CAMPOS: America's worst congressman

By Paul Campos, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

America's worst congressman, Tom Tancredo, caused quite a stir recently when he aired a television ad for his presidential campaign. The ad features a man in a hooded sweatshirt detonating a backpack bomb in a shopping mall, then cuts to scenes of carnage from terrorist attacks in Europe.

"There are consequences to open borders beyond the 20 million aliens who have come to take our jobs," a voice intones. "Islamic terrorists now freely roam U.S. soil, jihadists who froth with hate, here to do as they have in London, Spain, Russia. The price we pay for spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill."

"I approve this message because someone needs to say it," Tancredo announces. You'll get no politically correct mealy-mouthed prevaricating from Tancredo. If you're looking for some good old-fashioned nativist fearmongering, he's your man, or more precisely your GOP presidential candidate.

It's worth emphasizing that Tancredo is not a racist nut exposing his paranoid delusions on some fringe Web site. He's a racist nut who has made his paranoid delusions the centerpiece of a bona fide Republican Party presidential campaign. (Actually I don't know if Tancredo himself is a racist, and the question holds no interest for me. Regarding immigration, he talks and acts exactly like a racist would and, when judging a politician, that's the only thing that matters).

And, with the exception of Mike Huckabee, all the first-tier Republican candidates are competing to sound just as "tough" on immigration as the decidedly second-tier Colorado member of Congress. (Don't be surprised if whoever wins the nomination runs ads very similar to Tancredo's next fall.)

A couple of ironies will leap out at anyone who isn't trembling at the thought of backpack-wielding jihadists disguised as hooded Mexican gangbangers blowing up Santa and his reindeer at the local Galleria during this busy holiday season.

The first is that by far the most successful terrorist movement in American political history was inspired by the same nativist and racist ideology that underlies Tancredo's radical immigration views.

I refer to the history of the post-Reconstruction South, where a decades-long terrorist campaign carried out by private citizens, often with the tacit support or active participation of local government and law enforcement, managed to undo much of what was accomplished during the Civil War and the years immediately afterward.

The post-Goldwater Republican Party, of course, has drawn much of its electoral strength from the resentment and rage the modern civil rights movement engendered when it conducted its own war on terror, and rolled back the legal aparthied the Southern terrorists and their sympathizers had imposed on African-Americans for nearly a century.

The second irony is captured nicely in a quote from a 1939 Life magazine story on Joe DiMaggio, brought to my attention by Matt Yglesias: "Although he learned Italian first, Joe, now 24, speaks English without an accent and is otherwise well-adapted to most U.S. mores. Instead of olive oil or smelly bear grease he keeps his hair slick with water. He never reeks of garlic and prefers chicken chow mein to spaghetti." The article includes a photo, captioned "Like Heavyweight Champion (Joe) Louis, DiMaggio is lazy, shy, and inarticulate."

Tancredo, whose grandparents were Italian immigrants, doesn't need to be reminded that, until fairly recently, Italian-Americans were considered only imperfectly "white," and indeed were credited with the same virtues (musicality, athleticism, passion) and vices (laziness, promiscuity, criminality) attributed traditionally to black people.

Now we've come so far that Rudy Giuliani, a philandering blowhard with lots of corrupt friends and a taste for authoritarianism, can be the leading contender for the Republican nomination, despite his unambiguously Italian name.

That, I suppose, is a kind of progress.

• November 27, 2007

  7:06 a.m.

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  yaakovwatkins writes:

  Tancredo rails against illegalimmigrants. Not legal immigrants. Is the term "illegal immigrant" a concept you have trouble understanding? Is the concept that someone might be violating immigration law too complicated for you? Are you sufficiently racist to believe that Hispanics get a free pass on immigration law?

  Why won't a law professor acknowledge the existence of the term "illegal?"

• November 27, 2007

  7:21 a.m.

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  CO_Native_CO writes:

  How is it that you base your entire article on accusing Tancredo of being a racist and admit in parens ( ) that you don't know if he's a racist or not ??? No one can take you seriously after that, Mr. Campos.

• November 27, 2007

  7:38 a.m.

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  GaveUpOnTV writes:

  Yeah, that's a good argument-IF he was a racist (according to the esteemed professor, it makes NO DIFFERENCE !!) he would make the same arguements.
  Well, IF the 'esteemed professor' (I'm trying to be sarcastic) was a IDIOT (it makes NO DIFFERENCE !!) he would also make the NO DIFFERENCE argument.
  You're right professor, it makes no difference if you're an idiot or not.....

• November 27, 2007

  7:38 a.m.

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  vudumom writes:

  Every Politician has friends and associates that are not clean. If they didn't they wouldn't be a politician.

  Pulling the race card again is getting old.

