Darrell Issa: Tancredo Should Recant Gilchrist Endorsement Or Be Tossed from GOP

This story from Congress Daily this morning:

POLITICS - Issa Challenges Tancredo On Support For Third-Party Candidate

by Mark Wegner

© National Journal Group, Inc.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he would urge that Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., be thrown out of the Republican Party if he continues backing a third-party candidate in the special election for California's 48th District.

"I would ask the state of Colorado to strip him of his party membership," Issa said in an interview.

Tancredo has endorsed and appeared in a cable television ad for American Independent Party candidate Jim Gilchrist, who is running in the Oct. 4 open primary to replace former Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., who is now SEC chairman.

Issa said Tancredo, a vocal immigration critic, could have chosen to endorse any one of 10 Republicans in the race.

Gilchrist, an anti-immigration activist, is the founder of the Minuteman Project, which monitors the U.S.-Mexico border for illegal immigrants.

"Gilchrist is a single-issue candidate with no chance of winning," Issa said.

Issa confirmed he publicly raised his objections to Tancredo's endorsement in the weekly House Republican Conference meeting Wednesday. He distributed a flyer about Tancredo's endorsement and a story that appeared Tuesday in CongressDailyPM.

Tancredo defended himself at the Conference meeting by noting Republicans had embraced Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, a former Democrat who remained an independent before eventually running as a Republican.

A Tancredo spokesman said Tancredo is a "lifelong Republican" who has won repeated elections in Colorado, and said it was "silly" for Issa to issue threats about revoking his party membership.

The spokesman noted Gilchrist wanted to run as a Republican, but state law would not allow him to change his party affiliation to the GOP in time for the special election. Gilchrist sent a letter Monday to House Speaker Hastert offering to caucus with Republicans if he is elected.

"He is going to caucus with Republicans and he is for all intents and purposes a Republican," the Tancredo spokesman said.

The spokesman added Tancredo has not committed to supporting Gilchrist in any runoff.

"I think that is an open question. We haven't made any decision right now," he said.

Republican state Sen. John Campbell is considered the frontrunner in next week's open primary, but he must win over 50 percent of the vote to avoid a Dec. 6 runoff.

Campbell, who faces significant GOP opposition from former state Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer, would advance to the runoff if he captures more votes than any other GOP candidate.

Issa has endorsed Campbell and said he is confident Campbell will eventually be elected to Congress.

"He is so far ahead. There's really only a question about whether he gets 51 percent or not," Issa said.

Ya gotta love Darrell Issa.

Comments

[Eldad Taylor]

Issa will always be a hero for the GOP and the people of California for making the Recall of Gray Davis a reality.

He is right about Tancredo. The guy has strayed way too far off the reservation.

[Allan Bartlett]

Party ID is obviously very important in politics. I have nothing but praise for Darrell taking leadership in getting gumby recalled, but and a big but, there are some times when standing on principle is more important than party. That's why I enthusiastically support Jim Gilchrist. Darrell is going to get ripped by John Kobylt today for this. He's putting party ahead of the rule of law and national security. That's sad.

Powder Blue Report

[Issa, Issa, Issa!!!]

Go Darrell!!!!!!!!! It is about time somebody cried foul on this crap. I am sick and tired of Reps supporting this A.I. fringe candidate. If you want to support that guy, fine. Turn in you Republican credentials and re-register with your party of choice. That is your right as an American. Beautiful system huh? But our party has clear rules with no ambiguity towards the subject of supporting non-republican candidates. Sorry guys...that's a fact. I don't care if you are G.W.B. If you are an elected or appointed memebr of his party, you just can't support non-reps. Again, if you don't like it, fine. Just re-register.

[There he goes again]

Issa just making friends everywhere he goes.

[48th Watcher]

""Gilchrist is a single-issue candidate with no chance of winning," Issa said.""

Sorry Darrell, Gilchrist has another issue- it is tax hikes on the middle class.

[FullertonConservative]

Three cheers for Darrell Issa! I am glad somebody has the guts to call it like he sees it.

I get two to three fundraising letters from Tancredo EVERY WEEK. Don't know how I got on his list, but I am sick of hearing from this guy. Most of the letters trash Republicans.

[Tom Kaptain]

This reminds me of why I supported the open primary. Whether you agree with Tancredo or not, he is arguing that he believes the country will be better off if Gilchrist is elected. Issa's argument is that party loyalty should trump that. To me he is just wrong.

[Allan Bartlett]

You don't need to switch your party registration to support the best person for the job. If that were the case then Republicans would lose a lot of people here in the 48th. The Republican political establishment is going to be in shock when they see the vote totals next Tuesday night.

Powder Blue Report

[FullertonConservative]

No it's not. Tancredo should keep his argument inside the party and not mail it to the world in an attempt to raise money for himself.

Tancredo is out for himself. The Party deserves better.

By the way Tom, didn't you cop to being a Democrat a few days ago in all those posts supporting Marilyn Brewer?

[Skeptic]

This is just nonsense... anyone wonder Darrell really thinks this, or if his District Director and political consultant (who conveniently enough both work for Campbell) put him up to this stupid stunt.

But Darrell does have one point - Gilchrist being unelectable.

If anyone would know an unelectable candidate when he saw one, it would be Darrell --- he sees one in the mirror every morning.

