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New chairman Priebus cleans up RNC after Michael Steele’s tumultuous tenure
Washington Post ^ | 04/16/2011 | Dan Balz

Posted on 04/17/2011 11:21:26 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

After two tumultuous years, the Republican National Committee is getting back to business.

The hangover from former RNC chairman Michael Steele’s tenure still hasn’t faded. But the new party chairman, Reince Priebus, has begun to restore order and to replenish the committee’s depleted bank account. Whether he can raise enough money and create the machinery needed to help the party’s 2012 nominee compete against President Obama and his seasoned political operation will be the real test of his chairmanship.

Priebus, the former Wisconsin GOP chairman, is taking things a step at a time: restore connections with the party’s major donors, party leaders on Capitol Hill and K Street; chip away at the debt he inherited from Steele; build up a substantial bank account; ensure that the 2012 nominating process is orderly; and retool the party’s once-vaunted voter mobilization program.

“I fully understand that my top priority here at the RNC is to rebuild trust and credibility, and I would say that everything I do, the entire common denominator, whether it be earning trust on the Hill, earning trust with reporters, earning trust with donors and grass roots and all the states, is trust and credibility,” Priebus said during an interview late Friday in his office.

When Priebus arrived at RNC headquarters after defeating Steele and others for the party’s top job, he found the following financial situation: cash on hand of little more than $350,000, with payroll of $400,000 due six days later. The overall debt stood at $24 million.

By the end of March, the party had $3.2 million cash on hand and debt of $19.8 million. Although the debt is still substantial, it is only a couple of million dollars more than the Democratic National Committee is carrying. Priebus believes that to show progress,

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: michaelsteele; priebus; reincepriebus; rnc
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1 posted on 04/17/2011 11:21:35 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind; All

A good start would be to emphasize the Obama Eligibility issue. The GOP can forget raising money if they continue to support Obama on this issue


2 posted on 04/17/2011 11:24:37 AM PDT by UCFRoadWarrior (Stop Obama....Boycott Beck)
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To: SeekAndFind
"I fully understand that my top priority here at the RNC is to rebuild trust and credibility, and I would say that everything I do, the entire common denominator, whether it be earning trust on the Hill, earning trust with reporters, earning trust with donors and grass roots and all the states, is trust and credibility,"
Considering the GOP action in Congress, his job is basically that of polishing a turd.
3 posted on 04/17/2011 11:25:03 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: SeekAndFind

“Trust” Liks of Luck with that long as People like McCain have a “R” next to their name ,The GOP is a second rate Mongrel agency.


4 posted on 04/17/2011 11:25:31 AM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date which will live in Infamy.)
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To: Cheetahcat

Liks = Lots


5 posted on 04/17/2011 11:26:19 AM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date which will live in Infamy.)
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To: Cboldt

As anybody knows, from Mythbusters, that can be done.


6 posted on 04/17/2011 11:28:48 AM PDT by Jonty30
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To: SeekAndFind
Priebus, the former Wisconsin GOP chairman, is taking things a step at a time: restore connections with the party’s major donors, party leaders on Capitol Hill and K Street; chip away at the debt he inherited from Steele; build up a substantial bank account; ensure that the 2012 nominating process is orderly; and retool the party’s once-vaunted voter mobilization program.

I suppose he could have added "stop ostracizing conservatives" to that list. But why do the right thing?

7 posted on 04/17/2011 11:30:57 AM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("It's hard to take the president seriously." - Jim DeMint)
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To: Colonel_Flagg

Don’t forget what he did to Feingold!!


8 posted on 04/17/2011 11:35:44 AM PDT by CMailBag
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To: UCFRoadWarrior

Agree completely. Ducking and avoiding has been a disaster.


9 posted on 04/17/2011 11:36:30 AM PDT by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them or they more like we used to be?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Reince Priebus is a good guy and the best person we have to lead the RNC. I live in Wisconsin and he did a good job here as leader of our state GOP. If you give to the RNC be sure to send a note along to him asking that your money go to elect conservative Republican candidates, not RINOs to let the RNC know where you stand.


