Steele had as much to do with the slaughter of the dems as I did
On Jan 14, 9:48 pm, Keith In Köln <keithinta...@gmail.com> wrote:
> And how is Howard Dean working out for the DNC??
>
> On Sat, Jan 15, 2011 at 3:43 AM, Tommy News <tommysn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > GOP Eat Their Own: RNC Chair Michael Steele is Removed Despite
> > Historic Party Wins
>
> > Michael Steele's many blunders led to defeat in RNC chair reelection
> > campaign
>
> > -by Perry Bacon Jr
>
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>
> > By Perry Bacon Jr.
> > Washington Post Staff Writer
> > Friday, January 14, 2011; 7:13 PM
>
> > Republicans emerged from a 2008 electoral drubbing not only lacking a
> > telegenic spokesman for the party but virtually any major officials
> > who were not white, a major void after the election of the nation's
> > first black president. Michael Steele seemed like the right man at the
> > right time: an African-American Republican who loved going on
> > television.
>
> > But instead of turning into a solution for the GOP, critics say Steele
> > blundered so many times in his first few months as chairman of the
> > Republican National Committee that party officials openly considered
> > replacing him well before the first quarter of his two-year tenure had
> > ended.
>
> > Republicans completed the dumping of Steele on Friday, voting out the
> > party's first-ever black chairman.
>
> > His reelection defeat was widely anticipated but still an unusual
> > moment in American politics: a party removing its chairman after
> > winning historic victories with him at the helm. Despite the wins, his
> > tenure may be best remembered for the committee paying for an evening
> > at a bondage-themed Hollywood night club for potential donors,
> > Steele's feud with conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh and his
> > declaration that the war in Afghanistan was one of "Obama's choosing."
>
> > "I hope you all appreciate the legacy we leave. Despite the noise,
> > despite the difficulties, we won," a weary-looking Steele said Friday
> > in his speech at National Harbor in Prince George's County as he
> > withdrew from contention for the chairman's post.
>
> > For Steele, the defeat ends his time in a place he had long coveted: a
> > high-profile job in national politics. The D.C. native, who was
> > lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007, ran unsuccessfully
> > for the U.S. Senate in 2006 and decided against a run for party
> > chairman the next year.
>
> > When they elected him in January 2009, Republicans considered Steele's
> > charisma and eagerness to communicate to be assets in a party whose
> > main leaders were figures such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch
> > McConnell (R-Ky.), a dry speaker.
>
> > But Steele had never before had his words so closely scrutinized. The
> > party chairman's interviews often turned into political disasters,
> > such when he played down the influence of Limbaugh - leading to a
> > public feud with the talk show host - and mused about GOP senators
> > being challenged in primaries.
>
> > His tenure was also dramatically affected by an unexpected
> > development: the tea party movement.
>
> > In his successful RNC campaign, Steele had pledged to reinvent the
> > party in his image. With Steele leading it, he touted a Republican
> > Party that would campaign in urban, Democratic areas all across the
> > country, wooing young and minority voters who had overwhelmingly
> > backed Obama in 2008.
>
> > But by the middle of 2009, Republicans had found their voice:
> > conservative activists flooding town hall meetings all over the
> > country to protest President Obama's health-care reform plan. Other
> > party officials still wanted to expand the base and reach of the
> > party, as Steele sought to, but that quickly turned into a secondary
> > priority to rallying the nearly all-white, mostly older, tea party
> > activists, many of whom were disaffected Republicans.
>
> > Steele quickly aligned himself with the tea party activists, but their
> > energy and the growing dissatisfaction among Republicans and
> > independents with Obama seemed to render much of Steele's message of
> > change for the GOP irrelevant.
>
> > By the end of 2009, Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey
> > and Virginia won major victories by rallying the traditional coalition
> > of voters who had long elected Republicans.
>
> > Ahead of the 2010 elections, sensing the chances for a big victory,
> > GOP leaders in Congress simply wanted a party chairman who could raise
> > money and keep attention focused on the troubles of congressional
> > Democrats.
>
> > Never known as a strong fundraiser and plagued by a lack of confidence
> > in his leadership, Steele struggled to raise money for the GOP. Party
> > operatives instead built outside fundraising operations, often
> > collecting checks from people who were shunning Steele's RNC.
>
> > Meanwhile, the RNC continued to make mistakes. In March, the
> > committee's campaign finance reports showed a low-level aide
> > authorized spending $2,000 for potential donors to visit a
> > bondage-themed night club in Hollywood. Three months later, Steele
> > publicly questioned the continued presence of U.S. troops in
> > Afghanistan, even as the majority of congressional Republicans back
> > the war effort there.
>
> > By last month, when Steele declared he would run for reelection, he
> > had almost no chance of winning. The committee's staff was fleeing
> > after the election, anticipating Steele's departure, and one of his
> > top operatives, Gentry Collins, publicly blasted Steele for wasting
> > the party's money. The RNC ended 2010 with a record $20 million debt.
>
> > In choosing to run a long-shot campaign for a second two-year term as
> > chairman, Steele admitted he was a clear underdog.
>
> > Steele has not said what he will do in his future, but the role as the
> > GOP's most prominent minority figure may no longer be open to him.
> > Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), who is Cuban-American, and Rep. Tim Scott
> > (S.C.), who is black, won in 2010 and are likely to emerge as key GOP
> > figures.
>
> > The 6-foot-4 Steele, known for his bold pinstripe suits, had relished
> > the attention that came with being party chairman, asking "How do you
> > like me now?" in the press conference after he won in 2009.
>
> > He seemed aware Friday that, for now, his moment is over.
>
> > "Thank you for the opportunity to serve and to lead," he said Friday,
> > "and now I exit, stage right."
>
> > More:
>
> >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/14/AR201...
>
> > --
> > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
> > Have a great day,
> > Tommy
>
> > --
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