81 Comments

1. Marc Malone:

Ah, it’s only been a few weeks. Give the man a chance. Um, no.

Actually, the problem is simple and is the same one suffered by all the old-time Pubs. They cannot seem to get it inot their thick heads that the left-wing media is the ENEMY. Quit sucking up to them. When they criticize, slap them back. Grow a pair. That’s how we’ll get new blood into the party. No one wants to join a party of limp weenies. The moment he stands up against the idiot media, then all will be well.

Mar 13, 2009 - 1:27 am 2. Ozzie:

Live by the crass pandering, die by the crass pandering. Another example of our party with no moral center needing to be clear cut. His lies and equivicating about abortion should have been the last straw. He’s pro-abortion personally, lying and saying he is not for his ‘role’ as RNC chairman. It was obvious reading the transcript.

Mar 13, 2009 - 1:55 am 3. Rachel:

I say this as a caring liberal: if you cut Steele down, you can forget about winning more seats in 2010. This will be THE EXAMPLE of what fellow African-Americans think about the Republican party (that they always keep a brother down), and the Dems wil use it to the hilt.
Face it guys, not all conservatives are pro-life and love Rush Limbaugh. During W’s presidency, I started coming over the conservative blogs because of such a “big tent” I thought existed here as well as not being so hate-obsessed. But as early as October, I started seeing more and more conservatives “Kos it up” with a my-way-100 percent-or-no-way mentality.

Steele may not be perfect (no one is) but he can be the voice of the Republican party. You have to remember it’s not all about YOU. It’s about increasing size and belief. **Especially* in small government. Has Steele talked about expanding government or amnesty?

And he knows what the rest of America sees in Republicans and wants to change that. Y’all drop him without obvious provocation (like tax evasion or foot tapping) and you will cement the racist, Rush-worshipping stereotype that many Americans beleive. If that’s the case, you will be nothing more than fringe come 2010.

And many conservatives see that and are trying to get that through your heads. Are you willing to drive them over to my side because they are not pure enough for you? They are more than welcome to come to my side if y’all are going to shun them.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:17 am 4. Meryl:

Is it possible that we can arrive at the place where we evaluate a man by the content of his character and not the color of his skin?

This was an irritating situation from the git-go because it was obvious that if he had not been black, he would have been an also-ran.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:34 am 5. Brian Richard Allen:

“” … while he might not be as conservative as many in the base might wish, he’s plenty conservative for most of the rest of the country. “”

As, one presumes by your implication, was McRainman, the rest of the country’s “plenty conservative enough” for it 2008 choice for “Republican” presidential contender?

If Mr Steele is not corrupt, will withdraw from the Goebbels’ Media’ celebrity circuit and will shut up and retreat to and perform the administrative office to which he was elected, great.

But if he is and/or will not? He’s got to go.

Brian Richard Allen
Los Angeles CalifMcCAINacated 90028

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:59 am 6. JD:

Let us hope not.

The worst thing that happened to the UK Conservative Party after its defeat in 1997 was its descent into bitter infighting.

This has not been brought under control until today and was a large factor in keeping the Tories out of power. Who would elect a party more inwardly focused that outward?

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:47 am 7. Michael Canzano:

I consider myself a Conservative. Republicans have no passion ,no guts and refuse to stand up for the truth or Conservative values. For the most part they are Donkeys in Drag. They lost an election to a guy who never had a real job , surrounded himself with criminals , is a Muslim sympathizer , reeks of Socialism and has an “America Hating ” wife. Give us a break !
American Christian Infidel
michael Canzano

Mar 13, 2009 - 4:16 am 8. AKG:

(Former republican, since Reagan) The small narrow minded minority had high jacked the GOP to their detriment and doom. These intellectually challenged hillbillies hate anyone that is not just like them or thinks just like them. That is what conservatism is; total intolerance of other points of view. A failed ideology unfit to be used in governing. Add neo-religisiosity and the mixture turns toxic to everyone else. Not everyone follows the party line, it is called independent thinking. Rush and Gingrich are the sign of the disease. Bush has cured me of republicanism, conservatism and any other ism associated with republicans. That party is essentially dead, too much dead wood. Ideas that have thoroughly failed. Results: A ruined economy, the rich getting richer, my job going away to other countries. The judgment is harsh and totally deserving. Trickle down was turned into trickle up. The middle class has been decimated. Anything is better than the course we were on. Socialism? What did unregulated Capitalism done for the people? The middle it it. Until them GOP Bozos figure that one out, they will be out in the dog house.

Mar 13, 2009 - 4:30 am 9. Nine-of-Diamonds:

Take a hint from a “Caring Conservative”, “Caring Liberal” – worry about your own den of sleazebags & thieves instead of lecturing us on how to win elections, m’kay? How many botched appointments is Teleprompter Boy up to now? Ten? fifteen? The Messiah is doing worse than Bush was at this point in his presidency, and yet you crooks think you have advice to offer US.

Oh, and I know that jamming a pair of scissors into a 9-month fetus’s skull is a sacred right to Y’ALL, but not everyone shares your viewpoint.

