The Swamp: Tancredo won't seek re-election to Congress

Posted October 29, 2007 3:57 PM

by Matthew Hay Brown

The Rockies were swept out of the World Series, and now Rep. Tom Tancredo says he won’t seek re-election to his Colorado seat.

Coincidence? Apparently not.

"Several weeks ago I made the decision but decided to wait until the Rockies played their last game for a reason that is certainly a bit hoaky [sic]," the five-term Republican congressman and longshot (his word) presidential candidate told his staff Sunday night in a note posted online today by the Rocky Mountain News.

"You see my predecessor announced his decision to not run again right after the Broncos had won the Super Bowl," wrote Tancredo, 61. "I thought it would be nice to make it a tradition to announce after a CO team had won a national championship. Oh well. I said it was hoaky."

He continued: "I have decided that I have accomplished all I can in the U.S. House of Representatives on the issue of immigration reform and will therefore not seek a 6th term.

"I broke my term limits pledge because at the time, there was no one else to whom the baton could have been passed. Now there are so many folks working the issue from our side that I think I can safely say my work there is done."

When he first ran for his seat in 1998, Tancredo said he would serve no more than three terms. During his tenure, he became the leading congressional critic of illegal immigration, an issue on which he has based his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He also gained notoriety in 2005 when he suggested that the United States could retaliate for a nuclear attack by Islamist terrorists by bombing the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Tancredo’s presidential campaign continues.

Meanwhile, he becomes the latest high-profile House Republican to announce his retirement at the end of the 110th Congress. The GOP considers his a safe seat.

"A Republican has held Colorado’s Sixth Congressional District for more than 30 years," Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. "There is a strong Republican bench in this seat and we expect the people of central Colorado to send another Republican to the House."

Comments

Well, obviously.

He will be president, and he won't be able to serve in Congress.

Posted by: Biff Pocoroba | October 29, 2007 4:25 PM

No matter how pathetic the competition may be, Tom Tancredo has no realistic chance of gaining office. His policies are far too right-wing for the American populace.
Even if he did win, he could just pull a John Kerry and keep his seat as a back-up

Posted by: Arjun Banerjee | October 29, 2007 4:48 PM

Say it ain't so, Tom. I'm moving out of Cook County and in to your district in the next year.

Is that really you, Biff Pocoroba? I haven't heard your name in ages...one of the best ever names in MLB history.

Posted by: Andrew | October 29, 2007 4:50 PM

"I broke my term limits pledge because at the time, there was no one else to whom the baton could have been passed."

---

At least he's modest...

Posted by: a blinkin | October 29, 2007 5:31 PM

Does this mean Tom can go back to hiring illegal immigrants to work on his house and then claim ignorance? Or does this mean that pro life really is okay to claim and still let children die because they have no health insurance? This district will certainly be better of as well the world without Tom. But he is still using our tax dollars to run for President and for his and his families health insurance.

Posted by: Wayne Wathen | October 29, 2007 5:34 PM

Another Republican cretin bites the dust...or will soon.

Posted by: Bill-O is fighting to save Christmas so you won't have to | October 29, 2007 5:35 PM

"YEA, THE BIGGEST BIGOT IN AMERICAN STEPPING DOWN TO SPEND TIME WITH MAMA AND THE MEXICAN AMERICANS HE HATES DOWN THE STREET."

THEY'RE NOT AMERICANS, I JUST KNOW IT! WHERE'S CHERTOF WHEN YOU NEED HIM.

Senator Tancredo is doing America a favor, Now he can take his hateraid and try to sell it to gatorade and create a new HATE DRINK for his constituents.

HOPEFULLY HIS HAND IS CAUGHT IN THE GOP COOKIE JAR AND HE WAS FORCED TO NOT RUN AGAIN OR HIS NAME WOULD BE LINKED TO SOME BATHROOM SCANDAL OR SOMETHING.

BOY WHAT A BARBECUE TOM DELAY IS GOING TO HAVE NEXT YEAR OUTSIDE OF CRAWFORD!

Posted by: Roger Morris | October 29, 2007 5:59 PM

Colorado is supposedly changing from a Red state to a Purple state. Was Tancredo's seat "safe"? Maybe Tom felt Congressman was a turkey job in the minority.

One thing I do know; it's hard to believe the Tancredo Era of history is drawing to a close...

Posted by: strut2k | October 29, 2007 6:34 PM

What will we do without 'Tan-Cretin' to kick around anymore.

Drop out altogether, fool.

You peaked the day before you announced.

Posted by: C.Morris | October 29, 2007 7:10 PM

Man, they're just dropping like flies...

Maybe there is indeed a god (and she's dang p-o'd at the Republicans!)

Posted by: DD | October 30, 2007 5:20 AM

It's a sad day-Tom was the only true reformer on the issue of illegal immigration. I always count on him to rally the troops in Congress every time the Dream Act comes up. Now who will fight the battle for the 70% of Americans that are AGAINST illegal immigration? Hopefully he will continue to fight when is is out of office - we need his voice!

Posted by: kv | October 30, 2007 8:51 AM

One less xenophobic demagogue. Good riddance to hateful trash.

Posted by: JT | October 30, 2007 9:42 AM

See these reputable websites and you decide your familes future, your job, your flag, your constitution, your language, your culture and your America?

Do not let the globalist's win on illegal immigration

www.numbersusa.com
www.judicialwatch.org
http://www.alipac.us/index.php
The Dark Side of illegal immigration
http://www.usillegalaliens.com/the_dark_side_of_illegal_immigration.html
Unsuppressed facts
http://www.immigrationcounters.com/
Illegal Immigration News not found in the major media
http://www.idexer.com/
http://www.libertypost.org/
http://www.americanpatrol.com/