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DENVER - Tom Tancredo has been called a one-trick pony of a politician, a man out of step with his party, a bigot. The Republican congressman vehemently opposes illegal immigration, and he created an uproar last week when he talked about nuking Muslim holy sites.
No matter, Tancredo is pressing on and even hinting at a long-shot presidential bid in 2008.
Tancredo has already visited New Hampshire and Iowa this year, and says he found a welcome audience among voters who are fed up with the nation's immigration policies, including proposals by President Bush.
''Unless I misread the political tea leaves, there is a great deal of support for what I say,'' Tancredo said.
Tancredo raised eyebrows last week by telling a radio talk show host that ''you could take out'' Islamic holy sites should terrorists ever launch a nuclear attack against the United States.
''You're talking about bombing Mecca,'' asked the host.
''Yeah,'' Tancredo responded, saying he was ''just throwing out some ideas.''
He later said his comments were taken out of context and refused to apologize.
Few consider Tancredo a serious challenger for the GOP presidential nomination, but his stance resonates with some in a post-Sept. 11 era when volunteer groups like the Minutemen have been patrolling the border for illegal immigrants.
Such critics contend illegal immigrants are a security threat, take jobs from Americans, overburden the health care system and raise the crime rate.
Tancredo would like the United States to patrol its borders with the military.
He said the U.S. also needs a guest worker program that requires employers to prove a need for short-term labor, without amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Esteban Flores, executive director of the Latino Research and Policy Center in Denver, calls Tancredo a bigot who is trying to use racial division to further his career. He compared Tancredo to George Wallace, the outspoken opponent of desegregation.
''He's preying on peoples' fears, which is the worst way to build public trust,'' Flores said.
Tancredo doesn't see it that way.
The 59-year-old grandson of an Italian immigrant is a former public schoolteacher.
He said he began his campaign after becoming disgusted with bilingual education requirements that he says turned out students illiterate in two languages.
Tancredo said he received a warm reception when he traveled to New Hampshire to give an award to a police chief who arrests undocumented immigrants on charges of trespassing. It warmed him up for Iowa, the key caucus state he visited this month.
Experts say Tancredo has no chance at the White House, but like Ross Perot's campaign on a balanced budget in 1992, he has found an issue that could force other Republicans to treat immigration as a major issue.
''If he gets lots of attention, if he moves in the polls, some candidate has to pick it up,'' said Floyd Ciruli, an independent Denver pollster.
Tancredo is quick to dismiss his critics, saying he has a duty to make sure immigration laws are enforced.
''I also know that if given the slightest opportunity, most of the candidates out there right now will not address it forthrightly. They will say things like, 'I'm against illegal immigration, next question.' We're going to have to do a lot better than that.''