Media Credit: Rodrigo Huerta — THE BATTALION [Click to enlarge]

Tom Tancredo (R)

Congressman from Colorado

David Morris: The most remarkable thing about Tom Tancredo is that he is practically single-handedly responsible for the fact that there is a debate on illegal immigration rather than outright capitulation to the amnesty crowd. He was founding chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus in 1999, a position that he occupied until February 2007, and was at the forefront of the movement to release imprisoned border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and José Campeán.

Though Tancredo is primarily known for his staunch anti-illegal immigration stance, he has consistently supported many conservative positions since being elected to office.

In addition to stemming the tide of illegal immigration, Tancredo has maintained that effective homeland security also depends on control of America's borders, without which America cannot keep out those who would do us harm.

Tancredo also co-authored the fair tax bill, demonstrating his support for creating a tax system that is easily understood and not a burden on taxpayers - unlike the current system, which requires more than 60,000 pages to explain.

Tancredo has also been consistently pro-life, is in full support of Second Amendment rights and favors protectionist policies regarding foreign trade. Tancredo is a strong conservative candidate, but doesn't have the support or finances to be a serious contender for the presidency.

Ben Williams: Although he is at the end of the line for the Republican nomination for president, Tom Tancredo has a great story to tell. Tancredo is a lifelong conservative with almost a decade of experience in Congress. He is known for his pro-life, pro-gun, small government and immigration reform stances.

Before his election to Congress, he served five years in the Colorado legislature and was appointed regional representative for the Department of Education by President Reagan, a position he occupied for more than 10 years. He was also a co-author of the fair tax legislation.

On free trade, Tancredo does not want to renew the presidential "fast track" trade treaty negotiation bill. He believes that the Constitution leaves the power of trade agreements in the hands of Congress. Although this is true, there are many downsides for free trade if the bill is not renewed.

Speeding up the process of free trade makes it easier to attract other countries into doing business. Conversely, adding 650 other opinions to the mix will create a free trade nightmare that will never succeed. For voters who support free trade, non-protectionist policies and globalization, rejecting the "fast track" authority bill is bad. Resticting Americans from participating in global economic growth is a bad policy.

Overall, Tancredo is a solid conservative, but the presidency is just too tall an order for him.

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