Racist undertones in this guy's remarks? Radical multiculturalists?

Quote :

"Tancredo speech not worth the risk, Miami club decides A Miami group withdrew its speaking invitation to a congressman, fearing his recent remarks that the city was a 'Third World country' presented security risks. BY CASEY WOODS cwoods@MiamiHerald.com The Colorado congressman who recently called Miami a ''Third World country'' won't be in the city today because organizers of an event feared that protesters and a crush of anticipated media posed a security risk. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo was slated to speak about immigration at the Rotary Club of Miami's weekly meeting at the Rusty Pelican on Virginia Key today, but restaurant and club representatives abruptly canceled his appearance on Wednesday after his controversial comments ignited local outrage -- including criticism from Gov. Jeb Bush. Tancredo responded to the withdrawn invitation with scorn. ''I knew speaking your mind could be dangerous in Havana -- I guess it's equally dangerous to do so in Miami,'' Tancredo said in a statement. ``Apparently, there isn't much of a difference between the two anymore. ``I hope to someday return to Miami when it has been able to extricate itself from the clutches of the radical multiculturalists.'' Restaurant managers said they received complaints from at least 20 employees and phone calls from residents objecting to Tancredo, whose scheduled talk was titled Renewing America: The Need for Assimilation. SAFETY CONCERNS ''We have a small parking space and limited entrance area, and we were very concerned about the safety of our guests and employees,'' said Randy Palmer, the Rusty Pelican's regional manager. ``We're not trying to make a political statement, but there was an implication of boycotts -- and shock, being that we're part of the community, that we would consider hosting this event.'' Last month, Tancredo held up Miami as an example of the possible fate of the country if immigration policies are not tightened. ''You would never know you're in the United States of America,'' he said in an interview with a conservative online news site. ``You would certainly say you're in a Third World country.'' Bush, who had called Tancredo's Third World comment ''naive,'' lamented the cancellation of Tancredo's visit. ''The governor is disappointed with the behavior of these individuals that prevented the congressman from visiting Miami -- a trip that would have afforded him the opportunity to enjoy the city's many attributes and a trip that would have started a worthwhile dialogue on Florida's rich heritage and cultures,'' Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said in a statement. The Rotary Club was caught off guard by the reaction to Tancredo's scheduled visit, said the group's president, Richard Tonkinson. ''We do not endorse political views in any way, shape or form,'' Tonkinson said. ``Whoever is at the podium, we listen to what they have to say, we thank them for coming, we give them a certificate of appreciation and that's it. In other words, we're not a political organization, and as such, we render no opinion on whether the guy is crazy or not.'' Tonkinson said that Tancredo was booked as a speaker months ago, before he made his comments about Miami. ''Our membership looks like the demographics of Miami and we are proud of our diversity,'' he said. ``We were actually looking forward to the opportunity to grill this guy.'' Instead, a local speaker will advise Rotary members on how to protect themselves from identity theft. MORE FUSES The speech Tancredo planned to give, which he posted on his website Wednesday, promised to spark even more controversy. It lists statistics which, he states, show that the large number of undocumented immigrants in Miami leads to higher rates of violent crimes and drug use. ''I do not think most citizens of Miami want it to be mistaken for a Third World country, especially if that term is interpreted to mean a city rife with poverty, crime and corruption,'' he stated. ``Yet the dominance of Spanish as the language of commerce, of entertainment, and increasingly the language of the civic culture, creates the impression that you have some ambivalence about America and its institutions.'' Miami Herald staff writer Lesley Clark contributed to this report."

The restaurant where Tancredo was to deliver a speech is a personal favorite of mine and right by where I work. Glad they gave the finger to that moron.

GG Rusty Pelican.

[Edited on December 14, 2006 at 2:33 AM. Reason : :]

12/14/2006 2:33:02 AM

Quote :

"a trip that would have afforded him the opportunity to enjoy the city's many attributes "

more like "A trip that would have gotten him shivved"

12/14/2006 2:50:40 AM

This guy is a douchebag.

12/14/2006 7:55:50 AM

yeah tancredo is a one monkey show

12/14/2006 9:32:47 AM