Tancredo officially dropped out of the race for president on Dec. 20, 2007.
tancredo.house.gov
Colorado Congressman Thomas Gerard Tancredo, 61, is the golden child of immigration reform and has led the national debate on legal and illegal immigration. Tancredo said on his now-defunct website that he has "he advanced his reputation as a solid pro-life, pro-gun, small government Republican, and emerged as the leader in the national struggle for true immigration reform."
Political Views
Far from being a one-issue conservative, Tancredo has aligned himself with the Christian right on every position.
On the issue of abortion, he calls Roe v. Wade a "scar on the moral and intellectual history of the country." He takes it one step further, however, believing that overturning the landmark judicial rulling is not enough because it wouldn't require states to prohibit the practice.
Tancredo opposes gay marriage on the grounds that "population is power." He believes that activist courts have ignored the fact that the purpose of marriage is procreation and therefore a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage and defining it as between one man and one woman is the federal government's only recourse.
A gun-advocate and vociferous proponent of the second amendment, Tancredo believes the judiciary has not done enough to make the right to bear arms binding on states as they have with the right to free speech.
On the issue of tax reform, Tancredo calls for a flat tax or national sales tax to balance the scales and simplify the process. He is one of 56 co-sponsors of the FairTax bill, which would replace the Internal Revenue Service with a wide variety of sales and other taxes.
Personal
Tancredo and his wife Jackie have been married since 1977 and have five children. A former Roman Catholic, he is now an Evangelical Presbyterian. A life-long Republican, Tancredo actually spoke out in favor of the Vietnam war as a student at University of Northern Colorado. When he became eligible for service himself, however, he says he was given a "1-Y" deferment (meaning he could only be called to service in times of national emergency) due to depression.
Career Highlights
As a history teacher in 1976, Tancredo ran for and won a seat in the Colorado state House of Representatives. He served two terms, during which he became a vocal opponent of billingual education. This issue marked the rudimentary beginnings of his hardline stance on immigration, which has since become the key plank in his 2008 presidential campaign platform.
Political Views
Far from being a one-issue conservative, Tancredo has aligned himself with the Christian right on every position.
On the issue of abortion, he calls Roe v. Wade a "scar on the moral and intellectual history of the country." He takes it one step further, however, believing that overturning the landmark judicial rulling is not enough because it wouldn't require states to prohibit the practice.
Tancredo opposes gay marriage on the grounds that "population is power." He believes that activist courts have ignored the fact that the purpose of marriage is procreation and therefore a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage and defining it as between one man and one woman is the federal government's only recourse.
A gun-advocate and vociferous proponent of the second amendment, Tancredo believes the judiciary has not done enough to make the right to bear arms binding on states as they have with the right to free speech.
On the issue of tax reform, Tancredo calls for a flat tax or national sales tax to balance the scales and simplify the process. He is one of 56 co-sponsors of the FairTax bill, which would replace the Internal Revenue Service with a wide variety of sales and other taxes.
Personal
Tancredo and his wife Jackie have been married since 1977 and have five children. A former Roman Catholic, he is now an Evangelical Presbyterian. A life-long Republican, Tancredo actually spoke out in favor of the Vietnam war as a student at University of Northern Colorado. When he became eligible for service himself, however, he says he was given a "1-Y" deferment (meaning he could only be called to service in times of national emergency) due to depression.
Career Highlights
As a history teacher in 1976, Tancredo ran for and won a seat in the Colorado state House of Representatives. He served two terms, during which he became a vocal opponent of billingual education. This issue marked the rudimentary beginnings of his hardline stance on immigration, which has since become the key plank in his 2008 presidential campaign platform.
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