Tom Tancredo's Miami Misstep; Protestors Shut Down Tancredo Speech
Tancredo:
"It was, on the one hand, an excellent expression of free speech on the part of demonstrators and the school allowing them to do that. On the other hand, it was a demonstration on the part of the demonstrators not to extend that to me."**Update 2 (bumped to top, scroll for further updates) Welcome Michelle Malkin/Hot Air readers, take a look around and bookmark Slapstick Politics!:
--video of protestors interrupting Tancredo's speech:
"We are very dissatisfied with Michigan State University"
"We are a diverse community. . .we are all immigrants"
**Update 4: Whose side are the campus police on?
But campus police downplayed the incidents, and the conservative congressman took the charges of racism hurled at him during the protests in stride.
"It was pretty much what I recalled when I was in college myself during the old anti-war protests," said Tancredo, 60, on the telephone. "Lots of kids, lots of screaming, lots of banners."
. . .
Before Tancredo arrived, campus police were called out on reports of disorderly conduct, said Sgt. Florene McGlothian- Taylor of the MSU Police Department.
"After a brief confrontation, the protesters did agree to sit quietly in the back of the room and listen to the speaker," she said.
. . .
After the all-clear was issued following the fire alarm, audience members went back inside and waited for Tancredo. He was introduced to a mix of cheers and boos. A few minutes into his speech, the fire alarm sounded again. Authorities let people stay, and Tancredo ultimately finished his remarks.
After the second alarm, student Randy McPherson told the campus newspaper, "God works in mysterious ways. . . . (Tancredo) shouldn't be here."
Asked about what happened, Tancredo said, "It was, on the one hand, an excellent expression of free speech on the part of demonstrators and the school allowing them to do that. On the other hand, it was a demonstration on the part of the demonstrators not to extend that to me."
**Update 3: MSM Photoshopping?
The Tancredo photo at the Rocky Mountain News has been converted to black and white, and the American flag has been "eliminated"--here's the original at Hot Air:
The Rocky Mountain News story's photo--
Why remove the flag? What is the purpose? Turning the photo b&w is understandable, but eliminating the background is not. Note that the photo isn't cropped, and that the same b&w photo with background intact would have included the flag.
More proof that illegal immigration is a huge problem, as the third "immigrant van" carrying more than a dozen people "stacked" inside is caught on Colorado's highways.
How bad is it?
A driver arrested for investigation of human smuggling after his crowded van crashed Tuesday in Idaho Springs, killing four people, was deported at least twice before the tragedy, including eight weeks ago from Denver, officials say.Human smuggling is repugnant, but is an unpleasant reality that must be dealt with, not shouted down.
Jose Franco-Rodriguez, a 23-year-old citizen of Mexico, is being held in Clear Creek County Jail for investigation of 46 violations of state law, including 14 counts of human smuggling.
He was deported Oct. 6 from Denver, and was previously deported from South Carolina, said Carl Rusnok, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas.
In addition to the possible state charges, Franco-Rodriguez also is under investigation for possible violations of federal laws. ICE agents are collecting evidence against the smuggling operation authorities say was exposed by his arrest.
Also, squelching conservatives' free speech--priceless.
**Update:
Tom Tancredo's speech last night in Michigan disrupted by hooligans:
Protests, scattered fights and fire alarms reportedly disrupted Rep. Tom Tancredo's appearance last night at Michigan State University, a local newspaper reported.You don't have to agree with Tancredo, but once again the standard for free speech from the moonbat left is "free speech for me, none for thee" and statements that speakers "shouldn't be here" only too clearly reveal the type of society that liberals/leftist moonbats would establish if given the opportunity.
According to The State News of Michigan, Tancredo's talk on illegal immigration "turned violent" when about 10 to 20 protesters crashed the event and scuffled with event sponsors from the MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom.
. . .
At Thursday night's event, protesters reportedly gathered inside the building where the event was being held, some carrying signs reading, "Ignorant Racist," the newspaper reported.
Twice during the event, fire alarms were pulled and the building had to be evacuated.
The State News quoted protester Randy McPhereson, who carried a sign saying, "Where's the wall to keep you out?"
"God works in mysterious ways," McPherson said about the second fire alarm. "(Tancredo) shouldn't be here."
Late last night, Tancredo sent an e-mail to his staff describing the event.
"The speech had lots of disruptions by protestors trying to 'silence' me," Tancredo wrote. "Apparently they declared ahead of time on (facebook.com) that they would not allow me to speak."
He continued: "There are at least 3 incidents of physical violence by the protestors against college republicans: one was spit on, one was kicked, and one was punched. Tires were also slashed."
His e-mail ended with one line: "Very exciting stuff."