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:04 am 10. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Rick Moran, et al.
RE: Perhaps

Are Michael Steele’s Days at the RNC Numbered? — Rick Moran

Unless he learns that he is the administrator of the Party apparatus instead of the soul of the Party, he may well be replaced.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. Maybe someone should pass him a copy of Clancy’s Executive Orders, highlighting the fun Ryan has with the press over abortion…..

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:26 am 11. Will:

#1 is right on. If anyone saw the clip on Hardball between Chrissy and Arie, it’s worth a take. After watching Arie throw it back at Chris- I thought Arie ought to be the leader.

They HATE us Mr. Steele and NOTHING will win them over…look at what they did to Bush and he reached out to them. We must prove them wrong. Fight FIGHT FIGHT

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:40 am 12. Marge:

Steele is and always has been a sorta con man. I have posted this before and it seems no one ever checked into it.

When his sister, that he diverted that money to for catering was married to Mike Tyson, AND , Tyson still had money Steele confronted Tyson and tried to bully him into giving his sister part of his millions. She had signed a pre-nuptial which limited her divorce settlement. Steele pretended to be a lawyer and said he would cause Tyson a lot of trouble if he didn’t come across. But Tyson, for once, stuck to his guns and was moved. And to make matters worst Steele was not a lawyer at that time he had flunked out of several law colleges. I will say he went on to get his degree. I don’t know from where. But he has performed this type of behavior ever since he first came into the public view. Ehrlich only picked him to get the black vote in Baltimore and PG County which worked. Otherwise no one would have looked at him twice. It is a shame too, because this type of underhanded behavior makes all good and honest black persons look bad.

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:51 am 13. RE:

I’m looking forward to the day that competence is restored as a job requirement in America. America’s current crop of political leaders suggest that competence is an instant disqualification. From Obama on down, it’s become a freak show.

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:59 am 14. Keith W. Brown:

Steele the WRONG man at the WRONG time for the WRONG party. If anyone thinks he is the guy to lead us to victory, I gotta coupla slightly used McCain buttons to sell ya. GET RID OF HIM! Why is the GOP so stupid as to elect & appoint obvious RINOS that will lead us straight down the path of 2006 & 2008 into utter oblivion & a permanent minority party much like the UK’s Liberal Party? Dump Steele & appoint a REAL conservative with some guts & that actually BELIEVES in conservative principles rather than just mouths ‘em & then later on tells everyone how he really feels! Geeze, it is enough to make one an indpendent or stop voting all together!

Mar 13, 2009 - 6:24 am 15. Craig:

“…when he announced that he was initiating a PR strategy to reach out to youth voters by applying Republican principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.””

In theory, that is real sweet reaching out to ‘young voters by applying Republican principles to urban-suburban hip-hop settings’.

But the reality is- hip hop and rap are the angry voice of grievance mongering and victimhood- an anathema to personal responsibility, education, and religion. Steele was applying Utopian liberal theory to reality. And though I applaud such lofty incantations, Steele got mugged by reality.

Stop the feel-good pretenses Michael. Liberals, like dogs and jackals, sense weakness and fear, and will descend on you and carve you up like a Christmas turkey.

Mar 13, 2009 - 6:30 am 16. FairestWitness:

We need to stop this squabbling amongst ourselves and get to work… and that includes Mr. Steele. Republicans should be on the same page. That being winning Congressional elections in 2010. Discontent with the Democrats’ outrageous spending and power-grabbing is widespread, bordering on panic in most communities throughout America. This next election is ours to lose and lose it we will if this nonsense continues. For God’s sake, shut the hell up about fellow Republicans and concentrate on the campaign against the Democrats.

Mar 13, 2009 - 6:31 am 17. Ozzie:

3. Rachel wrote…
This will be THE EXAMPLE of what fellow African-Americans think about the Republican party (that they always keep a brother down), and the Dems wil use it to the hilt.

American blacks have made their choice. They are not in play as a voting block. If the Republican party raised Martin Luther King from the dead, and he joined and led the party, Democrats would demonize him as an uncle Tom. THAT is the extent of their collective multi generational brainwashing. Pandering to them by throwing them race targeted government cheese, government jobs and putting a conservative in blackface in front to pander to their ’sensitivites’ is in the Democrat playbook, it should not be the Republican one. The Republican playbook should have the elevation of people based on their ability, oblivious to skin color. It’s goal should be to transform government so that skin color is not acknowledged in any decision except what sun block to wear.

Mar 13, 2009 - 6:54 am 18. ricpic:

So he’s black. Big deal. He’s a frickin’ RINO! Get rid of him.

Mar 13, 2009 - 7:26 am 19. TOhio:

If all of this is true, Steele needs to go. And the Republican party needs to get a REAL CONSERVATIVE at the helm. When someone really believes in conservative values, they don’t make mistakes about what they believe.

Rush Limbaugh’s speech was not written in advance. He spoke it from the heart. This is something that most people don’t know when they read it and this is part of the reason why the speech was so great. When you truly believe in something, you don’t always need a speechwriter to tell you what to say. (If you haven’t read Rush’s speech, here’s the link: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_030209/content/01125106.guest.html)

We need Republican leaders who really believe in conservatism. When it’s in your heart, you don’t make gaffes and you don’t worry about sucking up to left-wing media organizations like CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC and NBC.

