TPM LiveWire

AZ Immigration Law Goes Too Far For Tom Tancredo


Former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

Share

Twitter Fark Reddit Send to a Friend

Send to a friend!

To email:    Your Name:    Your email:

Former Congressman Tom Tancredo -- the same guy who said we should send the president back to Kenya and said a Supreme Court nominee is part of the "Latino KKK" -- said this weekend that the new Arizona immigration law goes a little too far.

"If I had anything to say about it, we'd be doing it in Colorado," Tancredo told Denver news station KDVR. But, he said, "I do not want people here, there in Arizona, pulled over because you look like should be pulled over."

The law, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday, requires law enforcement officers to demand immigration papers from anyone they have a "reasonable suspicion" may be in the country illegally.

Tancredo is a Republican who is known for taking a hard line against immigration. He recently told a Tea Party the country should send President Obama back to Kenya and said Obama was elected because the U.S. doesn't require passing a "literacy test" in order to vote.

Last year, he said he didn't know if Obama hates white people and claimed now-Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was a member of the "Latino KKK," referring to Latino advocacy group La Raza.

(H/T Think Progress)

Comments (39) | Join the Conversation!

April 26, 2010 12:27 PM   

Dude! When Tancredo says you've gone too far, you _clearly_ shoulda taken a left at Albuquerque.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:26 PM    in reply to ClosetLuddite

ClosetluI love that response, how appropriate.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 4:01 PM    in reply to ClosetLuddite

Number One......with a rabbit!

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 12:36 PM   

Wait, I'm hallucinating right?

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 2:00 PM   

Maybe his concern about it going too far is the part about training the police to properly enforce the law (like that is going to work!).

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 2:04 PM   

Oh please, in 3 2 1 Tom will walk this back as soon as the teabaggers get to him.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 2:05 PM   

Hmm. Sounds like he is only denouncing the practice of racial profiling, not the bill itself. I mean, even the governor said she was against racial profiling. Duh, it's illegal. However, she still supported the bill--which is exactly what Tancredo seems to be doing here. So, I would say he is not really distancing his views from the bill at all.

I could be wrong.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 2:33 PM    in reply to ashley.lopez

Of course the governor said she is against racial profiling. Conservatives always say that. Next she'll be telling us about her black friends.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:04 PM   

I'll put this in the "stopped clock" category. It signifies nothing important, and we all know he'll be driving the bus back to Krazytown in short order.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:13 PM   

Your papers, please.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 4:03 PM    in reply to darkrhyme

Yes, now lay then flat in the corner for me to poop on.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:17 PM   

This new Arizona law is so bad, on so many different levels; I can't even begin to list or explain them all here.

But I can say this. The most important consequence of all will be the pitting of one segment of the Arizona population against the other. In almost every way imaginable. And that is very, very bad indeed.

They are already vandalizing the Arizona State Capital with "swastika"; and loudly proclaiming that the "white" population of the State thinks Latinos are "sub-human" and unworthy of basic human rights.

Regardless of the validity of those claims, that is going to leave a mark. And it will get bigger. And bigger. And bigger.

And the problem is its too late to do anything about it. A statistically significant portion of the population feels targeted and vulnerable. That is going to lead to anxiety and anger. And it will color everything about that state, for the next generation.

It will become all consuming. And no one will be able to get away from it. Not at the ball game. Not at the parks. Not in the small towns. Not at the concerts. Not even in your own home.

Welcome to the new racial "Cold War" Arizona. Live and on National TV. We'll see how "Hot" that war gets.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:47 PM    in reply to willia451

It might even generate a self sustaining cycle.

Oppression -> protests -> more oppression to regain control -> more violent protests etc. etc.

Already we have minor vandalism (the refried beans). What will we get tomorrow?

