Posted on 03/29/2010 4:49:40 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Chairman Michael Steele's history of gaffes distract Republicans By Aaron Blake - 03/29/10 05:59 PM ET
The revelation Monday that the Republican National Committee (RNC) expensed a trip to a risqué nightclub is just the latest event in an election cycle filled with distractions for the committee.
Just about 14 months into Chairman Michael Steele’s tenure, the committee has already dealt with Steele offending both sides of the party, making politically incorrect comments about certain cultures, being the butt of late-night jokes and spending gobs of money.
Regardless of the seriousness of each individual gaffe, Steele has often found himself distracting from what would otherwise be increasingly good news for Republicans this election cycle.
The days of a behind-the-scenes party chairman are a distant memory the year after Steele was elected, and the result has often left leaders of his party shaking their heads.
Here are some of Steele’s greatest hits, broken down into groups:
The real damage:
Monday’s news was one of the more troubling things that has occurred at the RNC on Steele’s watch, but it also fits nicely into a long-running storyline at the RNC – the committee’s heavy spending.
I have documented on a few occasions how the committee continues to suffer from an inordinately high burn rate. The committee spent about $15 million more than it raised under Steele last year, and in February it continued to lose money.
Steele himself has drawn heat for spending $18,500 to redecorate his personal office, as well as upping the committee’s spending on chartered flights and limousines. The same story reporting on the nightclub expenditure Monday also stated that Steele was looking into buying a private jet.
Early in his chairmanship, Steele faced a revolt over his spending power, which led other RNC leaders to seek a check on his ability to use committee funds.
On top of the committee’s money problems, Steele himself has been taking money for giving political speeches – an unusual practice for a party chairman.
More recently, the RNC also had to deal with the release of a Powerpoint presentation which said it planned to raise money by capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama.
The non-crowd-pleasers:
Steele has found ways to offend both the right and left of his party on several occasions.
Shortly after beginning his term as chairman, Steele described Rush Limbaugh’s work as “incendiary” and “ugly.” He was forced to apologize.
Later, in an interview with GQ, Steele described abortion as an “individual choice” – which is generally the rhetoric favored by the pro-abortion rights community. Again, Steele was forced to recant.
Steele also has been forced to back away from some of his more hard-line stances. Early in 2009, he suggested he would withhold funding from any GOP senator who supported the stimulus package.
Steele successfully angered leaders of the GOP’s campaign efforts when he said around the New Year that he didn’t think his party would retake Congress this cycle and didn’t know whether it was even prepared to do so.
The politically incorrect:
Steele has suggested that Mitt Romney didn’t win in 2008 because Americans were concerned about Mormonism.
He has also said he was going to give Indian-American Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) some “slum love.”
And early this year, when discussing his book on Sean Hannity’s TV show, Steele used the phrase “Honest Injun” while making a point. That phrase is generally seen as offensive to the American Indian community.
The awkward:
Steele has often been fodder for late-night comedians and bloggers, who have made fun of the manner in which he has tried to inject his African-American heritage and personal style into the Republican Party.
Early on, Steele launched an “off the hook” campaign to attract young minority voters by applying party principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”
More recently, Steele was featured posing in odd pictures with RNC interns, including one in which he appears to be proposing to a female intern.
If they drop Steele it guarantees that the Republicans are racist!
Who cares! Health bill is Communism!
We don’t care! Steele can leave! Just leave. Gone? Good.
Now, back to Communism.
The asshat is a sabateur.
Michael Steele had so much going for him - it’s sad to see how BIDENLY he has squandered his position & opportunities.
From Wiki:
Immigration: “Secure our borders first. Let us know and let us make sure the American people know that we’re taking care of the important business of dealing with the illegal immigration into this country. You cannot begin to address the concerns of the people who are already here unless and until you have made certain that no more are coming in behind them.”[56]
National security: “How do we engage in an enemy we can’t see? How do we understand and know their next move? This is going to be a challenging question of the day...I’m not for shooting first and asking questions later.” He believes in using “smart intelligence on the ground” while “preparing and placing ourselves in a position to act.”[57]
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: “I think if the government were to get out of the way and let the small business community and corporations of America weed themselves through this process, it’s survival of the fittest”.[58]
Steele was an affirmative action pick and like many other unqualified affirmative action hires he has been a failure. He should be dropped.
Fine.
It wouldn't make one whiff of difference to the GOP’s prospects in November, because over what 98% of blacks voted for 0bama and will vote for the Democrats in November anyways. Let's dump this profligate clown already. His departure is long overdue.
“Chairman Michael Steele’s history of gaffes distract Republicans”
Steele is a walking gaffe (as well as being a walking goof).
There is no way to tell how much in missed contributions he has cost the party.
But he has the perfect protection from the firing he so justly deserves: the race card. Don’t leave home without it.
I’ve never cared for Steele, but we should’nt let the left determine whether he stays or goes.
I know a way out of this. The nightclub had a bondage theme.
Steele could say they were researching the effects of Obamacare!
>> Who cares about the RNC anyway?
That’s in in a nutshell.
The RNC is dead to me. As far as I’m concerned they don’t even exist. They’ll surely never again see a nickel of my money or a minute of my effort. I’ll devote that to individual conservative candidates that I choose myself.
“Steele was an affirmative action pick and like many other unqualified affirmative action hires he has been a failure. He should be dropped.”
The Republicans should try just being Republicans and quit trying to out-Democrat the Democrats.
Democrats call us racist but who do they go after? Michael Steel. Now tell me, who’s the racists?
And anyway, I’d like some prof of guilt before I think ill of Mr. Steel. Anyone can say anything about anybody but unless they have prof then it’s just badmouthing.
The media should be just as outraged at Pelosi and her parties on Pelosi 1 airlines.
Surely there is another black republican somewhere that could do a better job if anyone’s worried about us being racist.
How about good ole Alan Keyes-—he’s certainly black!
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