Mar 13, 2009 - 7:29 am 20. Gary Ogletree:

He has been so good until lately. Let’s give him a chance. Like Grant told his generals who had been beaten up too many times by Jackson’s foot cavalry, “Stop worrying about what Bobby Lee is gonna do to you and start thinking what we’re gonna do to him.” Keep reacting to fears of Democratic spin and you can tread water forever. Tea Parties and a growing number of grassroots efforts are what’s happening. The GOP has to catch up. They might start by ostracizing all these GOP Senators who voted for their earmarks in the latest atrocity.

Mar 13, 2009 - 7:41 am 21. David S:

Steele is right on abortion, and he was right about Rush. For crying out loud, he’s only been in office 6 weeks, and is doing his best to get the GOP back on track, but if the party is so backwards that it denies reality, I suppose his days are numbered.

Abortion is a choice – that’s the law. Rush’s show is ugly – that’s the reality.

Still, it sure is fun to watch the sparks fly…

Peace.

DS

Mar 13, 2009 - 8:01 am 22. grampa guy:

What I look forward to is the “first African American” to admit he is about as much African as I am Norwegian. Let’s go to war with the Left and take back the country. Do you want civil dinner parties or a country where your kids can grow up free? Read Quin Hillyer today and start storing nuts.

Mar 13, 2009 - 8:01 am 23. Ms. Attitude:

Affirmative Action in the RNC. Who’d a thunk? Why didn’t they pick a leader based on qualifications? Steele might have it in him, yet. The next few weeks should be telling. If he starts standing up for the different groups within the Republican party he’s a keeper but if he keeps jumping on the Democrat and media bandwagon of bashing Republicans…he has to go!!! A leader won’t agree with everyone but he shouldn’t let others bash the ideas. He needs to let American’s know what the Republican’s ALL stand for…THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Cram that down the throats of the media. Then those that are undecided or disillusioned will find a home that is truly American, the Republican Party!

Mar 13, 2009 - 8:07 am 24. Ron:

Some great point here that start with post #1. Republicans: RETURN to Conservative principles!! Stop with the mushy progressive-Rupublican nonsense that McCain tried. Stop catering to the media and the rest of the left.

Mar 13, 2009 - 8:10 am 25. savage24:

If you heard Rush Limbaugh’s speech you know what a Conservative Republican is suppose to be. If that is to harsh of a reality for you, go and join the democrats. They fawn over people who consider themselves victims.

Mar 13, 2009 - 8:34 am 26. Grover:

This is the second article I have read on Steele today. The first was at GOPUSA, an article by Bobby Eberle. Both articles list the same concerns about Michael Steele. Let me say that Steele roped me in with his well-thought-out plans to reform the GOP, but in the last two weeks he has ceased to impress me as a unifier and organizer of the party. I for one must give him a vote of ‘no confidence’. No more money from me to the RNC unless things change.

Rick Moran is a RINO or a Lefty, don’t know which, but this is the second article I have read by him this week. I is not much better than the last, and seems designed to inflame divisive passions within the GOP. He is no longer a reliable source of news and ideas to me.

I invite you to read Bobby Eberle’s piece to contrast. If you agree with me, please read the responses. One responder has a possible solution; draft Bobby Eberle to run the RNC.

Dump Michael Steele NOW so the political fallout will die down in time for the 2010 elections.

Mar 13, 2009 - 9:13 am 27. Steve P.:

Dear Republicans,

Please fire Michael Steele so that we can all finally rest assured, despite your pathetic posturing, that the only reason you picked him in the first place was because you needed a Republobama and not because he was actually qualified.

Thank you.

Mar 13, 2009 - 9:23 am 28. Middleman:

Steele and the other RINOs just need to ditch the Republican party. The sooner they do, the sooner the Republicans would be shown to be completely irrelevant. The Libertarians and Greens will then finally have someone they can lick in elections.

Mar 13, 2009 - 9:31 am 29. FollowMe!:

Steele is the right man and his detractors are swilling the same bile that brought down the house in the last 12 years.

Th very idea that the GOP was even considering of elevating the “man time forgot”–who hung out in an all white country club–shows how off base the GOP has become. Its infested and encrusted with every manner of daddy’s ‘rich not-too bright and not into hard’ work son, middle aged ‘grown up rich kids in plaid pants at golf clubs’, drinking to the good old days in the young republicans, bitter old crones that probably don’t know any blacks, and doddering old fuds that still think the antitrust laws ought to be repealed.

So the GOP is “grumbling?” These are the people that led the GOP over the past 12 years? What do they have to gruble about? They’re luck they’re not expelled for rank incompetence! In my business, people who fail so miserably are politely told to STFup and move over for someone else.

The GOP is a trust, supposedly dedicated to some enduring principles, not a club for fuds and mommy’s boys who want to keep out the new people while sitting in stuffed chairs with stuffed stomachs, belching over the endless string of miserable electoral failures and saying “well at lesast we didn’t have to try anything new.”

