Dean calls on McCain to denounce Tancredo

DNC boss wants repudiation of congressman's 'insulting remarks' about pope
Posted: April 19, 2008 12:10 am Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

Sen. John McCain must denounce Rep. Tom Tancredo's exhortation to the pope to stay out of the illegal immigration debate in the U.S., says Howard Dean, the Democratic National Committee chairman.

"If John McCain is serious in his pledge to run a respectful campaign, he should immediately denounce Tom Tancredo's insulting remarks about Pope Benedict XVI," Dean said.

As WND reported, Tancredo – who vied for the Republican presidential nomination to make illegal immigration a priority issue – suggested in a House speech yesterday that Pope Benedict XVI is encouraging Latin Americans to come to the U.S. to bolster flagging membership in the Catholic Church.

Dean, in his open message to the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, accused Republicans of exploiting the illegal alien issue.

"After years of failing to address immigration reform, the Republican Party has instead used the issue to scapegoat people to win elections," Dean Said. "If McCain believes, as he has said, that 'these are God's children,' he should not stand by silently as Tancredo or anyone else in the Republican Party continues using immigrants as scapegoats or playing politics with immigration legislation." Dean said the American people "don't want four more years of a President who will callously use issues to divide us rather than working to unite us."