Tom Tancredo and Florida Guv Jeb Bush have ended their short-lived pen-pal feud:
WASHINGTON - Enough already with Rep. Tom Tancredo, according to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.Tancredo and Bush exchanged "pleasantries" following Tancredo's assertion that certain parts of the city of Miami have turned into de facto "third-world" areas:
After two days of verbal sparring with Colorado's famous firebrand, Bush was ready to change the subject Thursday.
"It's over for us," Bush spokeswoman Alia Faraj said, a day after her boss dismissed Tancredo as a "nut" for calling Miami a "Third World country."
This week's flap is vintage Tancredo, who revels in public spats with high-profile figures as a way to further his fight against what he calls uncontrolled immigration and a "cult of multiculturalism."
Bush, the president's brother, is just the latest to get pulled into the fray. Among others, Tancredo has used spats with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, top White House political adviser Karl Rove, and Sen. Ken Salazar.
Tancredo allies, opponents and outside analysts all see it as part of a combative public relations strategy that has helped the Littleton Republican turn his back-bench seat in Congress into a national bully pulpit.
"Look at what has happened to Miami. It has become a Third World country. You just pick it up and take it and move it someplace. You would never know you're in the United States of America. You would certainly say you're in a Third World country," said Tancredo.
Governor Jeb Bush (R-Florida) responded to Tancredo with a letter on Tuesday.
"I was disappointed to read of your disparaging comments regarding my hometown of Miami," Bush said. "If there is a lesson to be learned from this, perhaps your naïve comments serve as a good reminder for everyone to lessen the anger, frustration and emotion surrounding the issue of immigration."
You can read the rest of Governor Bush's letter by clicking here.
Tancredo responded with a letter of his own Wednesday, which he posted on his Web site.
"The tolerance of cultural diversity in a city or a nation is admirable up to a point, but when diversity is worshipped to the detriment of assimilation, it becomes a serious problem that undermines the civic culture that forms the basis for our democratic institutions and the rule of law," said Tancredo.
"You are understandably proud of the academic achievements of some of the students in Miami's high schools. Unfortunately, Miami-Dade School District's 45 percent graduation rate tells us that the majority of Miami's new arrivals have not yet assimilated this culture of academic excellence," said Tancredo.
"Governor with all due respect, I have simply said something most people - even in Florida if our calls and emails are a measurement of sentiment - believe is true. I have no doubt that people of wealth can still lead a comfortable and pleasant life in Miami, but ask yourself why ordinary middle class citizens are leaving in such high numbers," said Tancredo.
technorati: Tom Tancredo Jeb Bush immigration diversity multiculturalism Miami Florida Michigan State
posted by el presidente at
1:07 PM
5 Comments:
i'd say the video was edited for style. i wouldn't read too much into it.
J.E.B. (John Ellis Bush) is more concerned about the effects of Tancredo's comments and the South Florida real estate market than anything else. He says he is rejoining the real estate market in a kinda full-time manner down there after he leaves office in January. We are watching people, immigrant and non-immigrant alike, streaming out of South Florida as if there was a growing plague. This, of course, does not bode well for ther rest of the state.
My grandfather was a part of the building of Miami-Dade County. It was looking third world-ish 30 years ago. He was upset about that then. I can't imagine how he would feel now. Tancredo is right, many parts of South Florida have a third world flavor. He was wrong to focus just on Miami. It's far more widespread than that. There are some very disturbing areas in Palm Beach County, dressed up often as a rich and famous playground. There are worse areas in Southwest Florida. My wife has spent time in India and "technical" third world areas of the world and, as a Democrat, sees no other way than to refer to areas in South Florida as third world. I'd love to tour Tancredo through just Dade County alone to validate his concerns.
Speaking of Democrats, where are the human rights groups in all of this?
About jobs: Sure there are lots. But they are mostly all service jobs. What white collar jobs you find are primarily handled by those moving in from out of state or, again outside the country. Floridians are letting others redefine our great state. We have our own, and oldest in the country, history, heritage and culture. Floridians need to embrace and build on that and not let an idenity crisis destroy us from within.
the Tancredo pic was also photoshopped
using one of the 'sharpen'filters.
note the gritty appearence.
I noticed the filtering, too. I believe that was for printing purposes. When printing on newsprint the picture as it was would have made Tancredo look washed out. The filtering is to help with definition. I wonder if that was why they cut the flag out also. As much as I hate to see the flag gone, I can understand if the printing would have resulted in having a flag in the background that was hard to figure out. To better tell what I'm writing about is to look at the color photo and squint a bit. The details that disappear are pretty much how the photo would have been printed.
Tancredo is a hypocrite. Ripping Miami high schools for 45% graduation rates, when Denver has a whopping 46% high school graduation rate. And anyone from Littleton talking about high schools should tread lightly.
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