[Matthew Cunningham]

Darrell is going to get ripped by John Kobylt today for this.

I'm sure Darrell will lose sleep over that.

[AandB conversation]

Hey Kaptain,
we are talking about Republican politics. You are a Dem. Go argue with your own party. Of course you support an open primary...you are a lib.

[Phil Paule]

""This is just nonsense... anyone wonder Darrell really thinks this, or if his District Director and political consultant (who conveniently enough both work for Campbell) put him up to this stupid stunt.""

Just like Dave and I put him up to the Recall of Davis, running for Congress, and we even put him up to building a sucessful business and making millions.

[Jubal]

Hey Kaptain,
we are talking about Republican politics. You are a Dem. Go argue with your own party. Of course you support an open primary...you are a lib.

Nonsense -- Tom Kaptain is welcome in the comments section anytime. I may not agree with his political philosophy, but Tom presents his views calmly, rationally and without rancor.

Wow! Phil is a full service consultant. A real one stop shop.

[Grand Theft Auto]

If Tancredo can't campaign for the AI registered Gilchrist, does that mean that Issa can't campaign for Hamas or Hezbollah?

[Tom Kaptain]

I am a Dem, but not supporting Brewer. I simply posted on her mailing from the Jarvis Associaton (and will admit with embarrassment was mistaken on part of my post) but I know both of the major candidates and respect both of them.

As for the Open Primary most of the people who worked for the Open Primary were Republicans although they were generally from the moderate wing of the party.

However, I still think this issue is bigger than what party I belong to or even my political viewpoint and since it comes up from time to time in different races, I think it's worthy of a few comments. The most important question to me was Fullerton Conservatives point that the debate should be kept inside the party. Are you telling me that if you thought someone was a crook or worse but they had hoodwinked the local members of your party that you would feel bound to either support that person or keep quiet? In the last twenty years government papers have shown that in the years before World War II some politicians were taking money from the Germans to fight against American involvement. Are you that if you knew something like that was going on by one traitorous candidate that your only alternatives are to either leave your political party or to ignore what that candidate was risking for your country? To me none of that makes sense from either a conservative or a liberal's perspective. The bottom line is that Tancredo has an opinion and the voters of his district get to decide what they think of his political opinions in every election. To put an Omerta like code of silence on elected officials based on their party registration is UnAmerican. JMO!

A quick google search for "Darrell Issa" and "Yasser Arafat" shows his relationship with the terrorist reimes in the Middle East. Included in this list is a World Net Daily article titledDarrell Issa: Traitor, or useful idiot?

So lets see, someone with ties to terrorists is opposing a Congressman who is taking action to keep terrorists out of our country.

It all makes sense to me.

[Tom Kaptain]

I should also add that I think it's a silly position for Republicans to take because to follow the idea to it's logical conclusion then the only Democratic support a Republican candidate wants is someone willing to go all the way and leave their party. Since Democrats are a majority party in this state, it may take quite a few years before Republicans start winning elections if that were the way most voters decided on their electoral choices.

[Tom Kaptain]

Just to make it clear, I did not post the comments about the Congressman and Yasser Arafat. I also think people should use their own names when they post things like that. JMO!

WTF is JMO?

[Brian Park]

Just my opinion.

Republicans cross the line all the time, especially in local politics here in the OC.

Maybe if the county party had some backbone about local elected's who endorse dems at the local level this would mean something.

Seems like business as usual.

[Not an Issa supporter, but I still respect the guy]

No-name poster about Issa:
I thought insults based on sterotypes of a person's ethnicity went out with the white sheets back in the 1860s and 1960s.

Using quotes from the "Tehran Times" is really sad. Believing them is downright pitiful.

Sadly, among the many freedoms that we Americans still enjoy is the freedom to be stupid.

[NickM]

If by "our" party rules, you mean those of the California Republican Party, they don't apply to Congressman Tancredo. He's from a different state.

As a practical matter, Issa's demand on Tancredo is abysmally stupid. If it succeeded in expelling him from the House caucus, you can almost guarantee that Congressman Tancredo would leave the GOP by registration and would run as a third party candidate for President (most likely from the Constitution Party, although I know some Libertarian Party activists who would like him on their party's ballot line as well).

Especially if the next GOP nominee is socially liberal or has a reputation as a Washington big spender, that is a third party candidacy which could draw several percent of the Presidential vote away from the GOP - quite possibly enough to hand several states and the electoral college to the Democrats.

Nick

[Logical]

First, Jubal, let's get G Chapman's 'F' words out of here; innappropriate language; my teenage daughter reads this blog and since I monitor her browsing and ban sites with such language, I'd rather not ban her from this blog.

Now to Issa's remarks ...
So, if you don't fall in line you get shunned and bannished? Sounds a little USSR to me. Maybe I should be banned as well for writing in DICK ACKERMAN on my absentee ballot?

[Jubal]

Logical:

Sorry -- I can't monitor the comments 24-7. I deleted that post and banned Gabriel Chapman. I've made it clear enough times that profanity is grounds for banning.

[Logical]

"I can't monitor the comments 24-7"
Understood and not expected; your prompt attention was faster than expected.
I wasn't trying to get anyone banned (unless it's a pattern for that poster).

[Jubal]

Logical:

Sorry if I was curt. Foul language doesn't have to be pattern to get someone banned. Gabriel Chapman should have known better.