  Tom Tancredo spoke out against illegals coming to this country and making a mess a long time ago.That is not racist,that is truth.

  So since you are willing to use the tired old race card,I'll use the tired old analogy.

  Mr. Campos when is the last time you let a group of illegals who have crossed our border illegally,come to your house for a better way of life,moved in without your permission,took over yours and everyone else in your family's identity,drove your vehicles without a license and insurance,demanded that you feed,clothe,provide healthcare,and a take care of the many children they will end up having.

  I think you might want to ask your employer for a raise so you can send your new illegals with a private education so they can get the education they could care less about and maybe have a better chance at graduation.

  I hope you don't have a young daughter. Mexico seems to think 13 is a good time to start a family.

  If you want to get rid of them after they bleed you dry good luck with that.They been here long enough to stay. So maybe you can tell them they can make much more money doing porn films with your neighbor.Yea, that's the ticket.

  Since you mentioned Italians,one of the best scenes is in Godfather 2, when the guy says to Michael Corelone," Your sitting high up in the Sierra Mountains,drinking champange cocktails,telling me how to run my family.!

  I say to you,Your sitting high up in Boulder drinking,( or smoking something)telling people in American we are suppose to continue be invaded and bled dry,by illegal aliens. Cicci, the door!

• November 27, 2007

  7:41 a.m.

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  Tirebiter_in_Sector_R writes:

  What kinda name is Campos, anyway? What's wrong with a real American name, like McVeigh or Oswald?

• November 27, 2007

  8:43 a.m.

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  Spencer writes:

  Tancredo's issue when he ran 10 elections ago was term limits. Now his issue is illegal immigration. I suppose he will probably hire more illegals than anyone else, judging by the way he has flip-flopped on the term limits issue. How many Mexican illegals have turned out to be terrorists? He plays the fear card and it only works on shallow minds.

• November 27, 2007

  8:53 a.m.

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  JMichael writes:

  Yup,
  That’s it,
  Tancredo is a racist.
  Mr. Campos you have written quite the hit piece.

  If you can’t make a reasoning argument
  Fall back on the racist homophobe child molesting old white guy

  Not one point to make his argument, just a lot of name calling and inferences, and then change the subject to assault someone else. And you forgot the Irish being discriminated against, yup, they weren't "White" enough either.

  But hey, it could be worse it could have been in the Post,
  Oh yeah
  This is Post lite.
  No news, just ads, and damn few of those anymore.

• November 27, 2007

  10:10 a.m.

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  solspolaris writes:

  Campos is a moron. The reality is that Tancredo was/is 100% correct. Fact!

  I suggest Campos read this article: http://www.kpho.com/news/14693745/det...

  Obviously, CBS is just a bunch of "racists". <rolls eyes>

• November 27, 2007

  1:13 p.m.

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  davies writes:

  Apparently Mr. Campos believes that it is not possible for a reasonable person to have the opinion that illegal immigration could be a national security issue. So if you state this as your opinion, then Campos and his ilk will label you a racist liar.

  Beware those who pride themselves on their superior sense of compassion. They will attack as visciously as any other bigot.

• November 27, 2007

  2:24 p.m.

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  Ted_in_Vegas writes:

  One question, if most of the racial oppression was in the south US and the Democrat party was completely in charge of the south during that oppression, for almost a century, how then are Republicans to blame for that oppression?

  Truth is, Campos is so much of a bigot that he sees bigotry where there is none and doesn't see it where it is. The difference is, this feeble-minded man is an intellectual bigot - and a small-minded one at that.

• November 27, 2007

  2:57 p.m.

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  Spencer writes:

  Ted, have you ever heard of the Dixiecrats? Racists who changed from Democrat to Republican due to civil rights legislation in the 60's. Republicans welcomed them with open arms.

• November 27, 2007

  5:01 p.m.

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  jweskal writes:

  A racist diatribe from America's absolute worst columnist law professor about Tom Tancredo means absolutely nothing and should be ignored by everyone. Tom is the only presidential candidate that has the courage to stand up against the secular regressives (my terminology) and La Raza who want to turn the Atzlan portion of the southwest into the "Republica del Norte" Mexican state. Wake up Campos and see the the real world outside the Kingdom of Boulder (five square miles surrounded by reality). I am just an
  ignorant patriot of America that dispises those who would demonize someone who freely and truthfully states pro-american constitutional views. You are one sick puppy.

• November 27, 2007

  7:18 p.m.

