Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is urging 11 million illegal immigrants be allowed to stay in the United States in a likely effort to corner the establishment wing of the GOP in an expected presidential run, former Rep. Tom Tancredo told
Newsmax TV.
Appearing Thursday on "Newsmax Prime," the five-term Colorado Republican told host J.D. Hayworth that Bush is probably trying to be the only Republican candidate supporting "amnesty."
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"All of the other folks will get the votes of the tea party group and the more conservatives," Tancredo said, while Bush will get progressives and the Republican Party establishment, "and he thinks that can get the job done for him."
Bush made the remarks Wednesday in a speech before the National Christian Hispanic Leadership Conference.
Tancredo said immigration reform has long been on the Bush family agenda, adding that he did give the former governor points for staking out a position and sticking to it, even if it was something Tancredo personally disagrees with.
"He's not afraid of it all. He's coming right out," Tancredo said.
Bush likely thinks the strategy will win him the GOP nomination and the general election because Hispanic voters will flock to him, Tancredo said, but added that the strategy is always a loser for Republicans.
"Will they ever understand that Hispanics vote for Democrats at about 70 percent for exactly the same reason other people vote for Democrats? They want the Obama phones, and they want big government," he said. "It's got nothing to do with immigration, and no matter how much you pander, you will never get their votes."
During his time in Congress, he said, it was impossible to pass tougher immigration laws because Democrats saw illegal aliens as "undocumented Democrats" and Republicans saw them as "cheap laborers."
Among the expected GOP field, Tancredo said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is the only one who is taking a real stand against amnesty.
"He's been consistent, as forthright as you can imagine, and gutsy," Tancredo said. "I'm telling you I am so proud of him because he has not tried to do the little walk that straddles the line. He says it, he's plain about it. He's my guy."
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