Tom Tancredo, a one-time Republican presidential candidate and former candidate for governor of Colorado from the "Constitution Party," has a certain Russell-Pearce-like (ahem) charm about him when it comes to the debate over illegal immigration, and it was on display in Denver on Tuesday night when he got to "ask a Mexican" a few questions.

Tancredo debated Village Voice Media (which owns New Times) columnist Gustavo Arellano, of "Ask a Mexican" fame in a one-on-one discussion about illegal immigration and cultural assimilation.

"My dad came to this country in the trunk of a Chevy," Arrelano told Tancredo. "And I'm sitting here talking to you in English. So how is it that we can't assimilate?"

Tancredo responded with "Gustavo, the fact that you do what you do, the fact that you write the column you write, the fact that you are so defensive about this issue is evidence that no real assimilation has taken place."

That's just a taste -- check out some clips from the debate after the jump.

Click here for more coverage on the debate from New Times' Denver-based sister publication, Westword.