Intelligencer

Tancredo to Step Down

CONGRESSMAN Tom Tancredo, the scourge of the immigration reform advocates is quitting his seat according to reports.

Tancredo, as close to a nativist as makes no difference, is stepping down from his safe Colorado seat to pursue his presidential ambitions.

Given the fact that he is polling about 1% in the Republican primary, that doesn't seem like a very smart thing to bet his future on.

However, Tancredo is said to be eying a Senate run against Ken Salazar, the Democratic incumbent, in 2010. Given that Salazar is Hispanic and a passionate advocate of immigration reform, it could lead to quite a battle.

Tancredo would be a huge long shot in such a race, but given the mood on illegal immigration out there at present it might be foolish to rule him out entirely.

McManus Rips Rudy

SPEAKING of the presidential race, Father Sean McManus had some choice words for Rudy Giuliani this week, making it clear that the Irish National Caucus will strongly oppose the former New York mayor, currently the front-runner for the GOP nomination.

"Rudy Giuliani recently went to London to pander to the extreme right, speaking at the inaugural Margaret Thatcher Memorial Lecture, which, according to the American Conservative magazine, was attended by many of the Iron Lady's most dedicated admirers," McManus said.

"In other words, Giuliani kissed up to the same type of Brit who increased anti-Catholic oppression and discrimination in Northern Ireland, promoted state terrorism and torture and prolonged the Irish Troubles by at least 20 years. That is much worse than George W. Bush's ill-advised speech to Bob Jones University, for which he had the good grace to apologize.

"Irish Americans may have wanted to forget how Giuliani viciously pursued political refugee Joe Doherty," added McManus, president of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus. "But how can they possibly ignore the fact that Giuliani travels to London to offend Irish Americans?"

​
Nster.com