Rep. Tom Tancredo, in a letter posted on his campaign Web site, announced he would not be participating in a Spanish language debate on Dec. 9.
The debate, sponsored by Univision, will take place in Miami, and will take candidates’ answers in English and translate them into Spanish. But Tancredo will not be participating.
“Can anyone imagine Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft having a Republican primary debate in German or Italian in 1912? Of course not. Indeed, I believe that Roosevelt’s admonition applies today. It is proper to appeal to the ‘Hispanic vote’ or the ‘Asian vote’ or the ‘black vote.’ We must appeal only for American votes,” Tancredo wrote.
Confirmed for the debate are candidates Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.
In an additional article posted on Tancredo’s campaign site from The Washington Times, when asked the question if he would at least watch, Tancredo was quoted as saying, “Nah, I don’t know Spanish.”
