Tancredo pulls out, backing Romney
Says he has best chance of winning
Tom Tancredo pulled out of the presidential race yesterday and endorsed Mitt Romney, saying his erstwhile rival is the Republican with the best chance to win the White House and continue the fight to end illegal immigration, an issue the Coloradan helped push to the forefront of the campaign.
The fifth-term congressman, who consistently polled at the bottom of the nine-candidate GOP field, said he dropped out two weeks before the Iowa caucuses because he feared his continued candidacy could enable an opponent favoring a less-stringent approach to immigration to win.
Speaking to supporters in Des Moines, he mentioned former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who has soared to the top in polls in Iowa and nationally, and Senator John McCain of Arizona.
In videotaped remarks on his campaign website, Tancredo was even harsher, terming "abysmal" the record on illegal immigration of some others in the field. Their policies, he said, encouraged illegal immigration.
"I supported Romney," Tancredo said later on Fox News Channel. "I had an interesting and lengthy discussion with him this morning about his plan. I believe it's viable. I believe he'll stick with it, and he's got the best shot."
Romney and Tancredo do not agree on every aspect of the issue, but Tancredo said they are in accord on the need to secure the nation's borders and punish employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants.
"He has a solid record that matches his rhetoric," said Tancredo, who turned 62 yesterday.
A former junior high school civics teacher, Tancredo always considered his presidential candidacy a long shot, but a platform to bring attention to an issue he has called "the most critical domestic issue America faces."
"Golly, the other day I saw [Rudy] Giuliani's new commercial on illegal immigration, the fact that he's going to put up a fence and I thought, you know, we've really done it," Tancredo said.
Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, has been hit hard by Romney for his tolerant policies toward immigrants while mayor.
Earlier this week, US Representative Steve King of Iowa, a Tancredo ally on immigration and other issues, threw his support to Fred Thompson.
Romney is the third candidate to pick up an endorsement of a former opponent who dropped out. Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas withdrew and endorsed McCain.
Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson had pulled out and is campaigning for Giuliani.
Tancredo has not always had the kindest words for Romney during the campaign.
In October, a Denver Post reporter asked him about Romney calling himself the "true conservative."
"We'll do it the old-fashioned way to really see who is a solid conservative," Tancredo replied. "I'll challenge Governor Romney to a trap-shooting contest. Loser drops out." 