Colo. Rep. Tancredo flexes political muscle at fund raiser
By Nate Searing
Herald/Review
SIERRA VISTA - Amid a flurry of chants, including "Tancredo for
President," and "Stop rewarding illegal activity," U.S. Rep. Tom
Tancredo stumped in Sierra Vista Saturday night as part of a
fund-raiser for the Cochise County Republican Committee.
Tancredo, R-Colo., an avid proponent of immigration reform and closing
the U.S.-Mexico border has established a dedicated following in
Cochise County among residents opposed to guest-worker programs
proposed by President Bush and Arizona legislators Sen. John McCain
and Reps. Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake.
"Due to a constant lack of representation from Kolbe, he (Tancredo) is
our surrogate representative," said Todd Evans, president of the
Southeast Arizona Republicans Club. "Tom Tancredo listens to our
concerns and sometimes seems like the lone voice of reason on this
whole issue."
Speaking to a crowd of about 200 local Republicans, the congressman
reiterated his opposition to the guest-worker program, calling upon
local elected officials to make their opinions known to state
representatives and so on up to the state's federal representation.
More than a dozen local politicians were on hand for the event,
including Mayor Tom Hessler, several City Council members, Sheriff
Larry Dever and state Rep. Randy Graf.
Many angry local residents, expressing their disgust with the current
state of border politics in Cochise County and nation, as well as
their dislike of Kolbe, also were at the meeting.
"Basically we are the only county in the entire nation that has no
representation in Congress," said Robert Jarratt, referring to his
feeling that Kolbe has abandoned local concerns regarding immigration
reform. "He has no business associating himself with Cochise County
and has permanently lost my vote."
While Cochise County Republican Committee President Gail Griffin, the
organizer of the event, said many local Republicans are at odds with
Kolbe's position on immigration reform, Tancredo was not invited to
speak at the meeting just days after a Kolbe town hall to oppose to
the re-election efforts of the representative.
"Congressman Tancredo told us he would be in Arizona and asked if we
would interested in having him address our group in some way," Griffin
said prior to the representative's speech. "His is a stark contrast to
the message coming from the Kolbe camp, and I don't think the irony of
their two addresses so close to one another is lost on anyone here,
but this is not about bashing Kolbe"
And after a town hall with Kolbe on Thursday that packed the Sierra
Vista City Council chambers with more than a hundred residents
chastising the congressman about a guest-worker program, dozens of
local Republicans have not only expressed their desire to oust Kolbe
but also to write-in Tancredo for president come November to show
their anger with President Bush over the guest-worker idea.
When asked about his response to the outpouring of support in Cochise
County, including the push for the man to run for president of the
United States, Tancredo smiled and replied, "I love the people here,
they are just wonderful to me."
And while he appeared to relish in the thought of a presidential bid,
when addressing the crowd later in the evening, Tancredo told the
group that his support for President Bush runs much deeper than the
immigration issue.
"The fact is the president and I are at odds on this issue Š I never
came to Congress with the thought in my mind that I would be arguing
with my president from my party," Tancredo told the crowd. "But you
can disagree with the president without being disloyal Š because this
is a basic fundamental difference about how we view the future of the
country and despite supporting the president this is not a fight I
will walk away from."
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