The Tea Party convention kicked off today in Nasvhille, and former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) opened up the convention with some controversial remarks about the 2008 election.

"People who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English put a committed socialist ideologue in the White House," Tancredo said during a speech, according to the Cleveland Leader.



Tancredo also said Obama won because "we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote."



This isn't the first time Tancredo has made controversial statements.

The Colorado Republican has long been a striden opponent of illegal immigration, and liberals have accused him of racial insensitivity. He launched a presidential bid in 2008 based on an anti-illegal immigration platform.

While explaining his opposition to Sonia Sotomayor's nomination, he called the group La Raza "a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses."