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

es

user-pic

April 26, 2010 3:23 PM   

Next thing you know, wingers will start demanding that all US citizens should have a computer chip implanted in order to confirm that they are US citizens. Then another group of wingers will demand that a law be passed preventing computer chips from being implanted. Then all of their heads will explode.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:27 PM   

Too racist-y for the racists? Remember, this is the guy whose assistant slapped a black woman and called her n*gger and defended the guy. We need to do a little racial profiling on Wall Street, when you see more than 3 white guys in suits sitting around talking....that's a crime scene.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:34 PM   

Don't forget that Tancredo also said that if there is another terrorist attack against America we should just bomb Mecca.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:34 PM   

Tacredo's comments reveal a lot about the craven, xenophobic politicians that support this law.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:35 PM   

I disagree with your headline. Nowehere does he say this the law goes "too far," in fact, he agrees with the law. Tancredo says if he were in charge, Colorado would have the same kind of law. His only concern seems to be that the law would be enforced in such a way that anyone who was "suspicious" (i.e. brown) would be arrested. In other words, if the law is enforced to the letter, it would constitute profiling (something the trolls on TPM are incapable of understanding, because of the tiny, shriveled chickpeas they have where their brains should be).

So I don't think the headline is accurate. Maybe a better one would be "Tancredo Applauds Arizona Law, But Fears Blowback"?

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:53 PM   

Of course the governor said she is against racial profiling. In exactly the same way the US/Israeli military always says "we do not intentionally target civilians" every time they obliterate a significant number of civilians in one of their "surgical" strikes. They say this because intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime under international law and nobody confesses to war crimes in a press release. Of course the governor said she is against racial profiling. Similarly, Tancredo has to say that he is against racial profiling ("I do not want people here, there in Arizona, pulled over because you look like should be pulled over" [does he really speak broken English or is that a faulty transcription?) because he obviously knows what the people he thinks should be pulled over look like, but saying what he really thinks is advocating criminal activity (racial profiling).

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 4:55 PM    in reply to Frankly_my_dear

It's called plausible deniability - deny that your intent was to target a specific group, despite the fact that implementation will inevitably lead to the targeting of a specific group. It's bullshit, but pointing that out has never stopped these racists before.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:54 PM   

I think Tancredo's main concern is that too many white people will end up being pulled over by cops trying to show that they aren't using the law for racial profiling.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:58 PM   

Unbelievable...racist Illinois state reps ask governor to send National Guard in against the blacks in Chicago

http://abcnews.go.com/US/illinois-lawmakers-request-national-guard-stop-crime/story?id=10478710

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 4:23 PM    in reply to Barney

I live in Illinois and while the Superindendent of Police (Chicago equivalent to a police chief) said he appreciated the concern about crime, he didn't feel the duties of National Guardsmen were compatable with the duties of Police.

Read the whole story doofus.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 5:25 PM    in reply to we r all husseins

So..the reps didn't ask ask to send in the National Guard??

..idiot

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 3:59 PM   

This Just In:

Genghis Kahn 2 pet kitteh and go beddie.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 4:25 PM   

The average monthly income for a garment cutter in Mexico is 255 dollars US. In the States it is 1600 dollars US.

For a car mechanic, in Mexico 200 dollars, in the US 2500 dollars monthly.

For a chemical engineer, in Mexico, 1000 dollars, in the US, 4,700 dollars average monthly income.

I’ve rounded figures up. The data comes from Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informatica (available http://www2.inegi.gob.mx/estestint/Standards/default.asp) and the US Department of Labor (http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ocs/home.htm).

Furthermore income is highly concentrated in Mexico:

% share of household income, lowest 40% – 13 percent. Highest 20 percent – 53 percent.

(Available from Unicef).

There are many other reasons for immigration from Mexico to the United States, but income disparity is one, and will continue to be one

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 4:36 PM   

Even the KKK wears hoods. Tancredo knows you can't just walk in there full face and take away people's rights!

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 5:35 PM   

Tommy may have been planning a little leisure time in AZ. Considering that he's some form of darker skin, he realizes he may have to prove his own ethnicity & citizenship. Seems senor Tancredo has some 'splaining to do.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 5:46 PM   

Does he really say it's gone too far? I don't read that. He said that if he had anything to do with it, it would be the law in Arizona. That sounds like a bit of an endorsement, not a criticism. I could be wrong, though. But, at first glance, that is what it sounds like to me.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 7:24 PM   

The United States has lost control of who enters our country.
Do you think this is a problem?

If you think it is, what is the solution?

How can the US prevent terrorism, or dreaded diseases from coming across the Open Border?