Its about time someone opened the door, swept out the decades of accumulated cat fur, old newspapers, and musty smell and reached out to some new people.

Contrary to many posting here, that does not mean an abandonment of principles-if the GOP still has any other than the right to “all white country clubs,” “endless tax relief for incompetently run US corporations,” and “what’s good for lobbyists is good for the country.”

Reaching out to blacks is a shrewd move since blacks are often socially conservative in many areas, patriotic, and aside from Obama, coul be plucked into the GOP by the right moves. Most of the people psoting here probably wonuldn’t know how to make such a move if they had to. (Hint: electing a Chairman from an all-white club isn’t one of them).

I’m tired of having the GOP pushed into a corner by people who say we “can’t reach out to blacks” (why?) and who resignedly assume that blacks will swear allegiance to the Democratic party forever. BS! The GOP has never really tried to woo them (its ahrd when you hang out in all white clubs you dodddering morons) and the democrats have long since assumed they don’t have to. Now is the time–Obama or no Obama. PS to any blacks reading this–don’t listen to these crabs! We want you! And believe me, you want us!

Bringing blacks into the GOP is not going to be easy but it can be done: messages of self-reliance, hard work, government failures are easy to preach and easy to show: government run bodies like MLK in Los Angeles failed and ruined health care for blacks in Los Angeles; welfare heavily damaged the black family and blacks know it–many talk about it; we need to reach out to them—imagine Billl Cosby in the GOP!!!– Or speaking for a GOP convestion!

well it won’t happen if the GOP Chairman is from an all white club.

Closing the door and living with all that cat fur and stale cigar smoke might preserve the private club, but not the GOP.

Mar 13, 2009 - 9:45 am 30. Middleman:

Excellent words FollowMe!. The defeat of Gay Marriage in California by the Hispanic and Black voting block reveals that if the Republicans actually tried, they might be able to win those groups over in large numbers.
It’s not like the Democrats go out of their way to woo them. All the Democrats do is tell minority groups that Republicans are bad and probably racist. They show some examples, like a couple of the commentators on here, and that’s it.
They need to change things up and reinvent themselves because the old ways are no longer going to do the trick.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:11 am 31. aramkr:

If black people insist on supporting the party responsible for their degraded educational condition, their shattered families, their elevated degree of economic dependence and the moral degradation of us all, white and black,then we are not going to tempt them away by offering more of the same and destroying ourselves in the process. We won plenty of elections in the past. If we faithfully pursue our genuine ideals we’ll win plenty more in the future. Quit begging.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:29 am 32. geoffgo:

Here we sit discussing who should adminster a party that fails to live to expectations. Meantime here in CO, the state legislature (majority-D) is pondering a bill that will eliminate the Electoral College, leading to President by popular vote. Four states, where Democrats rule, have already signed this into law. 30 states are considering this new compact.

If 3/4ths of the states manage to enact this circumvention/by-pass of the Constitutional process, they’ll get to skip a confrontational Constitutional Amendment campaign, requiring 3/4th of the states to ratify.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:30 am 33. Войска ПВО:

Mr Moran,

Thank you for yet another stink bomb hurled into the gaping maw of PJM readership. You remind me of the twin village idiots who wrote for the Orange County (California) Ragister, Steven Greenhut and Alan (“I have stopped voting”) Bock. Consider your last three posts to this site:

Are Michael Steele’s Days at the RNC Numbered?
The chairman’s many verbal gaffes — as well as a whiff of scandal — may sink him.

Conservative Cannibals Feast on Their Own
The food fight over Rush Limbaugh is damaging the right’s ability to oppose Obama’s plans to remake America.

The Party of Rush
Who’s in charge of the GOP? When someone finds out, let the rest of us know.

..I think I see a pattern here. All of you move on, there’s nothing here for you to see.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:31 am 34. Dave:

We definitely need someone who can unite the party. That someone is not another McCain type that sets the agenda based on what they mistakenly think plays well with the Media they are in contact with at any given time. We also need someone that is able to handle competing ideas with more skill. I like Steele and have a lot of respect for his courage, but I am losing my confidence in his inability to deal with outside forces trying to manipulate him to our detriment. He needs to get more savvy in a hurry.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:34 am 35. HRPKathy:

Those calling for Steele’s head are doing yeoman’s work for the media/DNC. You act like the Jewish collaborators under Hitler, turning against your own to further your own selfish interests. The sad thing is that you do it claiming you are clinging to principle.

Give the man a chance. Do you remember who the last head of the RNC was? Where was your outrage against him over amnesty, and other conservative ‘principles’ such as fiscal responsibility? Ever think the press is playing you? If not, you should.

Advice from a pro-life dyed in the wool conservative: a little less cooperation with the lefty media, please. Direct your arrows to that giant democrat/socialist target with his hands in your pocket and holding a lit match to our Constitution and don’t allow yourself to be distracted at best, and USED LIKE A TOY at worst.

