Word is Tom Tancredo is dropping out of the GOP race. He’s certainly done his job.

He and Obama declared their candidacies on the same day. And I wrote at the time that Tancredo might have a bigger impact on the 2008 race. I’m not sure I’m wrong. He’s dragged his party into a nativist stance that could turn the Southwest Blue, and catapult any Democrat into office.

From my original Tancredo post:

…Which brings us to Tancredo. The anti-immigrant zealot has done more than any Republican since California Governor Pete Wilson to undermine his party’s prospects with Latino Americans. His populist xenophobia has been so damaging to the GOP’s outreach to the fastest growing ethnic voting bloc in the country that Karl Rove once furiously warned Tancredo never again to “darken the door” of the White House.

Tancredo’s calls to wall off the Mexican border and deport all undocumented workers play well to a significant portion of the Republican base, and his presence in the campaign will make it difficult for other GOP contenders to stake out a more reasonable stance. John McCain has been already been backed into this declaration on the border: “I think the fence is least effective,” he told Vanity Fair, “But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.”

The longer Tancredo stays in the race and the further to the nativist right he pulls the other GOP hopefuls on immigration, the greater the boon to Democrats in vital swing states like Florida, New Mexico, and Nevada.

¡Viva Tancredo!

Endorsing the “undocumented” immigrants in 2001: “They make a big contribution to the life of the city.”

To his credit, it was a few days before 9/11, which probably changed his mind about this … as it did about gun rights apparently.

A question Mitt didn’t answer from last night’s Univision debate:

Governor Romney, some days ago you fired a company that used to take care of your landscaping because supposedly they were hiring undocumented workers. The question is this, did you report, officially, the people or the company to immigration authorities? And do you think that others should report undocumented aliens?

It’s a damn good question, and one that reporters everywhere should ask and re-ask until there’s a straight answer.

It’s unbelievable that a man of Willard Romney’s $400-million-dollar means didn’t personally hire lily white Tufts graduates for $40/hour to tend his lawn after he got busted with illegal immigrants tending his garden the first time.

But no. The night after Rudy belittled him for his “sanctuary mansion,” Mitt got caught with Mexicans sweeping his tennis court.

The real question is what did Romney do to so offend The Boston Globe?

They flew to Guatemala to track down immigrants for the first story. Ever since they’ve had photographers and reporters staking out the governors house waiting for a relapse.

This is good, fair journalism in its execution, mind you. But don’t tell me the assigning editor didn’t have an ax to grind…

I’m not quite sure how Hillary let this become such a problem for herself.

I never found her position on drivers’ licenses for illegals all that inconsistent: Given the failure of the federal government to control the borders, you can’t fault governors for taking matters into their own hands and trying to come up with reality-based programs to deal with illegal immigrants who are already here. Hillary wouldn’t endorse licenses nationally, she’d pursue an immigration policy that let illegal drivers come out of the shadows, and gain legitimate documentation.

There’s some nuance to the position, but it’s not rocket science.

But instead of sticking up for states rights, or even just letting it lie, Clinton has now come out firmly in opposition to undocumented workers obtaining drivers’ licenses. Just in time for the next debate.

So it’s little surprise that her opponents were waiting to pounce. What’s a bit surprising is that the first blow comes not from Edwards but Obama:

“When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration, it’s easier to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them.”

At least his candidacy is going out with a — bang.

Mr. Maverick, where have you gone?

I take the unmaking of John McCain personally. Another lifetime ago, when he was running against Gov. G.W. Bush, I registered Republican to vote for McCain in the California presidential primary. He struck me as a principled problem solver. A man who might bring about a post-partisan revolution in good government and accountability.

So it’s truly disheartening to watch McCain jettison the principled independence that used to make him a transcendent figure. Jerry Fallwell, formerly an “agent of intolerance” in McCain’s estimation is now a chum, who no doubt smiled when McCain decided to deliver the keynote address at a creationist convention.

Abortion used to be a woman’s choice. Now it’s time to overturn Roe v. Wade, says McCain. McCain says he doesn’t believe in building a border fence, but then, suddenly, in the same sentence, he offers to build the “damn fence” if the GOP base demands it. Same goes for gay marriage, which he recently said “should be allowed”, until an adviser whispered in his ear, prompting him to clarify, “I do not think that gay marriages should be legal.”

The one arena in which McCain’s independence had remained resolute is his support for this disastrous war. Right or wrong you knew where he stood. And he’s rightly been paying the price for that. The “surge” has become in popular parlance “The McCain Doctrine.” More recently, McCain was rechristened by Chris Matthews as “John McBush.”

So what’s a maverick to do? Stick to his guns? Weather the storm?

No. Now it’s time to speak out against…Donald Rumsfeld. (more…)

You’re going to think I’m kidding when I say that the biggest news in the ‘08 presidential race today isn’t Obama’s announcement, rather that of Tom Tancredo. But I’m dead serious.

My best guess is that Americans will continue their flirtation with Obama, but that the Democrats will ultimately settle on a candidate of greater experience as their nominee in ‘08. Judging from Obama’s resume, it’s hard to see how he’s qualified to lead America out of the catastrophe we’ve unleashed in Iraq.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Obama is ready to lead America. I’m eager to watch him campaign. But I’m sadly unconvinced that America is ready to be lead by Obama. If a Blue Dog Democrat like Harold Ford can’t secure a senate seat in Tennessee in 2006, I just don’t see how any African American wins the White House in 2008.

Which brings us to Tancredo. The anti-immigrant zealot has done more than any Republican since California Governor Pete Wilson to undermine his party’s prospects with Latino Americans. His populist xenophobia has been so damaging to the GOP’s outreach to the fastest growing ethnic voting bloc in the country that Karl Rove once furiously warned Tancredo never again to “darken the door” of the White House.

Tancredo’s calls to wall off the Mexican border and deport all undocumented workers play well to a significant portion of the Republican base, and his presence in the campaign will make it difficult for other GOP contenders to stake out a more reasonable stance. John McCain has been already been backed into this declaration on the border: “I think the fence is least effective,” he told Vanity Fair, “But I’ll build the goddamned fence if they want it.”

The longer Tancredo stays in the race and the further to the nativist right he pulls the other GOP hopefuls on immigration, the greater the boon to Democrats in vital swing states like Florida, New Mexico, and Nevada.

¡Viva Tancredo!