Tom Tancredo in DBQ - 12 May 2007

Last night I had the chance to hear & question another of the 2008 candidates vying for the Republican Party presidential nomination. This time it was my paisan, Tom Tancredo. He spoke Sat nite at the Midway.

I need to start out by saying that when he started to speak it was like I was back in my Italiano neighborhood. It isn't something that i can put into words, it is just something that is an Italiano thing. I can hear some of you saying: "Non capisco?" This is just 1 of those situations where you have to hadgrown up Italiano to grasp it. Words can't really explain it.

& while that is a plus, to feel like I am back with amici e famiglia, it didn't stop me from looking critically at what he had to say. Overall, I was impressed with what he said as well as how he said it.

He started out talking about what the Constitution does & DOESN'T allow the Federal Government to do, esp in light of the 10th Amendment. There is much that is good, like education, but isn't a part of what the Constitution assigns to the Federal role. The Federal Government is there to protect & defend the life of the people of the USA.

He said we need to acknowledge the fact that the war we are having is with radical Islam. & it is a war of cultures. He also talked about a group, The National Coalition of Pro-Democracy Advocates, who are working to change 1 of the major sources of these radicals, Iran, from a theocracy to a secular, democratic society.

He talked about the need for maintaining a common language, English to hold us together. Not having a source of unity will result in the USA becoming balkanized.

Naturally, illegal immigration was a big topic. He said the solution is simple, enforce the law. 1) Do what we need (wall, patrols etc) to protect the border; 2) enforce the penalties against those businesses who hire illegals. For those who truly want to become US citizens, there is a legal process, us it. He said that what we are doing by allowing the current system to continue is that we are developing a servant class.

There also needs to be restrictions on immigration from those countries that export terrorism.

He also had some major concerns about trade agreements like CAFTA & with China. Esp their effects on American soveriegnty & the loss thereof that they are causing.

He talked a little about his experiences in the Reagan administration as a part of the Dept of Education & how he was able to cut down the size of the region he was in charge of. Cut the budget. He admitted it is difficult to fight bureaucracy, but he showed it can be done.

Representative Tancredo has a long solid pro-life record. He said that when it comes to the life issues we need to look at the candiate's motivation. Is he pro-life because he truly believes in it, or only because he wants to get elected. He admitted that there is a need for a bit of divination with some candidates. 1 of his best comments about life was: "If you believe it is life, it is not yours to destroy."

As a part of the discussion he talked about the decline in birth rates here & in Europe. It is a concern & we need to stop the decline before it is too late. "The US is the last best hope the world has."

(Note, I combined all he said by the topic as he would go back & forth during the Q&A as different questions came up.)

As I stated earlier, I was impressed by how he handled himself & what he said. I think he is a candidate that we need to take seriously. In a lot of ways he is much better that any of the "1st Tier" candidates. He appears to be in it, not so much for the power, but because he belives he can make a difference.

& to get back to the fact that he is of Italiano heritage. There is just something that comes across that makes me fell very comfortable with him. Like I said, amici e famiglia. That doesn't mean I agree with him 100%. It just means there is something there I can trust to know he will do what he can to do what is right & best for the country.

I did ask him 1 very important question afterwords, about his Mother's spaghetti sauce recipe. During his 1st campaign he printed it on cards to hand out to the voters in Colorado. Knowing how Italiano cooks don't usually follow a recipe with exact measures, how did he come up with it. The answer was exactly as expected. By watching & measuring as she made a batch. The recipe is still available, for a donation. So, I guess that I'll have to give something so I can compare it to my version that I learned from my Mom (I do have my own variations, which is only natural.).

I still haven't made up my mind about who to support. But he is 1 of the top contenders with Brownback at this point. Tancredo deserves to be taken seriously by the voters & the media as a serious candidate who IS qualified to be president & COULD do the job.