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 26, 2010 8:45 PM   

This is editorializing at its finest. Did Tom Tancredo really put down this law, or just the principle of racial profiling? I believe it was the latter that he was referring to here, and this legislation explicitly prohibits enforcement based on racial profiling. Until otherwise quoted, I'm comfortable assuming that he was alluding to racial profiling and that this article is based on a misinterpretation of a perceived innuendo on Tom's part. He has consistently called for harsher restrictions on illegals and firmer enforcement methods. This article takes his remarks out of context and essentially mischaracterizes him. Great way to emulate the Old Media spin, TPM.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 27, 2010 12:50 AM   

It's simple. La Raza is a racist organization whose name literally means, "The Race". Their goal is to dispossess Whites in something they call "Re-conquista." They think they are re-conquering territory for Mexico in a racist effort to make the land part of hispanic territory again. It's so obvious.

They don't believe in "We shall overcome" they believe in "We shall overwhelm". Right now, Whites are still a majority, but look out White people. When they have you out numbered, they're coming ethnically cleanse you from the American southwest. The writing's on the wall and only a fool will ignore it. We need White racial leaders, not the traitors we have in Washington.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 27, 2010 8:35 AM   

I am stunned that this has not been reported on more: this law is PATENTLY unconstitutional, not simply under the 4th amendment, or the equal protection clause, but more obviously as a matter of federalism. There is STRONG supreme court precedent, (Oregon anti-communist gift+estate laws; Cali immigration laws, Mass. anti Burma procurement laws ) showing that this is an unreasonable interference with the federal government's foreign affairs powers. Of course, this argument is not so appealing from a political standpoint, especially as the Teapartying extremists would like to overthrow the federal government, but it is black and white long-standing supreme court precedent founded on strong principles. One needs only witness the indignation of the Mexican government.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 27, 2010 9:11 AM   

Sanssouci0: Given your sensational slanders regarding the alleged aspirations of the good people of the Tea Party movement it seems clear rational debate disinterests you. However that no-one should be confused by the obfuscation you've rendered I will respond briefly to these "concerns" of yours: This is not settled case-law and your examples are abstract in relation to this issue. Like Federal Drug laws, immigration laws are laws instituted for the protection of domestic interests over and above those traditionally dealt with by individual states. Indisputably both of these local and state-level laws and enforcement measures contain implications for foreign nations and their citizens. One need only observe the border drug wars spilling over from Mexico with hundreds dead in relatively small towns on the Mexican side of the border to see how closely the phenomenon are related -- enforcement here, death there. However in both cases these implications are not over-broad but quite simple: Both are governing what is simply criminal conduct and enforcement is limited to the domestic effort to reign in that conduct within what will often be state land falling in one state or another. It is neither America's fault that the Mexican drug lords are busily murdering one and other's gangs, nor that the embassy is indignant over the fact we aren't pampering the asses of the invaders coming here. The Mexican embassy always is indignant about something and catering to their pitched wailing every time someone lays an arresting hand on a Mexican national who has illegally crossed into our country is impractical to say the least. The roundly-admitted, long-acknowledged deficiencies in enforcement on the part of the Federal government have utterly necessitated this move on the part of border states. The Federal government's impotence on this issue has forced the state to act. Arizona is doing its duty to aid in the enforcement of Federal law. Ultimately should this law be struck down, you'll get some Federalism the likes of which prohibits state-level enforcement of Federal drug laws, among other unforeseen consequences. The fact this issue has political and foreign-policy implications is precisely why the Federal government should have handled it in the first place. The fact it has not, is not, and will not is why it is now up to the states to enforce the law the Federal government passed and has unfulfilled the commitment to enforce itself. Complain as they might the FEDs are SOL on this one until they are willing to deploy adequate forces to secure our borders.

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?

April 30, 2010 12:57 AM   

Of course the governor said she is against racial profiling. In exactly the same way the US/Israeli military always says "we do not intentionally target civilians" every time they obliterate a significant number of civilians in one of their "surgical" strikes. They say this because intentionally targeting civilians is a war crime under international law and nobody confesses to war crimes in a press release. Of course the governor said she is against racial profiling. Similarly, Tancredo has to say that he is against racial profiling ("I do not want people here, there in Arizona, pulled over because you look like should be pulled over" [does he really speak broken English or is that a faulty transcription?) because he obviously knows what the people he thinks should be pulled over look like, but saying what he really thinks is advocating criminal activity (racial profiling).

kamagra m65

Reply | Flag Abuse

Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?