Tancredo Claims Sotomayor In "Latino KKK" (VIDEO)

Tom Tancredo, the former Colorado congressman and radical anti-immigration activist, stepped up his attacks on judge Sonia Sotomayor Thursday. Appearing on CNN, Tancredo suggested that Sotomayor's affiliation with the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights group, was equivalent to being a member of the Ku Klux Klan.

TANCREDO: If you belong to an organization called La Raza, in this case, which is, from my point of view anyway, nothing more than a Latino -- it's a counterpart -- a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses. If you belong to something like that in a way that's going to convince me and a lot of other people that it's got nothing to do with race. Even though the logo of La Raza is "All for the race. Nothing for the rest." What does that tell you?

SANCHEZ: Alright. We're not talking about -- we're not talking about La Raza --

TANCREDO: She's a member! She's a member of La Raza!

The only problem with Tancredo's claim is that "All for the race. Nothing for the rest." is not La Raza's motto. Instead, the group's motto is the utterly uncontroversial "Strengthening America by promoting the advancement of Latino families."

The phrase that Tancredo incorrectly links to Sotomayor is, in fact, found only in the founding documents a wholly different group to which Sotomayor has no known affiliation.

The La Raza claim is just the latest in a series of racially-tinged attacks that conservatives have been making against Sotomayor. On Tuesday, just after President Obama announced Sotomayer's nomination to the Supreme Court, Tancredo told MSNBC's Ed Schultz that Sotomayor has said plenty of "things that are racist."

Indeed, Tancredo, who ran for president in 2008 on an anti-immigration platform, is no stranger to racist comments. One of his campaign ads suggested that illegal immigrants are likely to be terrorists and he has been behind efforts to deport all illegal immigrants from the country and outlaw immigration to the U.S..

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Comments

[Haitiana4Obama]

The G.O.P. suffers from a lack of education. I mean this without malice, this comes from a sincere heart. If Tancredo had been properly educated he would be able to distinguish groups like La Raza from the KKK. La Raza is more like a Hispanic version of the NAACP in their pursuit of equality and progress for people of color, they share nothing with hate groups like the KKK and it is a clear example of what's missing in the G.O.P: EDUCATION. They fear the unknown and are unwilling to learn from the error of their ways.

[ICanHasDemocracy]

There's a simple psychological explanation for Tom TanKredo..­.it's called projection, coupled with reaction-formation logic.

[LibraryMom]

Mr. Tancredo has the motto for MECHA associated with NCLR (LA RAZA). He knows it, and he is purposely confusing the two in order to make Sotomayor look like a racist and right winged. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is "the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States – works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans.­" MECHA is the acronym for "Movimiento Estudiantíl Chicano de Aztlán", the Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan. "The goal of Aztlan is the secession of the Southwest U.S.A., which it calls Aztlan. The MEChA Constitution clearly calls for "the struggle for the self-determination of the Chicano people for the purpose of liberating Aztlán". Another key document, "El Plan de Aztlan", states that "Aztlan belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans. We do not recognize capricious frontiers on the bronze continent.­...We declare the independence of our mestizo nation...N­ationalism as the key to organization transcends all religious, political, class, and economic factions or boundaries. Nationalism is the common denominator that all members of La Raza agree upon.” The MEChA sloganis "Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nada."

[Haitiana4Obama]

You seem pretty knowledgable about La Raza, which is refreshing as most people here has no clue what it's really about. I originally got into La Raza through (believe it or not) Shakira, her earlier recordings really moved me and opened my eyes to the plight of the Latin American (not just Hispanic or Indigenous) people as a whole. I believe in progress and so does La Raza, through unity all things are possible.

[wayicit]

Tom Tancredo's crazy xenophobic rants on CNN, will only shrink the republican party. Go! Tom!
Can't wait til they implode!

[MarsAmbassador]

Let me guess...he­'s a Republican? How'd I know...

[FogBelter]

There's a homeless guy that shouts absurd things at the top of his lungs downtown, but that never inspires me to take him seriously either.

[NelsonBig]

It amazes me how we, as Americans, are always trying to state that being racist isn't pc. However, race driven organizations are allowed and encouraged. How can we end racism when even the races themselves are setting themselves apart? Even if it is for advancement, it's still setting your race apart.

[kannita]

I lost all respect for CNN once they allowed Tancredo to state his 'Racist' comments the first time. Will no longer watch CNN myself. You can have it!

[Coloradem]

Tom Tancredo is just an updated version of David Duke...."D­avid Duke 2.0" if you will....

[exhale09]

Does anybody know how many Republican seats are up for re-election in 2010?

How many more of these lunatics can we get out of our Government?

Get you voting shoes ready friends.

[mjwilstein]

Karl Rove is the only Republican who think it might not be a good idea to call Sotomayor a racist. Here he is on last night's O'Reilly:
http://www.gotchamediablog.com/2009/05/is-karl-rove-only-republican-supporting.html

[YewNeekId]

laraza is not at all equivalent to the kkk; however laraza is a r.acist organization

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

and Tancredo is like a person who's opinion is worth listening to except without the facts, intelligence, morality and integrity needed for an worthwhile person's opinion

[Taiyo]

Tancredo is coming across as a frenzied fanatic, offering no reasoned opposition at all. This is a one-time congressman? This is a one-time presidential candidate? Gads, the man is nothing more than a wild-eyed zealot.

[chriss0114]

anyyhing for ratings

or should that be rantings for ratings?