Stop being a tool.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:34 am 36. fred:

Someone needs to ask Rick Moran a blunt question that begs for an honest answer: What is it, Mr. Moran, that you want from the Republican Party? So far on PJM everything of his I have read amounts to hectoring and caterwauling. It’s as if Republicans need some kind of dispensation from his perch and that dispensation/forgiveness requires that we do X amount of penance. If we are then perfect by his standards, we shall then be worthy of presenting our case to the voting public.

The nitpicking and nagging is more the style of a bitter spinster than the middle aged man he is.

So, Mr. Moran, what is it you want? Put your cards face down.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:58 am 37. juliet:

From what I saw of Mr. Steele I liked. It true I only knew him as a taking head but he held his own. So I was excited when he was elected as head of the RNC. Maybe all he needs is time to toughen up on the national level. If we leave in he can get better. So let him alone & he will learn. We lost the last 3 elections because we put faint copies of a fused Dem & Rep up as our candiates. I don’t think Mr.Steele is like that. SO LET HIM LEARN THAT MOST TALKING HEADS ARE NOT HIS FRIENDS.

Mar 13, 2009 - 11:24 am 38. Pat J:

Go ahead. Fire Steele. Get another token black guy to go against Obama. I hear Alan Keyes is available.

Mar 13, 2009 - 11:50 am 39. Rachel:

Middleman said:
Steele and the other RINOs just need to ditch the Republican party. The sooner they do, the sooner the Republicans would be shown to be completely irrelevant. The Libertarians and Greens will then finally have someone they can lick in elections.

And I agree with him 1000% which is a damn shame. This is the party of Reagan, Ford, and the Bushes. I actually liked the Bushes, even though they were more socially conservative than myself. W. especially, since he was everyone’s whipping boy and actually gave a damn about making the world a better place(NCLB, Iraq War, Part D which he tried to help everyone) instead of the Holy Limbaugh’s image, which is pathetic to say the least. At least W had the guts to lead and take responsibility for his actions. What will Rush do except complain and take his profits from folks like you?

It’s tragic that conservatism has fallen even faster than the Dems in Congress.

Mar 13, 2009 - 11:51 am 40. Pops in Vienna:

There was a time when people had class. When it gets to this point an honorable man would just step down rather than keep this controversy going. As long as it continues more scandals will be dug up, more people will be alienated from the party and the Dems will keep winning elections that they actually should lose.

Mar 13, 2009 - 12:22 pm 41. Blackwater:

He seems pretty spineless when he’s interviewed by leftists. If he can’t stand up for conservatism then find someone who will. How are we gonna win elections when the leaders of our party don’t even defend our values? A stupid TV host said to him that a recent gathering of conservatives looked like the Nazi party and Steele agreed with him… We need another unabashed conservative like Reagan.

Mar 13, 2009 - 12:29 pm 42. fred:

Pops in Vienna,

I’m with you on this. Today people are so full of themselves – our educational system surely did preserve their self-esteem – and like to snipe at others and they become like predators when they sense weakness.

I’m one of those moderate conservatives who respects both Rush and Michael Steele. I like both men, and I don’t agree with any human being on every issue and topic. And I think both of these men seem to have patched up whatever may have been perceived as a rift.

Rush Limbaugh is not the head of the Republican Party. He has said so and I take him at his word. Moreover, he does not want to be the head of the Party. And that’s enough for me.

Mar 13, 2009 - 12:52 pm 43. susie:

if you dislike obama, and you like to blog about the maddening politics of today…lets zenstorm
if you think obama is not a legal citizen and he was not born on american soil….lets zenstorm
If you were treated realy badly by a fellow blogger for no reason…lets zenstorm
Ive found that there are alot of arrogant insecure nasty little bloggers out there. Id love to know what some of there jerks lifes look like when there telling me to “ef” off. Ive left the only two blog/web pages I ever been on, parted in bad way, and it really made me sad….I just cant put up with some authoratative male telling me how to think, speak, or feel.
Some of the men I have met are definatly emotionaly stunted…write to me and let me hear your story!!!
zenstorm@wordpress.com

Mar 13, 2009 - 1:19 pm 44. susie:

So sorry for all the poor spelling, I meant to spell check…ooops, only human
{if your an ahole blogger like the ones I was talking about, I would be called stupid just aabboutt….NOW.

Mar 13, 2009 - 1:22 pm 45. Jay B:

Let’s hope his days are numbered. You’ve got Charlie Crist doing his best immitation of a Democrat, Spectre, Snow & Collins being typically liberal and the RNC chairman insulting Rush and all but agreeing that the GOP is run by Nazis. How about trying something different: a real conservative. McCain was/is a Democrat, Bush was ideologically committed to nothing (e.g. ‘no child left behind’; medicaid drug coverage; Harriet Miers, etc…) and half the GOP agrees with the Dems re: illegal immigrants. Goldwater – a modern day Goldwater is what we need. Not Steele.

Mar 13, 2009 - 1:53 pm 46. alvin1:

The true leader of the party is Rush Limbaugh. Even God takes second place to him. If you don’t believe it, just ask him. It’s funny, all of the conservative religious groups were present at the CPAC and none of them took exception to this remark. They talked for months about Jeremiah Wright and he influences no one

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:04 pm 47. Barrett:

I have serious reservations about Steele. His job is to develop and execute electoral strategy. Given the choice between Newt and Steele, it was mistake.

Marc Malone is right. He needs to go toe to toe with the press, who will never give him a break anyway.

He is a RINO, who really does not believe in conservative principles. We don’t need Democrat-lite.

We need people who can articulate the principles and vision and who are willing to call the Democrats out for every stupid, twisted, wealth and freedom destroying idea they are pushing on America. If Steele can’t figure it out himself, he could read political cartoons for a road map.

Get with it or get out. There is too much at stake.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:13 pm 48. Mandy:

If the GOP is at all serious abiut not becoming extinct (a very open question, that), it will expel Michael Steele as soon as possible. End of discussion.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:27 pm 49. JH Spyker:

Good on ya, Mr. Moran. We liberals love your clear-thinking columns.

More, please.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:40 pm 50. Flores de la Hoz:

The Visigoth – Celtic Iberian had a saying that a coward dies 1,000 death while a brave man but one. Steele has no cojones. He should have taken Limbaugh on and won back Rockerfeller Republicans and conservative Hispanic Americans to the GOP.

Now the Limbaugh led GOP will again take an terrible beating in 2010.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:55 pm 51. Meryl:

46Alvin1…one itty-bitty difference between Rush Limbaugh and Jeremiah Wright.

Jeremiah Wright calls for God to damn America.

Rush acknowledges that God has blessed America.

Rush desires America to flourish.

Jeremiah Wright calls for it to be damned.

Just wanted to help out since I noticed that you are unable to distinguish between these two messages.

Mar 13, 2009 - 2:58 pm 52. A Clay:

Steele hasn’t found his footing yet. If he doesn’t find it in a big way in the next month or two, he needs to go. At least the RNC has that option. The American people are stuck with their elected leaders for a lot longer than that.

Also, note to the moderator, can you screen out comments that are ridiculous ad hominem attacks, 8. AKG for example. Just reading this site is evidence enough that that intolerance resides with the individual not an ideology. This person might consider looking in the mirror before posting.

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:15 pm 53. Delia:

Does ANYONE think that pandering to a certain ethnicity of people for their vote is about as racist as one can be? That’s what the LIBERALS do [even though they keep them DOWN anyhow when they DO get their vote].

Michael Steele, much like 0bama says one thing but later changes his colors/views to suit himself and betray his own party. Maybe we need a woman [of ANY ethnicity] to lead the GOP. -Any suggestions?

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:19 pm 54. Matthew Kilburn:

Opposition to Steele has nothing to do with his race – although his election may well have been an affirmative action pick (poorly) designed to attract African Americans (as if a Committee chairman was going to draw them away from a party offering a Black President) – just as Sarah Palin’s selection as VP was a poor choice designed to attract PUMAs (who turned out to be far too few to make any difference).

Mike Steele has tried to raise the Chairmanship from being a back-room organizing position to being the face, voice, and heart of the GOP. And you know, that would be fine if he actually were a Conservative with some speaking sense, but that isn’t the case. Steele is a loose cannon who picks fights with the best friends of the GOP, strays from the party positions, and sits on the sidelines while liberals set the tone of the debate.

Should he be ousted? Well, I’m not 100% sure yet – but unless he straightens up, it will be time for us to try and salvage the position.

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:38 pm 55. Jeff F:

Rush Limbaugh savaged the GOP candidate last year, even after nomination. Rush was not elected by anyone and all we have are his radio listener numbers to bolster his influence. (He didn’t get Hillary nominated either).

If the GOP keeps caving into media pressures I think it is time for me to go to another party (after 55 years). Keep Steele!!

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:39 pm 56. Tim Engelhart:

Normally one would give him some rope, but in this situation he has already hung himself.

What he lacks is integral to this job…..common sense. Clearly devoid of it. Further, he is groveling to the Dems, personal stances don’t reconcile with the classic historical foundations of the Rep party. Already this is a huge mistake.

Bring back Haley Barbour for God’s sake!! Rush is unfortunately too busy coining serious “obscene profits” to take this ministerial position. Is he really the best the RNC could come up with?? Sad.

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:42 pm 57. John Davis:

I like Steele. Give him a chance and some time.

Mar 13, 2009 - 3:47 pm 58. Carla:

I was never against Steele but I knew Anuzis would do a great job and that’s who I wanted. Only one of the candidates for RNC chairman could be reached, the rest were incognito to grassroot voters. Anuzis had a website where you could sign up state your opinions and receive feedback. I received at least three update emails from him plus an impressive Memo on what he intended to do as Chairman in PDF form that you could download and read. This guy uses twitter and email and knows what needs to be done to communicate effectively,plus he’s a real conservative. It was obvious the powers that be wanted to put a black face on the RNC chair with no real concerns about bringing the party into the future on the Internet. Will they go with the person who can deliver if they do can (get rid of) Steele or will it be another disaster waiting to happen. Its obvious the people who vote for this can’t be trusted to make the right judgments for the Republican party. I think the vote should be thrown open to conservative voters to decide, to hell with the committee.

Mar 13, 2009 - 4:12 pm 59. Rob Dunbar:

If Mr. Steele is corrupt, then he must go. Otherwise, keep him. He WAS right about Rush, and this is from a former ditto-head who got tired of the nastiness and partisan cherry-picking of facts. Abortion is constitutional, says the Supreme Court, and the Court does not overturn itself. Nor will any right-to-life amendment pass in our lifetimes. It is time to turn off Rush and fight the abortion war in the arena where we can win–moral persuasion–rather than the one where we will lose–the courts. And, frankly, a party that can’t draw across racial lines in significant numbers is dead in the water. Demographics, friends. It’s all in the numbers.

Mar 13, 2009 - 4:25 pm 60. Gabe:

I was happy when Steele was nominated and now I am starting to feel sick at my stomach. While I have doubts about these allegations, seeing as one came from a convicted felon and the other from secondhand sources, but his gaffes and the lack of people at the RNCV has me worried. I see two things that work in his favor. 1) Anybody remember Dean in 04, he got off to just as rocky a start and then led sadly the Democratic party to two massive electoral victories and 2) Steele has raised gobs of money at GOPAC so he has proven with the right people and structure he can raise money and help the party. I personally think for Steele it all comes down to whether he knows his job or not. His job is to run the RNC and raise money for the party, no more and no less. It is the elected members of Congress to spread the Republican Party’s message and expand the tent so to speak, not Steele’s. Ultimately, if he can raise a ton of money and stay out of the media spotlight he gets to stay, if not then the GOP may cut its losses and him. For the GOP’s sake I hope they don’t have to cut him. He can be a valuabe asset if he gets his act together.

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:03 pm 61. escondidoguy:

Are Michael Steele’s Days at the RNC Numbered? One can only HOPE.

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:10 pm 62. iconoclast:

Steele should go. He apparently either doesn’t understand the state of total war that exists between Americans and Democrats or he is on the wrong side. Either way, if the GOP has any hope of ever throwing the slaver party out of office they need to find a chair that can fight the enemy instead of the GOP.

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:57 pm 63. Chloe:

Conservatives need to chill on Steele.

Those of you who may have been Palin fans need to review her stances on such “critical” issues. She supported contraceptive education and a woman’s right to choose. In her interview with Katie Couric she said as much regarding abortion. Let me paraphrase:

“Personally I would choose life but does that mean I would prosecute a woman for having an abortion? Heavens no! She would have my support.”

Seriously people, the left-wingers are enjoying our self-made lions den from their cheap seats.

Get a clue, would you!

Mar 13, 2009 - 5:59 pm 64. Jack:

Actually, I thought Michael Steele sounded really articulate in the GQ article, but that’s just me.

Mar 13, 2009 - 7:09 pm 65. quitaque:

Two things need to happen here:

1. Steele unfortunately seems to be tactless and he’s said some things that are very upsetting to the right wing of the party. He needs to stop appearing in the media and focus on rebuilding the organization and fundraising.

2. The people that are currently upset with Steele need to calm down. The Republican Party needs both wings to fly: moderates AND conservatives. We need to give him six months to prove himself as an organizer and fundraiser.

If he can stay off tv for awhile and do well at these important jobs, these preliminary mis-steps will not seem important when we look back six months from now.

And let’s just forget the whole race thing. Race is a distraction. If Steele proves to be a good organizer and fundraiser, fine. If not, he has to step down, preferably by choice.

Mar 13, 2009 - 7:10 pm 66. DaveinPhoenix:

I can’t say it any better than #17. Ozzie

Mar 13, 2009 - 7:40 pm 67. pedro:

YALL NEED TO CHILL ON Mr. Steele He gonna drop a DIME REAL SOON BABY:)

Mar 13, 2009 - 8:05 pm 68. Delia:

-And, yes.. I realize my last qhote was full of typos. lol

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:01 pm 69. jw:

Those who think that the Republican Party is white racist are ignorant. The Republican Party, under the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, ended slavery and got the 13th, 14th, and 15 Amendments to the Constitutions passed. It always supported civil rights. It was the southern Democrats who supported racial segregation. President Eisenhower sent in federal troops into Little Rock, Arkansas, to support racial desegregation of the schools, and he appointed Ralph Bunche, a Negro, as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.

Mar 13, 2009 - 10:18 pm 70. Derek:

well jw, there is a reason you didn’t mention anything past the 50’s with regard to the GOP’s race relations and there is a reason the republicans took the south away from the democrats. Both of those reasons being the same.

Mar 14, 2009 - 3:40 am 71. John:

Face it, the party has elected as Chairman a guy who isn’t very bright, has no management skills and is probably crooked. To say the stories about his legal problems were not known before his election is totally disingenous….they’ve been media fodder in MD for well over a year. The Steele saga is going to play for months. He’s never going to resign and we’re a long way from the tipping point where the mass of the party rises up against him. So get used to Mr Steele. He like Limbaugh is another gift for the Dems.

