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[[Image:Tom Tencredo.jpg|right|175px|thumb|U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo]]

[[Image:Tom Tencredo.jpg|right|175px|thumb|U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo]]

'''Thomas Gerard ("Tom") Tancredo''' (b. 1945) is a [[conservative]] Republican Congressman representing the suburbs of [[Denver]] who has been outspoken against illegal immigration<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/29/DI2006032901468.html</ref>.  Often vilified by [[liberals]] and targeted for defeat, he was re-elected in 2006 in a landslide by the margin of 59%-40%.   Recently he announced his retirement from the House in hopes of winning the [[White House]], although he withdrew from the presidential race in December, 2007.   

'''Thomas Gerard ("Tom") Tancredo''' (b. 1945) is a [[conservative]] Republican Congressman representing the suburbs of [[Denver]] who has been outspoken against illegal immigration<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/03/29/DI2006032901468.html</ref>.  Often vilified by [[liberals]] and targeted for defeat, he was re-elected in 2006 in a landslide by the margin of 59%-40%. He announced his retirement from the House in hopes of winning the [[White House]], although he withdrew from the presidential race in December, 2007.   

==Political Views==

==Political Views==

Tancredo has a nearly 100% [[conservative]] voting record and has even criticized President [[George W. Bush]] over his [[immigration]] policy<ref>[http://www.issues2002.org/VoteMatch/candidate_map.asp?a1=5&a2=5&a3=5&a4=1&a8=4&a9=1&a10=1&a5=3&a6=1&a7=1&a14=5&a15=5&a16=4&a19=5&a17=1&a18=3&a20=4&a11=5&a12=1&a13=1&i1=1&i2=1&i3=1&i4=1&p=8&e=85&t=5 Voting record on Abortion]</ref>.  Tancredo was one of 33 congressmen to vote against the 25-year extension of the Voting Rights Act, which, requires local government to print multilingual ballots at its own expense.

Tancredo has a nearly 100% [[conservative]] voting record and has even criticized President [[George W. Bush]] over his [[immigration]] policy<ref>[http://www.issues2002.org/VoteMatch/candidate_map.asp?a1=5&a2=5&a3=5&a4=1&a8=4&a9=1&a10=1&a5=3&a6=1&a7=1&a14=5&a15=5&a16=4&a19=5&a17=1&a18=3&a20=4&a11=5&a12=1&a13=1&i1=1&i2=1&i3=1&i4=1&p=8&e=85&t=5 Voting record on Abortion]</ref>.  Tancredo was one of 33 congressmen to vote against the 25-year extension of the Voting Rights Act, which requires local governments to print multilingual ballots at its own expense.

Rep. Tancredo has been awarded a career grade of A+ and a career score of 100% from Americans for Better Immigration for his Congressional record of support of border control<ref>http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgradescategory.php3?District=CO06&Category=8&Status=Career&VIPID=146</ref>.  Rep. Tancredo has been awarded a career grade of A+ and a career grade of 100% from Americans for Better Immigration for his Congressional record of opposition to amnesties<ref>http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgradescategory.php3?District=CO06&Category=4&Status=Career&VIPID=146</ref>.

Rep. Tancredo has been awarded a career grade of A+ and a career score of 100% from Americans for Better Immigration for his Congressional record of support of border control and opposition to amnesties.<ref>http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgradescategory.php3?District=CO06&Category=8&Status=Career&VIPID=146</ref>

Tancredo has a lifetime rating of 97.8 from American Conservative Union<ref>http://www.acuratings.org/2006all.htm#CO</ref>.

Tancredo has a lifetime rating of 97.8 from the American Conservative Union<ref>http://www.acuratings.org/2006all.htm#CO</ref>.

Rep. Tancredo has achieved a score of "100%" from the National Right to Life Committee for the 106th<ref>http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=106&x=6&y=8#CO</ref>, 107th<ref>http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=107&x=13&y=15#CO</ref>, 109th<ref> http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=109&x=16&y=11#CO</ref> and the ongoing 110th Congress<ref>http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=110&x=9&y=13#CO</ref>.

Rep. Tancredo has achieved a score of "100%" from the National Right to Life Committee for the 106th<ref>http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=106&x=6&y=8#CO</ref>, 107th<ref>http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=107&x=13&y=15#CO</ref>, 109th<ref> http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=109&x=16&y=11#CO</ref> and the ongoing 110th Congress<ref>http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/scorecard/?chamber=H&session=110&x=9&y=13#CO</ref>.

