and our leaders are letting
them take it for potential votes and
cheap labor. It’s a crime. It’s Illegal
ask Jim Spencer about the law and then
ask him about Tom Tancredo.
Right on, Dennis. No one but Dennis has the best interests of the country in his heart. Only Dennis. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get over yourself, Dennis. The right-wing rants get tiresome after a while.
LHKMAN, as i said before I wouldn’t presume
to know what anyone has in their heart.
I can only judge them by their words and
actions. And the words and actions of
our U.S. leadership INCLUDING GEORGE
BUSH, is one of complacency and deceit
where illegal immigration and border
security is concerned! We have a corrupt
government but we also have a knee jerk
government and it’s going to take a
terrorist nuke blowing up LA before they
close our damn borders. The economic
effects of illegal immigration are already
in force and irreversable. They sold
us down the river. Sometimes I think I
am the only one that has the best interests
of the country at heart LHKMAN, everybody
is just in it for themselves anymore.
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