Steele Cedes Power To Critics In RNC
Michael Steele has given in to his RNC critics who were seeking to curtail his power, the Washington Times reports, agreeing on a set of rules for Steele's spending as chairman.
Steele has agreed to restore "good governance" rules for contracts and other expenditures, which were instituted after 2004 and were scrapped after the 2008 primary season. In addition, he has agreed to bring in former long-time RNC financial officer Jay Banning -- who was fired by Steele last month -- to serve as an on-call adviser to the treasurer. Other staffers are also being kept on either payroll or retainer, as well.
As the Washington Times points out: "It represents the first time in memory that rebel members of the Republican Party's national governing body have successfully taken on the party's historically powerful national chairman and his loyalists."
Josh
Matt
Eric
Leaving Steele the first national chairman to be rendered powerless by the members of his own party. Colossal Fail(tm). He's one of my favorite rethuglicans.
May 6, 2009 10:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Republican's last connection to reality is a mono-syllable (think "Garp"). I their case, it's "steal". Careful, well documented, scientific analysis proves the case:
2000 Presidential election: Steal (FL); check
2004 Presidential election: Steal (OH); check
2008 Presidential election: Steal (AZ, AK); oops
2012 Presidential election: Steele (sic)
In their rump reality, they are working on a Steele eye-beam. Their best efforts to date have gotten the eye-beam to shine like Rush's on a fistful of Oxcys. Big Pharma has yet to chime in.
May 6, 2009 10:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's got 'em right where he wants 'em.
May 6, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's because he doesn't have loyalists, or at least not many. He has a lot of people who half-heartedly voted for him because it seemed like a good idea to make a black guy their new chair (and nobody had any better ideas at the time).
May 6, 2009 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Beat me to the punch.
May 6, 2009 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
not to put too fine a point on it, but when the GOP found themselves forced to choose between a black guy and an avowed segregationist, they went for the former. marginally.
May 6, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Before being appointed RNC chair, Steele's highest political office was Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, where he did little more than add diversity to Governor Ehrlich's ticket. Other than that, his best-known political accomplishment was losing the 2006 Senate race by 10 points. In appointing Steele to RNC, its almost like the Republicans intended to parody their own distortions of affirmative action.
May 6, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Condi Rice would refer to Steele's tenure to date as a "catastrophic success."
May 6, 2009 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have always suspected that this guy is a double agent for the Democrats. Every time he opens his mouth he proves it. Steele probably went along so he wouldn't blow his cover.
May 6, 2009 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
that would explain a lot.
May 6, 2009 11:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me too.
May 6, 2009 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Step'n'fetchit.
May 6, 2009 11:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
STEELEMENTUM!
May 6, 2009 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's all strateegery to him...part of Rush's long term plan to take control of the Alabama's political party, take off his suit and Poof !! He's George Wallace !!!
Steele will be right there as Rush's "Step'n'fetchit" as oskieoskie so aptly put it...
May 6, 2009 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Eunich!
May 6, 2009 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Republican Party tokenism. A feature not a bug.
May 6, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Best comment in the thread.
May 6, 2009 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the props. It's a refreshing break from having to beg for them.
May 6, 2009 3:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
In the parlance of beltway politics: He can resign now.
May 6, 2009 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Another step in the slow-motion public emasculation of a fool. You'd think that Steele would have enough dignity and self-respect to step down and end the abuse he's brought down on himself.
May 6, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
The election of Steele to head the foundering GOP has got to be the most interesting thing that's happened in American politics within my lifetime. How long can he possibly last at this rate? Will he be ousted? Will he eventually sit down and shut up? I find that highly unlikely as he is as attracted to the spotlight as a moth is to a candle, and seems to be intent on doing the worst job possible.
Though I doubt any of Steele's competitors for chair would be perceived as doing a particularly good job given the current political climate, it's hard to imagine anyone doing worse. Is it just the Republican way of thinking that always seems to lead them to the worst possible option in any scenario, or did something else happen?
At any rate, whatever is left of the GOP loyal now have two African Americans to blame the entirety their problems on. Maybe that's what they wanted.
May 6, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's not being shown the money. To the extent that political success follows the money, he now has no followers. I'm waiting for him to come up with a Rodney Dangerfield shtick. This action may also follow the reports of past problems in the spending in his own campaign.
May 6, 2009 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I weould hope the RNC at least leaves Steele with Miss Sarah's wardrobe to sell in order to finance his travels.
May 6, 2009 12:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps M Dawg will put on a Republican Hip Hop concert to raise some dough-re-mi.
May 6, 2009 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
hahahahahahahah.................
I come out of lurking so rarely, but this guy just compels the online laughter.
Please, God, let him keep this job......
May 6, 2009 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm asking my priest friends to say a novena for this intention.
May 6, 2009 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
This will only help him reach out to youth in urban-suburban hip-hop settings. What young person hasn't had their allowance arbitrarily withheld?
A brilliant stroke!
May 6, 2009 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Steele has been Director in-name-only since he Spoke Truth to Rush and then immeditately back-tracked and cowered before the power of the Almightly Blob. Eventually, I supposed, the GOP will realize the fiction of the phrase "Republican Party leadership" and get their act together.
But until they do, we'll at least be entertained.
May 6, 2009 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink