When puppy-protectorTom Tancredo threw down the gauntlet last week and tried to put his presidential candidacy on the line with a Colorado Rockies world series victory against Mitt Romney's Red Sox, Mitt politely declined and the would-be media fracas quickly peetered. Now it seems Tancredo was simply set on doing some quitting of any sort. His Rockies did in fact lose to the Red Sox, but rather than uphold his part of the non-deal, Tancredo has announced he will instead retire from the House of Representatives at the end of 2008. The struggling candidate remains in ostensible contention for the presidency. Rockymountainnews