Tancredo Takes Partial Credit For McCain’s Troubles

Republican presidential hopeful and illegal immigration opponent Tom Tancredo said Wednesday that he “can take some credit” for the current campaign woes of his rival for the nomination, Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Tancredo, a Colorado congressman and a longshot candidate, has hammered McCain in Iowa and other states for his support of a failed immigration bill that would have legalized millions of immigrants now in the country.

McCain is struggling to raise money and lags behind former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in most polls. This week he fired much of his campaign staff in an attempt to get back on track.

“To the extent that I believe that I have been somewhat successful in moving this issue and getting it to the point where it is now part of the presidential debate, yeah, I guess I can take some credit,” Tancredo said at a news conference. “Small, but some.”

The best thing about the Senate bill, which failed last month, is that “it means there will never be a President McCain,” Tancredo added.

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