BREAKING! Pro-life, devout Catholic named new RNC chair!

American Papist ^ | January 30, 2009 | Thomas Peters

[NYer]

I'm hearing that it happened just minutes ago: Former Maryland Lt. Gov. (and former state party chairman) Michael Steele has been elected as the new chair of the Republican National Committee.

So who is he?!

CollegeNews tells us:

"Steele is a staunch social conservative: devoutly Catholic, pro-life, anti-embryonic stem cell research, etc."

Sounds like my kind of guy!

And no Kmiec-style justifications needed to support him.

update: WaPo blog:

The Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as its first African American chairman today in Washington, a decision that came after an excruciating series of ballots that displayed a level of drama rarely seen in national politics.

On the sixth and final ballot Steele bested South Carolina Republican party Chairman Katon Dawson 91 to 77.

"It's time for something completely different and we are going to bring it to them," Steele said after his victory. "This is our opportunity. I cannot do this by myself."

[DocH]

To try and prove that Steele is NOT an anti-gun RINO, you are posting the SAME EXACT quotes I posted to prove Steele IS an anti-gun RINO.

The problem is, you highlight the LEAST important, to defenders and protectors of our 2nd Amendment rights, part of his quotes (At the end of the day, it's about how we enforce the law).

THIS is the part that should raise the hackles of ANY TRUE freedom-loving American citizen who exercises his/her 2A rights...

"What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill. But I don't think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that".

THAT sounds very much like what virulently anti-gun demonRATs Schumer, Feinstein, and their ilk say, and have said on many occasions.

Again, to Michael, and anyone (you two?) else unclear on what the 2A is all about...

THE 2ND AMENDMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HUNTING OR SKEET SHOOTING. IT IS ABOUT HAVING THE RIGHT AND THE MEANS (INCLUDING, if put into the context of the time it was written, WEAPONS IN COMMON USE BY THE MILITARY) TO DEFEND ONESELF, OTHERS, AND ONE'S HOMELAND FROM A TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT.

There is no room for compromise on this all-American issue, INCLUDING, and most especially, when it concerns members of our own party.

After RINO losers put up a RINO loser for the last election, and we LOST, all we need is a RINO leading the next charge.

[AuntB]

I share your concerns, kabar.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Romney is far from the strongest; he just is not that likeable and more not that reliable a conservative.

[Petronski]

The numbers are all over the internet...

Repetition does not make them any less speculative.

This is yet another example of the many times you claim proof when you have none.

[milford421]

I disagree, especially when it comes to the context of the law.

The statement Steele made is especially pertinent, and telling, as it pertains to the law.

I understand your position on gun rights. Much of your position is shared by many freepers here. Don’t miss the bigger point, however.

I don’t find Steele’s positions anywhere close to the Dems you cited.

Also, the point of the ping was to clarify Steele’s quote...your post still cites the incorrect quote...the last part is especially important and addresses your concerns: “but I don’t think that that means that you go to a total ban for those who want to use guns for skeet shooting and hobbying and hunting and things like that.”

Hobbying. Covers much.

Hope that clears things up.

[milford421]

One more Doc. I used hobbying instead of collecting. This page is an excellent source for the arguments:

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_2nd.html

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

LOL!!!!

ha. Yeah, these people want some benevolent conservative perfect dictator to “fix” everything, instead of the whole party working grassroots up to make changes.

Isn’t it time we quit trashing our own unless its really, really a doofus???

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Thank you.

Michael Steele is excellant ..that is unless we want a raving right wing lunatic who can not argue and articulate true conservative values to the general public. Now, THAT would be a winner...NOT. ha.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Don’t even bother with the whiners....no one, not even a Conservative dictator could make them happy.

Don’t worry, all the Bush bashers will be on here now complaining how Steele isn’t “conservative enough”. Yeesh.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

excellant analysis...and i am Catholic.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi Alex,

Are you sure the comment was not sanitized before it was quoted? "I mean" he did use according to your quote as well.

Yes he did, but the citation supposedly quoted a Washington Post interview of Oct 16, 2006 as the source of the comment, and when I checked the source of the cite, the comment is different. If, as you suggested, these comments were sanitized before it was published by the WP, Max should have provided the original link.

[Victoria Delsoul]

You’re welcome.

[Victoria Delsoul]

THIS is the part that should raise the hackles of ANY TRUE freedom-loving American citizen who exercises his/her 2A rights...

"What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill. But I don't think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that".

Steele will rise or fall on the value of his words. I think to characterize him as anti-2nd Amendment is overstating things, but clearly he isn't aligned with absolutist pro-gun advocates, either. See if he takes a strong stand on guns as GOP Chair.

After RINO losers put up a RINO loser for the last election, and we LOST, all we need is a RINO leading the next charge.

I'm glad that assertion doesn't apply to me. As a traditional conservative I supported the strongest GOP candidate in contention, and if we had elected him he would've been better than Obama, but that's not what we are discussing here.

[annalex]

Incidentally, articulation is not the most important quality in a politician, important as it is. Both Clinton and Obama ran circles around their opponents in the art of gab, and neither was good news for America.

[Victoria Delsoul]

That’s true.

[kevinm13]

Key for RNC Chair is to talk to donors and raise a lot of money. Also key is to rally party faithful behind issues and get conservatives elected in place of RINO’s and libs.