“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Guess which book Michael Steele thought this iconic quote was from? (Hint: Not from “A Tale of Two Cities.”) Anyway, even though he completely misattributed the quote (he said it was from his favorite book, “War and Peace”), let’s face it, that’s everything you need to know about his two years as RNC chair. Despite the immense level of success the Republican Party had in winning elections in 2009 and 2010, their current financial situation is pretty much the polar opposite of what one would expect from the party of fiscal responsibility. So, let’s take a moment to honor the RNC weirdo in his last stand, the one whose party succeeded despite his own personal failures. And the fact that he attributed this quote to the wrong book explains everything about why he won’t return. (Edit: He’s currently behind in the vote, which is taking place now … he’s not doing bad but losing support.)source
So, much of the betting money is leaning towards this Reince Priebus guy (who we’re totally going to call Prince Riebus by accident) becoming the RNC chair. Sayonara, Michael Steele.
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That look in Michael Steele’s eyes? Some might call it “deer in headlights.” We call it “ignorance to the gravity of his situation.” Anyway, the man of Steele, who has led the RNC through its most embarrassing period in ages, will be announcing his future plans today. Our money is on him being so oblivious to his unpopularity among Republicans (especially for his fiscal skills, which are pretty much the key part of running the RNC) that he’ll run again. And honestly, we hope he does. We love the sound of a good trainwreck. source
Ron Paul: You’re lying! In this clip with Don Lemon earlier today, Paul, who’s speaking from Skype, claims that Lemon is misconstruing Steele’s comments. Prior to that is a pretty good catch-up on the whole situation, including John McCain and Jim DeMint ripping Steele’s leadership.
Erick Erickson rips SteeleThe RedState.com blogger, known for his controversial comments, already said that Steele should resign, but doesn’t think he will, because he’s not concerned for the health of the party, but the success of Michael Steele. We shockingly agree with him 100 percent.
Is this about race?Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution speaks so negatively of both Steele and the process that led to his RNC leadership position that she suggests Steele got in through a bizarre form of affirmative action, and he doesn’t deserve the job.
“This is a war of Obama’s choosing.” Wait a second, we’re not geniuses here, but we’re pretty sure that the GOP largely supports the Afghan War, too, not just Obama. And here’s Steele suggesting it can’t be won, that a land war in Afghanistan is “the one thing you don’t do.” Whether or not these comments were taken out of context, let’s face it – this guy says incredibly stupid crap from time to time. Both parties are criticizing him for this one. And they should. It totally shows a lack of understanding of his own party’s message. source
I just said I wasn’t comfortable with it. … I think it’s important to understand that Rand Paul has clarified his statement and reiterated his support for…pushing civil rights forward, as opposed to going backwards.
Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele • Talking on “This Week” about Rand Paul, who has successfully made Steele into the second most likely person in the party to commit a major gaffe. Steele didn’t seem like he was very comfortable with broaching the subject. For his part, he did note that Paul’s view was a “philosophical position” due to his libertarian leanings, even as he questioned Paul’s approach. “Any attempt to look backwards is not in the best interest of our country certainly, and certainly not in the best interest of the party,” Steele said. Oh, and DNC counterpart Tim Kaine thinks it’ll make it easier for Paul’s competitor, Jack Conway, to win the seat. We’re disappointed it’s not Tim Conway. His golf videos are funny! source
one Bickhart was behind a Powerpoint presentation that compared Harry Reid to Scooby Doo and promised a fundraising campaign driven by “fear” of Obama.
two As a result of that Powerpoint, Bickhart’s compensation came under scrutiny. Dude got paid $370,000 over a nine month period – or more than the president.
three Then there was the strip club scandal. That little piece of drama caught the media’s attention and made Bickhart’s performance look even worse. See ya! source