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

[IcedTee63]

This man actually ran for President...

[KHAAANNN]

Proof positive that the best way to shut these idiots up is to let them speak.
He was soundly rejected by all in the Republican Primaries (not exactly a liberal-love-fest.)
Sometimes I wonder what the hell is wrong with people like Tancredo (a suspiciously non-English name you know!)

[shastacola]

The republicans should just add the NAACP and the Anti Defamation League to their list of suspect organizations and go for the trifecta of GOP hate and fear.

[OMG1109]

Good one!

[Witkacy]

They treat ACORN like it's friggin SPECTRE from the old James Bond films!

[shastacola]

And the media plays along.

[Froth]

this guy is such a joke

[Gidster]

Tancredo is an unapologetic racists.

He called Latinos a "Scourge on America".......

[solarian]

good keep it up and there will be no republican party and that is a good thing

[NotesFromME]

Why is it that CNN picks the most exteme people on--so they can manufacture a controversy? Find someone, anyone to make an incendiary comment about someone else, then blow it out of proportion and let the pundits discuss the ramifications for hours. Remember when CNN had REAL reporters, not circus ringmasters with touch screens?

It is far better to watch the News Hour with Jim Lehrer or the BBC for REAL news. It really is amazing to get substantive news instead of the "tempest in a teapot" crap that we get on cable these days.

Tancredo is a racist, pure and simple. Sotomayors parents were immigrants from Puerto Rico, so you invite an anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic extremist to discuss it? Why not a Klan Grand Kleagle to talk about Obama's fitness for his job?

[roblabrousse]

Thanks for your balanced view. CNN has lost if not all, most of it's credibility for good reporting. They stir up the pot and never try to put the lid back on it. Their pundits are more pseudo than real. Their representation of the story is usually lopsided at best.

[PC Contrarian]

I completely agree with your analysis of the media.

Also, Tancredo's comparing La Raza with the KKK is inaccurate. He is confusing that organization, which Sotomayor belongs to, with another Chicano organization that uses the term La Raza.

However, your depiction of Tancredo as "an anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic extremist" is also inaccurate.
Tancredo is passionately opposed to ILLEGAL ALIENS and not legal immigration. I recall his participation in the 2008 debates; and he went to great pains to clarify he is not anti-Hispanic.

The fact that most illegal aliens are Hispanic makes it easy for the open border lobby to characterize those, who are passionate about securing our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, as "an anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic extremist".

I don't know if you advocate open borders or if you have simply bought the spin. The Democrats are more than willing to hang this bumper sticker slogan on the whole Republican Party. With Hispanics being the fastest growing voting block, I'm not surprised.

[VSamuels]

CNN, like the other news outlets are all guilty of playing to its demographic, which is primarily a white audience. In a way, Rush Limbaugh has clarified the 'prize' as he has shown a capacity to attract, hold and influence nearly 20 million listeners while offering a 'menu' of negative, derisive and racist foods. This fact certainly has not been overlooked by these media executives who would probably sell their own children to be on top of the ratings game, we the discriminating viewers of 'things' newsworthy, would like to believe that these networks are places where we go to be informed, however, today it is a place little removed from grocery store tabloids.

Here, those who lives are filled with 'everything' are not the targets of this garbage, the ones who have the time to sit and watch are often similar to those who hang to the nonsense of the talk radio genre, while the occasional viewer is repulsed by such filth. This sort of crap sells and they are merely trying to take advantage of a market they understand already is open to listen and believe such things about those who are non-white.

[Witkacy]

Don't forget MSNBC: Ed Schulz and Chris Matthews almost seem to be carrying water for these extremist nutcases, as they let these people just ramble on...

[harriscrl3]

Keep it up rethugs keep sticking that foot down your throats I guess its better than something else. Keep slandering this sweet woman and there will be hell to pay in 2010

Carol

[eva belle]

Somebody say projection

[ladycubsfan]

Talk about a textbook case of projection. He thinks she's in a Latino Klan and he's afraid her Klan is "bigger and badder" than his. Aww, I think he's a widdle afwaid.

[seachild]

WOW...the true colors are really showing since O's been elected...now the world see's just how RACIST America still is...

how sad

[roblabrousse]

And when did it change?

[gakabani]

CNN is wrong to get this guy, pathetic comments with no value.

[jlab]

Screaming bloody murder about Sotomayor, even though they know full well that she is more than moderate, is probably mostly a strategy to make Obama think: Phew, thank GOD I didn't pick a progressive!

[Butai]

shame on the media and in this case CNN to let these nut cases on just for ratings... oh by the way haven't they noticed that their ratings are in the tank.

[Butai]

these people are just insane!!!!!!

[jlab]

Projection.

[gfs5541]

You know, we warned the GOP that they would alienate the Hispanic Community by slandering Sotomayor.