Tancredo Drops Out of '08 Race, Will Endorse Romney

Dammit. I'm sure there were lots more kids out there for him to terrify!!!

Amid a report that he plans to drop out of the presidential race, Republican Tom Tancredo said he'll make a "major announcement" Thursday about his long-shot campaign.

Although Tancredo did not shed any light on what that announcement may be, NBC News reported Wednesday that he intends to drop out of the race.

Tancredo, a Colorado congressman, has scheduled a Thursday news conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sheesh, I just realized the major side effect of Tancredo quitting..... Bay Buchanan won't have a job anymore so she'll be back on our teevees.

UPDATE via Steve Benen: As expected, Tom Tancredo ended his quixotic presidential campaign today. What was less expected was his announcement that he would support rival Mitt Romney's candidacy.

Republican Tom Tancredo announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

Tancredo, a five-term congressman from Colorado, said he would endorse rival Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination.

Tancredo has consistently polled at the bottom of the nine-person Republican field. He based his campaign on fighting illegal immigration and has run television ads that link lax border control to terrorist attacks, rape and other crimes.

He made his announcement at a news conference in downtown Des Moines, two weeks before Iowa begins the presidential nominating process with the state's precinct caucuses.

As recently as October, Tancredo was asked whether he would commit to supporting the eventual GOP nominee, no matter who it is. He balked: "You know, I've said I don't know how many times that I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of being forced to go to the polls and say I'm going to make this choice between the lesser of two evils. I really don't intend to do that again."

Today, however, Tancredo switched gears, and threw his support to Romney, who hasn't exactly been reliably right-wing on Tancredo's signature issue (xenophobic hatred of foreigners).