WHAT WILL TANCREDO DO AFTER HE FAILS TO WIN ANY GOP CONVENTION DELEGATES?

You might remember how happy I was when reactionary Fox-Democrat, Harold Ford, abandoned his congressional seat-- later won by a genuine progressive, Steve Cohen-- and then also tasted well-deserved defeat as he grasped ineffectively for the Senate. Something similar could happen in Colorado's 6th CD, base of xenophobic wingnut Tom Tancredo, who is currently making a hopeless, loony run for the presidency. Tancredo has a much smaller chance of winning the Republican nomination-- let alone the presidency (of the United States)-- than Ford did of winning the Senate. In fact if Ford didn't cede the middle ground of moderation and try to run to the right of Corker, he probably would not have been the only Democratic loser among DSCC priority races last year.

There is nothing, however, for Tancredo to do other than to be Tancredo. He stands for one thing and one thing only: hatred of immigrants and foreigners (although he has the predictably lunatic fringe voting record of a dyed-in-the-wool far right fanatic and extremist). Last year political newcomer/Fighting Dem, Bill Winter, managed to draw 40% of the votes in a very Republican district (where Bush won with 60% in 2000 and 2004). Many astute observers don't think Tancredo will give up his seat in the end and will just punk out of the presidential thing after a while.

There are quite a few local Republicans eager to succeed Tancredo if he actually does decide to not seek re-election to Congress. A far right state senator, Tom Wiens, said he's in if Tancredo doesn't run. "I'm definitely taking a look at it. I'm actively working on it, and I'm going through my Rolodex," he told CongressDaily yesterday. Many think Tancredo will try to hold onto the House seat after he's thrashed in the GOP primaries early next year. Wiens also faces re-election to the state Senate next year so he has to make up his mind asap. Another wingnut state senator who would like the job is Ted Harvey. "If the opportunity presents itself, I would have to look at it," he said. "Right now the congressman has made it pretty clear he hasn't made any decisions" about the congressional seat. Wil Armstrong, a businessman and the son of former Senator Bill Armstrong, is also interested-- and is also holding back 'til he knows what Tancredo plans. Other possibilities are a crazy far right oilman, Roger Hutson, who doesn't live in the district, and Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer. And Bill Winter? I don't know yet, but my friends in Colorado seem very happy that he's sticking around.