==2008 Presidential Campaign==

==2008 Presidential Campaign==

Tancredo entered the Presidential race in April 2007 because, he asserted, no other candidate was willing to take a strong stance on immigration.<ref>Zeleny, Jeff. "The 2008 Campaign: Rep. Tancredo of Colorado Enters GOP Presidential Race." April 30, 2007. New York Times.</ref> His campaign announcement was scrutinized by the media which felt he was running on a single issue platform. In fact, the nature of his campaign as a whole was highly criticized for being drastically underfunded, reliant on conservative talk radio show appearances and affiliated largely with right-wing conservative groups.<ref>Zeleny, Jeff. "The 2008 Campaign: Rep. Tancredo of Colorado Enters GOP Presidential Race." April 30, 2007. New York Times.</ref> His immigration issue was villified in the liberal media at the height of controversy for anti-immigration advocate Lou Dobbs for attributing increasing leprosy rates to illegal immigration.<ref>Leonhardt, David. "Truth, Fiction, and Lou Dobbs." May 30, 2007. New York Times.</ref> The New York Times quickly branded the two as ''"demogogues"''.<ref>Downes, Lawrence. "When Demogogues Play the Leprosy Card, Watch out." June 17, 2007. New York Times.</ref>

Tancredo entered the Presidential race in April 2007 because, he asserted, no other candidate was willing to take a strong stance on immigration.<ref>Zeleny, Jeff. "The 2008 Campaign: Rep. Tancredo of Colorado Enters GOP Presidential Race." April 30, 2007. New York Times.</ref> His campaign announcement was scrutinized by the media which felt he was running on a single issue platform. In fact, the nature of his campaign as a whole was highly criticized for being drastically underfunded, reliant on conservative talk radio show appearances and affiliated largely with right-wing conservative groups.<ref>Zeleny, Jeff. "The 2008 Campaign: Rep. Tancredo of Colorado Enters GOP Presidential Race." April 30, 2007. New York Times.</ref> His anti-immigration issue was vilified in the liberal media during the height of controversy for anti-immigration advocate Lou Dobbs, who had attributed increasing leprosy rates to illegal immigration.<ref>Leonhardt, David. "Truth, Fiction, and Lou Dobbs." May 30, 2007. New York Times.</ref> The New York Times quickly branded the two as ''"demogogues"''.<ref>Downes, Lawrence. "When Demogogues Play the Leprosy Card, Watch out." June 17, 2007. New York Times.</ref>

He heavily campaigned in [[Iowa]] in an attempt to place high in the unofficial [[Iowa Straw Poll]]. In August 2007, fellow Republican presidential primary contestant [[Sam Brownback]], attacked Tancredo for allegedly receiving money from the "founder of a [[Planned Parenthood]] network."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/07/26/VI2007072601105.html</ref> The Tancredo campaign stated that they do not endorse funders' values and that the allegations do not line up with Tancredo's consistent [[pro-life ]]voting record and statements<ref>Tancredo on Abortion, http://www.ontheissues.org/Sam_Brownback.htm</ref>. Leading conservatives have asked Brownback to retract the claim, although he refuses<ref>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/john_tanton/index.html</ref>. 

He heavily campaigned in [[Iowa]] in an attempt to place high in the unofficial [[Iowa Straw Poll]]. In August 2007, fellow Republican presidential primary contestant [[Sam Brownback]], attacked Tancredo for allegedly receiving money from the "founder of a [[Planned Parenthood]] network."<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/07/26/VI2007072601105.html</ref> The Tancredo campaign stated that they did not endorse funders' values and that the allegations did not line up with Tancredo's consistent [[pro-life ]]voting record and statements. <ref>Tancredo on Abortion, http://www.ontheissues.org/Sam_Brownback.htm</ref> Leading conservatives asked Brownback to retract the claim, although he refused.<ref>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/john_tanton/index.html</ref>

Tancredo has attacked other fellow Republican presidential primary candidates, including [[Mitt Romney]], Sam Brownback, [[Fred Thompson]] and [[Mike Huckabee]]. Former governor Mike Huckabee stated that Tancredo's ad claiming Huckabee held a pro-amnesty position was "blatantly dishonest", and that Tancredo's campaign either did sloppy research or deliberately mischaracterized his position<ref>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/john_tanton/index.html</ref>.

Tancredo verbally attacked other fellow Republican presidential primary candidates, including [[Mitt Romney]], Sam Brownback, [[Fred Thompson]] and [[Mike Huckabee]]. Former governor Mike Huckabee stated that Tancredo's ad claiming Huckabee held a pro-amnesty position was "blatantly dishonest", and that Tancredo's campaign either did sloppy research or deliberately mischaracterized his position<ref>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/individuals/john_tanton/index.html</ref>.

In August, 2007, Tancredo suggested that bombing the cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] might be a useful deterrent to [[terrorism]]. <ref>http://www.wftv.com/politics/13817698/detail.html?rss=orlc&psp=nationalnews</ref> These comments were criticized by the U.S. State Department and by other [[Republicans]], such as Huckabee.

In August, 2007, Tancredo suggested that bombing the cities of [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]] might be a useful deterrent to [[terrorism]]. <ref>http://www.wftv.com/politics/13817698/detail.html?rss=orlc&psp=nationalnews</ref> These comments were criticized by the U.S. State Department and by other [[Republicans]], such as Huckabee.