10 posted on 04/17/2011 11:47:37 AM PDT by RicocheT
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To: SeekAndFind

Hey Priebus, without very drastic change, you will not be gettingt a cent from me. Far as I am concerned. the RNC is just a Rino Neutered Coalition.


11 posted on 04/17/2011 11:48:11 AM PDT by Sea Parrot (Being an autodidact, I happily escaped the bureaucratization of intellect)
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To: UCFRoadWarrior

Wait til the GOP raises taxes and cuts Defense. He won’t find it easy to raise dough. Add in not stopping Obamacare and continuing to fund EPA DOE etc. and who will want to give?


12 posted on 04/17/2011 11:48:57 AM PDT by screaminsunshine (Shut up and eat your Beans!)
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To: UCFRoadWarrior

How is accepting reality supporting Obama?


13 posted on 04/17/2011 11:49:35 AM PDT by WinOne4TheGipper (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtC_wld3YJE&feature=youtube_gdata_player)
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To: RicocheT

“If you give to the RNC be sure to send a note along to him asking that your money go to elect conservative Republican candidates, not RINOs to let the RNC know where you stand.”

He would have to prove to me he’s a good guy. The last few chairmen have only supported the good ole boy RINOs—that’s why we are in the mess we are in now. My money will still go to indiviuals who are proven conservatives. Priebus can beg from the corporations who have been supporting RINOs for the last 20 years.


14 posted on 04/17/2011 11:54:09 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like what you say))
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To: SeekAndFind

Don’t be fooled. Michael Steele PO’d a lot of conservatives, because he obeyed orders and did what he was told to do, but he was kicked out because as the 2010 election approached, he refused to join Rove and Co. in attacking the Tea Party candidates.

Reince Priebus will not fire any of the all-RINO staff at the RNC. He says that his first job is to reach out to the “big donors”—i.e., the rich country-clubber RINOs.

But his main job is to shill for Haley Barbour, if he decides to enter the POTUS race. He was put in there as Babour’s chosen guy.

Nothing has changed at the RNC.


15 posted on 04/17/2011 11:55:54 AM PDT by Cicero
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To: SeekAndFind

Screw the RNC.


16 posted on 04/17/2011 11:56:46 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Huh?! What has he DONE?! I’ve heard nothing but crickets chirping, and an occasional dismal wail of a coyote from the day the man was anointed! Ooops! I may be wrong about that. He MAY have popped off a smarta$$ remark or two about Sarah Palin. I forget. He’s a pretty forgettable person, IMHO.


17 posted on 04/17/2011 11:58:33 AM PDT by Tucker39
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To: Cicero; Al B.; Brices Crossroads
Michael Steele PO’d a lot of conservatives, because he obeyed orders and did what he was told to do, but he was kicked out because as the 2010 election approached, he refused to join Rove and Co. in attacking the Tea Party candidates.

That's exactly right!

18 posted on 04/17/2011 12:00:40 PM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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To: SeekAndFind
This is Obama's primary advantage in 2012.

Conservatives, rightly, won't give money to the GOP.

They intend to give money to their candidate.

Obama and the dims will spend AT LEAST $1bil...probably $2bil when down ticket candidate and the unions are counted.

Conservative candidates, collectively, will have far less than $1bil to work with.

19 posted on 04/17/2011 12:03:10 PM PDT by Mariner (USS Tarawa, VQ3, USS Benjamin Stoddert, NAVCAMS WestPac, 7th Fleet, Navcommsta Puget Sound)
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To: RicocheT
If you give to the RNC be sure to send a note along to him asking that your money go to elect conservative Republican candidates, not RINOs to let the RNC know where you stand.

It's much easier and more effective to just donate directly to the candidate of your choice. Unlike donating to the RNC, you have complete control over where your money goes. And the assurance that 100% of your money goes directly to the candidate.

20 posted on 04/17/2011 12:09:06 PM PDT by upchuck (Think you know hardship? Wait till the dollar is no longer the world's reserve currency.)
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