Tom Tancredo has been as busy as the Rockies’ ticket system lately, but what exactly is he busy doing?Is the Colorado Congressman in the Presidential race for the long haul? Planning to run for his seat in the 6th Congressional District next year? Or is he aiming for some other role, perhaps as an unlikely Secretary of Homeland Security under a new Republican administration?
Polling steadily at 3 percent, Tancredo is the longest of long shots in his presidential bid. Yet, unlike former fellow dark horse Sam Brownback, Tancredo is more than plugging along – he’s ramping up his campaign. Tancredo is making 10 stops in Iowa this weekend, including a “Come Shoot with a Straight Shooter” event in Muscatine. And last week, his campaign launched a redesigned Web site where visitors are greeted with the options to “Give Tom a Gift” or “Join Tom’s Army.”
Yet, as he continues to traverse Iowa and New Hampshire, Tancredo has been cagey about his plans to run for re-election to Congress. He recently told The Denver Post it would depend on the outcome of the World Series. In the meantime, prospective GOP candidates for his seat such as Will Armstrong and Tom Wiens will have to wait, not knowing whether a Rockies or a Red Sox win will give them their chance at Washington.
Whatever Tancredo is planning for his future, the Congressman is continuing to make headlines for what many consider his over-the-top tactics, usually related to illegal immigration. Even if, as his supporters complain, the national media doesn’t take his campaign bid seriously, they can’t often resist the drama he promises.
Tancredo’s latest move was to call on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to detain “any illegal aliens” at a press conference held Tuesday by Sen. Dick Durbin in support of the Dream Act, which would give permanent residency to some children of illegal immigrants. It was well publicized that three college students whose parents entered the country with them illegally would be at the event.
“Just because these illegal aliens are being used for political gain doesn’t mean they get immunity from the law,” Tancredo said in a statement.
Despite Tancredo’s demand being reported by the Associated Press, The New York Times and news outlets across the country, the students left the press conference without incident.
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