Tancredo Keeping Options Open

Rep. Tom Tancredo is keeping all of his options open, but he’s not ready to follow some big-name Republicans who have started filing papers to launch exploratory committees for the 2008 presidential race.

Tancredo, R-Littleton, strolled to re-election in his safely Republican, south suburban district. He said Thursday he still has not decided whether mounting a long- shot presidential bid, running for the U.S. Senate or staying in the House of Representatives will be the best way to advance his conservative agenda.

Tancredo first began joking about a presidential bid in early 2005. All along, he has conceded he would have no realistic chance of winning but said the threatened candidacy was a way of pressuring other contenders to take up his fight against illegal immigration.

Tancredo said he has been content to sit on the sidelines this week as bigger-name Republican presidential contenders took the first, formal steps to launch exploratory bids.

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He also is waiting for two-term Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Loveland, to decide whether he will honor a term-limits pledge and leave at the end of 2008.

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