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  Dakota writes:

  Mr Campos..you do a grave disservice to your readers by not reporting the facts but instead slandering a candidate you personally do not agree with. I can only guess at the reason for your disdain.
  I live in a border state and it is a well known fact terrorist have crossed through our southern border. In August of last year there were interviews with Texas sheriffs that happen to be Hispanic-Americans verifying this information. Another incident in May of this yr, confirmed by Rep Culbertson. Tancredo prepared a report for Congress a few years ago showing the dangers of the open border with proof provided to him by the Border Patrol and Sheriffs along the border. This report contained photos of Korans, prayer mats and a jackets with patches of a plane and twin towers. It is also a well known fact Mexican military,working for drug cartels have made incursions into the US and have shot at our law enforcement. It is also a well known fact terrorist camps are operating just south of our border. You make light of this dire situation for a reason one can only speculate. In doing so you are only serving to dispell the truth about the real danger of unchecked illegal immigration and unsecure borders.
  FYI the Border Patrol and Law Enforcement respect Tancredo because they know he is doing what he can to try to warn the American people, something they are not in a good position to do.
  http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialRep...

• November 28, 2007

  11:49 a.m.

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  Brad writes:

  Spencer
  It was the Republican Party that LBJ had to go to pass the Civil Rights Act Not his own party. Al Gore's father lost his seat for his vote on Civil Rights like his dad they are both Democrates.

  Mr. Compos
  Calling someone a racist you don't know that well is dangerous. As well as dumb. In the ad he does not say from what border the threat will come from."Giuliani corrupt friends" what about the Clintons corrupt friends or you don't think there are any well that is pretty stupid to think with what has happened in last few months. You talk about the Post-Reconstuction South you don't name them but you referral to the KKK who were white southerners who happened to be Democrates and fight for the south in the civil war. The KKK noy only go after Blacks but Jews, Catholics and Republicans during that time

• November 28, 2007

  1:53 p.m.

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  Ted_in_Vegas writes:

  Thank you Brad!

  Spencer, if Dixiecrats are racists who joined the Republican Party over race issues, they joined the wrong party. It was southern Democrats that almost killed the Civil Rights Act, it was Republicans and few northern Democrats that passed it.

• November 29, 2007

  10 a.m.

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  dilligaf writes:

  Republicans aren't racists. They love having them clean their pools, clean their mansions, cook their meals, and do their gardening.

• November 29, 2007

  10:09 a.m.

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  Ted_in_Vegas writes:

  Republicans aren't racists. They love having a brilliant african-american as Secretary of State, twice in a row.

  The love putting an intelligent black man on the Supreme Court and being the first to put a woman there as well.

  Don't be stupid, Republicans are no more likely to be racist then Democrats are; there's some in both parties but neither party really wants them there.

  The real difference is Republicans believe in INDIVIDUAL civil rights and Democrats believe in GROUP civil rights and a lot of "Civil Rights GROUPS" don't like the INDIVIDUALism inherit in conservative/republican thought.

• November 29, 2007

  10:22 a.m.

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  gary writes:

  Campos,,,,do you wonder or even know why 90% of the comments support Tom Tancredo? Too bad you are so out of touch with the legal American voters! Staying inside the four walls of a classroom and being a professor, does not make you an expert on Tom or the American public. It is quite evident that you lack the knowledge to comment on Tom when the only defense you have is calling him and all of us that want our borders secured and immigration laws enforced..."RACISTS"...
  Hmmm..maybe you are the one practicing REVERSE DISCRIMINATION against law biding legal American citizens for immigration law enforcement.

• November 29, 2007

  4:23 p.m.

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  Caddis writes:

  Did you hear Florida's Governor Crist introduce Tancredo last night? He pronounced his name "Cantredo". I rewinded my DVR three times last night to be sure I heard right. I did hear right. These morons can't even get their names right. Incompetence is the shining characteristic of the Republican party.

• November 30, 2007

  9:51 a.m.

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  Spencer writes:

  When are bombing Mecca?

• November 30, 2007

  11:31 a.m.

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  djoe writes:

  I like Campos. He never fails to put his foot in his mouth from his already existing head thoroughly encased by his anal sphincter position.

  Thanks Paul........., you always deliver.

  Oh, by the way....., it's not illegal "immigrant", it's illegal alien; aka, criminal. As in deliberately breaking a host of both federal and state laws.

  But with el "professor" Campos........., "Laws, what laws....., we don't need no stinkin' laws............".

• November 30, 2007

  10:12 p.m.

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  FaridMoghadassi writes:

  Professor Campos, yet another thought provoking article, thank you for making the Rocky Mountain News interesting, the same way you made Law School interesting.

• December 1, 2007

  9:13 a.m.

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  ghoax writes:

  Tancredo ROCKS!

• December 1, 2007

  8:57 p.m.

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  kathyM writes:

  jweskal, I love your description of Boulder ("five square miles surrounded by reality"). I'm not surprised Campos is so out of it because he went to law school in Ann Arbor--also five square miles surrounded by reality!