Mar 14, 2009 - 5:44 am 72. Burkean:

Steele has embarrassed the party by naively stumbling into one trap after another laid for him by the MSM, aka Propaganda Wing of the Socialist Democrats. He needs to remember the duties set out in his job description as RNC Chair and quit making ideological pronouncements that he is too weak to defend.

Mar 14, 2009 - 7:37 am 73. narciso:

All right, seriously this is possibly the most inane column you’ve written yet. So Steele does some of those things, you say we should do, and
he gets his hat handed to him. We’re trusting a media report out of Baltimore. Let’s see what he does first. On another point, the GOP coopted
the Southern Democrats, because the new Democrats threw out all their cultural values; family,country, god. You’re a Nut alright, but in no way right wing

Chloe, are you serious, you really think Sarah is not prolife, after everything she’s done, after even what her daughter has gone through.
She doesn’t like to do things by legislation,
but by persuasion. Considering I haven’t seen
the last path get us anywhere, let’s try the other way, If she truly was pro-choice, she would have avoided half the garbage thrown at
her. She’s not opposed to contraception in principle, despite what has been said about her.

Mar 14, 2009 - 9:01 am 74. edouard:

Another Republican Michael Steele wrote a book on O’bama (yes he is Irish too) and explicitely stated that as a bound man, “He can’t win” but since Obama did win, it is obvious that Michael Steele’s sojourn is coming up like “He WILL be replaced” or will enrage the ‘pure” Republican base and be replaced or forced to conform to Limbaugh’s version of the Republican party.
SO much for cannibalism and the RepublNazi party.

May they propser!

Mar 14, 2009 - 10:07 am 75. two cents:

I said at the time that Steele should have been judged by the performance of his GOPAC candidates. What percentage of them won seats? Did they endorse him for RNC chair? This was never really talked about even though it should have been the most obvious measurement of his ability to recruit, train, and fund quality candidates. Instead, we learned that he was an avid Twitterer and liked to say “baby” a lot.

Well guess what? We’re stuck with him now. For starters, it would be insanely destructive for the Republican Party to forcibly remove their first and only African-American party chairman, and political suicide to replace him with Katon Dawson. And besides, even if Steele is a lame chairman he still may be the best we’ve got.

We should give him a chance to get on his feet and if he’s a total disaster next year we can dump him, but it needs to be shown that he can’t do the job. Right now he hasn’t had a chance to succeed or fail.

It should also be noted that virtually all Steele criticism is being leaked to lefty blogs from anonymous GOP officials. Or so they claim. Just sayin’.

Mar 14, 2009 - 11:36 am 76. michael Reynolds:

So, you’re saying Steele is corrupt, buffoonish and spineless, but he’s NOT a perfect representative of the GOP? I don’t get it.

Mar 14, 2009 - 1:15 pm 77. Wally Lind:

Not pure enough? Is there anyone who is loyal to the party anymore? I wonder!

Mar 15, 2009 - 8:04 am 78. Cantormania:

Conservatives need to support the Republican Party even as they (we) disagree with it. It’s fine to object to something Steele does or disagree with something he says – but do so in a supportive way so long as he is in his position as Chairman of the RNC.

He is not “the voice” of the party; but he is the leader of the party apparatus. Identify objections and be honest about them, but don’t give him the Kos treatment. Conservatives should rise about that kind of behavior.

Reagan always looked at the big picture, remained positive even when he was critical, and NEVER took down his fellow Republicans.

Both the purists on the wing and the turncoats in the press (Frum, Christopher Buckley, et al) are more damaging to electoral success than actual Democrats.

Let us put the best construction on everything anyone on the right does, and focus our critiques on the disastorous policies and practices of the Obama Democrats.

Mar 15, 2009 - 11:35 am 79. Mike V:

It is obvious that Mr. Steele has got to go. We lost this last election because McCain couldn’t hold the base of the party together. We saw the democrats move in to formerly solid red states because large blocks of conservatives stayed home.

After failing with Gore and Kerry the DNC moved way left… promoted Pelosi and Reid into leadership positions and made a radical marxist their candidate.

The GOP became a watered-down party, we need to move far right and unite the base behind solid leadership who can rebuild the bridge between fiscal, social, and federalist republicans. Only with our big 3 united will we go back to winning elections. 2 out of 3 won’t cut it.

Mar 15, 2009 - 5:40 pm 80. one of my own:

Michael Michael Bo Bichael Banana Fana fo Fichael me my mo Michael . . . maybe you guys should try that to make the party more cool and boss . . . maybe by 2012 you can shoot for “gnarly, dude.”

Did you know that when Republicans go down the drain in Australia they go the opposite direction? Now THAT’S off the hook.

Mar 15, 2009 - 7:47 pm 81. Joe Kavanagh:

I have news for alot of you, Abortion at this point is legal and will continue to be far into the future. I believe that it is a non issue at this point and should be retired until the future presents a chance to change the law. The republican party for too long has made this the big issue. I am leaving the party and going with the libertarians. good luck to you all.

Mar 15, 2009 - 8:45 pm