(Bush has left the borders WIDE-OPEN, and wants to open them up even
more, illegals and terrorists have a free pass into America, but you, Mr.
and Mrs. America, need a Homeland Security, a National ID Card, your
e-mail monitored, and a good molesting at the airport check-in counter.
Wake-up and Fight this idiocy.)
--------------------
Tancredo assails Bush policy
GOP congressman says open border invites terrorism
By M.E. Sprengelmeyer, News Washington Bureau April 20, 2002
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Tom Tancredo has picked a fight with President Bush
over immigration, claiming the president has a politically motivated
"open border" policy that leaves the country vulnerable to
another terrorist attack.
The Colorado Republican said he started his day Friday with an angry,
40-minute call from the top White House political adviser, Karl Rove,
after The Washington Times ran a front-page story about Tancredo's most
inflammatory immigration arguments to date.
"Closed borders, open borders. I used to think it was Karl Rove and
his outreach to Hispanics," Tancredo told The Times. "But no,
it's Mr. Bush. He's driving the issue himself. He believes in open
borders."
In a later interview with the News, Tancredo did not back down from any
of his comments, but he added that he still thanks God every day that
Bush is president.
Tancredo said Bush is pushing to give certain illegal immigrants amnesty
partly out of misguided "altruism," but also to woo Hispanic
voters in California and Texas and to prop up Mexican President Vicente
Fox.
"I don't think it's cynical. It's just a political strategy,"
Tancredo said. The result, Tancredo said, is that the United States
remains open to another attack like Sept. 11.
"I believe he is wrong and I believe this is such a serious issue
that I'll continue to criticize him and/or Karl Rove, and I will take the
flak that they send up," Tancredo said. "Because the reality
is, if something else happens, who would the people look to be
responsible? And who should they look to? And it is the Congress and this
president."
Bush did not refer to Tancredo by name, but he issued a written statement
Friday defending his response to the terrorist attacks and his stand on
immigration.
"Improving our nation's border security is vital to protecting
Americans from future terrorist attacks," Bush said. "I commend
the Senate for passing legislation that strengthens border security and
gives our law enforcement officials additional tools to secure our
homeland. I look forward to Congress sending me this important
legislation as soon as possible so that I can sign it into law.
"I also continue to urge Congress to act to strengthen families and
make America more welcoming," Bush said. "Congress should pass
a temporary extension under 245(i) so that immigrants eligible to become
legal residents will not be forced to leave the country and their
families to have their immigration status resolved."
White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said Bush's proposed budget would
provide $380 million to secure U.S. borders through improved tracking of
non-citizens, and $10.6 billion to add border patrols and enhance the
U.S. Customs Service.
Alan Philp, executive director of the Colorado Republican Party, tried to
distance the party from Tancredo's views.
"Congressman Tancredo has very strong opinions about the immigration
issue. Those positions are not necessarily shared by most Republicans
here in Colorado and nationally," he said.
Latino activists blasted Tancredo.
"The outrageous statements by this obviously desperate congressman
should be immediately condemned by the leadership in Congress,"
Robert Deposada, president of The Latino Coalition, said in a release.
"Congressman Tancredo basically stated that unless we militarize our
southern border and basically build a wall to keep Mexicans out,
terrorists will inundate this country and that the blood of Americans
will be in the hands of the president."
Deposada, a Republican from Washington state, said, "I would love
right now to find another Republican in that district to actually oppose
him."
Democrat Lance Wright, who is running against Tancredo in the 6th
District, echoed the criticism.
"Mr. Tancredo certainly has the right to say whatever he wants to
say, but is he being responsible? Shrill rhetoric in a troubled time is
seldom productive," Wright said.
By challenging the leader of his own party, Tancredo raised eyebrows
among fellow Republicans and political observers.
"He seems to have little concern with advancing within the
Republican Party or ingratiating himself with a Republican
president," said Thomas Mann, a senior fellow from The Brookings
Institution, a Washington think tank.
Tancredo seems to be motivated by "genuine beliefs," Mann said,
"but it will certainly complicate the president's efforts to improve
the Republican Party's standing with Hispanics and
Asian-Americans."
Pollster Paul Talmey said Tancredo shouldn't expect any help from the
White House in his re-election campaign.
"When he's saying his president is out of step with the majority of
Americans, he's the person blocking (reform), and that it's a threat to
national security, those are pretty strong statements," Talmey
said.
It's the type of political heresy that sometimes makes state political
parties look for challengers against their own incumbents, although it's
probably too late in the year for Tancredo to worry, Talmey said.
Tancredo, who is debating whether to keep his term limits pledge in 2004,
said his only motivation is to have an impact on policy.
"I'm a second-term member of the U.S. Congress and I have no
chairmanship or subcommittee chairmanship yet," Tancredo said.
"The ability of someone in my position to actually influence policy
decisions is minimal. I have only two things: my voice and my vote. I'm
going to use both of those things as aggressively and effectively as I
possibly can."
-end article-
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-InfoWarz
Death to the New World Order
"All of us will ultimately be judged on the effort we have
contributed to building a NEW WORLD ORDER."
--Robert Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General, 1967.
