|
|
Tom Tancredo on Principles & ValuesRepublican Representative (CO-6) |
A: I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of being forced to go to the polls and say I’m going to make this choice between the lesser of two evils. I really don’t intend to do that again. I am hoping, of course, that whoever we nominate will be the principal flag carrier for the Republican Party, but if that is not the case, no, then I will not.
A president has relatively few options available to him in order to direct the moral course of the nation, but can certainly be profoundly influential. George Washington was by himself a leader, and set the soul of this nation, created the soul of the nation. Ronald Reagan, constantly uplifting the nation. Bill Clinton redefined morality to the level of an alley cat. We know that this can happen. We know presidents have this kind of thing. I guarantee you that I will try my level best as long as I breathe to take us in a different direction.
A: I have no doubt of what the greatest mistake in my life has been. And that is that it took me probably 30 years before I realized that Jesus Christ is my personal savior.
A: Hope. Hope in America itself. We made mistakes that have turned our friends against us, have encouraged our enemies. I believe that it is going to take a leader committed to speaking out about the values of Western civilization. We can no longer afford political correctness. We have to tell people that there is something good--not just good, but great--about who we are. That will restore America’s faith in itself and the world’s faith in America.
After he came out, Tancredo wandered around the empty stage, not knowing which podium to use. “Oh, right here?” he said when led to the center lectern. “Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Do you think we should wait a few minutes to see if these other guys show up?” Tancredo said, drawing a big laugh from the crowd. The NAACP has set up placards for all of the Republican candidates at each podium--highlighting the no-shows except for Tancredo. “Do they know something I don’t know, is that it? I think actually I know something that THEY don’t know.”
That line drew a loud cheer from the audience, clearly appreciative that Tancredo had bothered to show up. He noted that while he & the organization “don’t agree on every issue,” they share “a very common cause.”
A: Some time ago, 2003 I think it was, I got a call from Karl Rove who told me that because of my criticism of the president, I should never darken the doorstep of the White House. I have been so disappointed in the president, not just the immigration issue, but the massive increase in government that we call Medicare prescription drug, that I’m afraid, as president, I’d have to tell George Bush exactly the same thing Karl Rove told me.
A: The biggest problem, I think, in this administration has been the fact that the president ran as a conservative and governed as a liberal. That is what has really been the basis, I think, of the distrust that has developed among the Republican base. It’s well-founded. We have to do something about that.
A: McCain also said, essentially pointing to, you know, the unwashed masses, all the stupid people out in the US who are demanding a fence, if they really want it, he’ll give them a g-d fence. It goes to show you what his attitude is toward the American people. I mean, he’s quite an elitist there.
Q: If he’s the Republican presidential nominee, would you vote for him?
A: No, I would not. And I’m going do everything I can to make sure that he is not the Republican presidential nominee.
I have always wanted to advance the agenda of limited government and enhanced individual freedom. I want to participate in the reintroduction of the concept that America is a unique place, not just a place we can reap the economic & political benefits afforded by the labors of those who lived before us. I want our borders to be secure and those who have violated them to be deprived of the benefits lawful citizens enjoy. I want immigrants seeking that citizenship to assimilate & sever their ties to their country of origin. I want to do what I can to defend the West in the clash of civilizations that threatens humanity.
The parts of my agenda that have generated the most trouble for me deal with the security of our borders and with my criticism of what I refer to as the “cult of multiculturalism.”
There is a price to pay for standing up for what I believe rather than going along. My differences of opinion with my GOP colleagues & m willingness to voice them mean that I almost certainly will never be the chair of a major House committee. After Karl Rove told me to “never darken the door of the White House” because of my criticism of the president, I expected no calls to confer with him on immigration issues. If ever Congress does pass immigration reform, my name won’t be on it as a principal sponsor. During a debate with a colleague, he said I should resign from the party because my views were not the same as his or the president’s
Today, our schools and almost every social institution send a totally different message. Civic duty, for instance, is currently considered by too many office holders as an obligation to erase any vestige of pride in the symbols or the substance of the land of the free and home of the brave.
The terrorists who seek to kill us know exactly who they are. They have no identity crisis. They know and believe with all their being the philosophy and religious underpinnings of their worldview. They are intent upon spreading it with word and deed, by violence, if necessary.
We must use our schools, churches, and government to reestablish an allegiance to the principles of Western civilization. Those principles are embodied in the Judeo-Christian ethic and whether we follow them or not will surely determine the fate of the nation.
The Adherents.com website is an independent project and is not supported by or affiliated with any organization (academic, religious, or otherwise).
Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person’s membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There’s no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2006 AU scores as follows:
Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom. AU is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
Americans United is a national organization with members in all 50 states. We are headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director. AU has more than 75,000 members from all over the country. They include people from all walks of life and from various faith communities, as well as those who profess no particular faith. We are funded by donations from our members and others who support church-state separation. We do not seek, nor would we accept, government funding.