Tancredo tanks again

Back before the March elections, I wrote a scathing commentary on a local newspaper story that portrayed the anti-FMLN comments of Rep. Thomas Tancredo (R-CO) as something that should be taken seriously. I actually got into some hot water in official circles here, since as one of my first blog entries, it circulated on the LASA list-serve, eventually landing on someone's desk at the U.S. Embassy. They were worried I might somehow be mis-representing U.S. policy for "publishing" such a criticism.

Well, now poor Tancredo and his hare-brained immigration ideas seem shut out of the Republican platform. And in this post on The New Republic website, we can witness just how far out of the loop -- even in Republican circles -- this guy really is:

Not long after September 11, Tancredo told the editorial board of The Washington Times that if foreign terrorists attacked the United States again and no action had been taken to crack down on immigration at that time, then "blood would be on our hands and on the hands of the president." That prompted a call from Karl Rove, who, Tancredo recalls, told the congressman he was "a traitor to the party, a traitor to the president," and warned him not to "ever darken the doorstep of the White House." (Tancredo's reply? "I said, 'Well, I don't remember the welcome mat ever being out for me, number one, and number two, it's not your house,' but by that time you have to understand we were yelling.")

In failing to get a hearing with the members of the Republican platform committee members -- whose names are being kept secret! -- he said there were two obstacles to immigration reform:

"One, it's the Democratic Party that sees massive immigration, both legal and illegal, as a source of voters. And two, it's the Republican Party that sees massive immigration, both legal and illegal, as a source of cheap labor."

No wonder the guy feels marginalized. Check out this at The American Prospect for further details on the loony (actually, racist would be the term) right that's supporting "Tancredo for President."