Posted on 07/26/2006 5:37:30 AM PDT by seanmerc
Steele Admits He Criticized GOP in Interview Unnamed Candidate Said Being Republican Was Like Wearing 'Scarlet Letter'
Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's Senate campaign acknowledged yesterday that he was the anonymous candidate quoted by a Washington Post political reporter as saying that being a Republican was like wearing a "scarlet letter" and that he did not want President Bush to campaign for him this fall.
The campaign made the disclosure after a day of speculation in the blogosphere and among political reporters about which Republican Senate candidate had made the disparaging remarks reported by Dana Milbank in the Washington Sketch column in yesterday's Post.
Democrats in Maryland and Washington pounced on the comments to portray Steele as either a chameleon or a hypocrite.
"He realizes that he can't win being a conservative Republican in Maryland in 2006," said Maryland Democratic Party spokesman Arthur Harris. "He's out of touch with the majority of Marylanders."
State Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lierman pointed out in a statement that Steele has held fundraisers with the president, Vice President Cheney, Bush adviser Karl Rove and National Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman.
"He has taken millions from Bush and his top aides and even endorsed Bush in a prime-time Republican National Convention speech in August 2004," Lierman said.
During a luncheon with reporters at which he agreed to be quoted only as a Republican Senate candidate, Steele criticized the Iraq war effort and Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina and said congressional Republicans have "lost our way," according to Milbank's report.
Asked whether he would invite Bush to campaign for him, he replied, considering Bush's low approval rating in Maryland, "to be honest with you, probably not."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Well if he is spewing the liberal line about Hurricane Kat then he is sinking his own campaign and I have no sympathy for him.
The media had zero interest in the truth. They followed Mark Twain's dictum - Never spoil a good story with the truth.
Even now, it is difficult to find anyone in the media who will admit the truth. After all, too many of the liars won awards for journalism...
Isn't Lierman MD4BUSH?
Martin O'Malley would be much, much worse.
Go Steele!
More acknowledgement from Steele's campaign that he's a bonehead, and the fallout.
If we want to win this seat in Maryland...Steele has to get some democrats to vote for him....actually he has to get quite alot of dems to vote for him. I don't blame him for straddling the fence right now. Will he be an arch conservative? No...but he is most definitely a republican.
The race will come down to one factor...if Kweisi Mfume loses the primary on the democratic side, and older white guy Ben Cardin wins. Then, Steele has a very good chance of winning, based on minorities simply staying home or voting for Steele instead.
He's breaking with Bush for all the WRONG reasons.
FYI:
Martin O'Malley is running for Governor against Bob Ehrlich.
Michael Steele is running for U. S. Senate against either Kweise Mfume or Ben Cardin to replace the retiring Paul Sarbanes.
Lt. Governor Steele?
What have we learned?
1. Nothing is off the record for Republicans
2. The press is an arm of the DNC
Even if he is elected, he just kissed any Committee Chairmanships goodbye.
Well, that's very disappointing.
It's not so much that he felt that way that disappoints me.
It's the fact that he actually told a Washington Post reporter and expected it to be kept quiet that makes his judgment extremely suspect.:/
*sigh*
He took all the info and informed me that I would be getting a call from one of his campaign people.
Like many others on this thread, I don't necessarily disagree with some of the things he said. I just don't understand WHY
And what's the reason for the subterfuge?
Steele has committed the political version of Hara Kiri.
That's about right. Now I guess we have to rely on Blackwell and Swann to upset the Jacksons, Sharptons, etc and the kook-wing of the DU's!!!
We've got to get both of these great men into office in Nov. No matter what others think or the media reports. A poll taken by the Columbus Dispatch had Ted Strickland up by 20 points over JKB. 20 points!!!!, even they admitted they oversampled dems during the survey period.
The media will do whatever they have to to turn us off. It is our responsibility to see it through and to elect our great conservative leaders of the future.
I still support Steele. I think it's important for independent thought to be included in the Republican Party. (Although I wish we had more "conservatives")
But do not behave like the Democrats. My own state rep. Derrick Sever was banished from the Democratic Party last election when he refused to endorse John Kerry. He was a conservative Democrat that became a Republican.
I agree with Steele that Republicans see a void in the Democrat Party with moderates and are trying to capitalize on it by acting Democrat.
Git R Done!!
Yes .. let's hear more of this great analysis from the drug culture! LOL!!
There may be a couple of things you don't like about your mate, toothpaste cap, leaving clothes lying around, etc but you sure don't tell people (INSERT: that don't like your mate) with a "promise" from them that they won't tell your mate.
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