TPMDC
Solving The Steele Mystery: Why Did He Cancel On ABC?
RNC Chair Michael Steele
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What the heck happened? In a case of what might be bad communication or could be trouble brewing for Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, we delve into today's Steele Mystery.
Here's what we know: Steele was scheduled to appear on ABC's "TopLine" show at lunchtime, but canceled and cited an emergency RNC meeting that raised red flags about the embattled chairman's tenure.
[TPM PHOTO FEATURE: STEELE TRAP -- A LOOK AT THE RNC CHAIR'S YEAR]
The RNC denied to us that any meeting was happening, flatly saying "No," when we asked.
This afternoon, an RNC spokesperson backtracked and told ABC that there was a noon meeting at the RNC, just not an "emergency RNC meeting."
An ABC spokeswoman told TPMDC that Steele's book publicist called the network at 11:30, 30 minutes before the scheduled interview time, to cancel.
The publicist's explanation was that Steele "was called into an emergency meeting at the RNC," said Emily Lenzner, an ABC spokeswoman who also referred us to the publicist, who hasn't returned several calls.
Steele had the time to appear on Laura Ingraham's radio show between 11 and noon, just before the publicist canceled. On the show he said he would like to be governor of Maryland.
We've been cataloging Steele's travails for months, the latest of which is fallout because key Republicans weren't aware of his book. Steele told Ingraham he wrote the book before becoming chairman.
There also is frustration that he's mismanaged funds and is distracting by making numerous gaffes such as saying he didn't think the Republicans could win back the House this fall.
Several Hill aides have criticized him and today a former RNC official said it would be best if Steele is ousted soon.
"If we get rid of this guy now it's great for us," the official told TPMDC. "Let's shed him now, get someone who can raise money and get the party in a stronger position."
The official said in the 11 months until the election the RNC would have "plenty of time" to shore up a strong party and be victorious in the fall.
"I don't think that's true if this guy hangs around," the official said.
What's more, conservatives are fuming that Steele suggested in an interview he didn't "seek" the chairman position. He campaigned vehemently for the position and only won the spot after several ballots and once top contenders endorsed him.
Additional reporting by Rachel Slajda.
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CityGuy
January 8, 2010 1:49 PM
Michael Steele is the Democrats' Manchurian Candidate at the RNC.
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LarryMo
January 8, 2010 2:38 PM in reply to CityGuy
Look, CityGuy, how many times do we have to remind you that this is supposed to be kept underwraps?
Sheeesh. You are gonna piss off Comrade Soros if you keep blabbing.
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FreeRider
January 8, 2010 2:49 PM in reply to LarryMo
Hilarious!
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CityGuy
January 8, 2010 3:58 PM in reply to FreeRider
Sorry guys, I keep forgetting. Good thing the GOP is still none the wiser to our filthy, fucking, dirty hippie left-wing (I'm the anti-Sailormarlowe)radical plans!
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3star2nr
January 8, 2010 7:45 PM in reply to CityGuy
Im serious how lucky could the dems be hahaha
But man oh man Im just HOPING he pulls the race card if they decide to fire him
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Richardxx
January 9, 2010 11:12 AM in reply to 3star2nr
Steele won't have to pull the race card if they fire him. That will be an automatic feature of the action. No one has to say a thing for it to activate.
Who would believe that race was NOT a major cause of him being fired?
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monet768
January 8, 2010 1:50 PM
THIS MAN IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THANK GOODNESS FOR HIM
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SkepticRising
January 8, 2010 3:55 PM in reply to monet768
I don't think the accident is waiting, it's in progress. An unending train wreck we can't tear our horrified gaze away from.
But I think the real reason he canceled was that he had to suspend his book tour to fly to Washington and save the economy.
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PDQ
January 9, 2010 3:03 PM in reply to monet768
re: an accident waiting to happen -
So was George W. Bush. Look how long he lasted!
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CT Voter
January 8, 2010 1:54 PM
The official said in the 11 months until the election the RNC would have "plenty of time" to shore up a strong party and be victorious in the fall.
"I don't think that's true if this guy hangs around," the official said.
Already laying the blame before the election, I see.
Didn't the RNC spend a boatload of money recently?
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Signalman
January 8, 2010 2:07 PM in reply to CT Voter
I don't think so. I read about a week or so ago (maybe here?) that the RNC was in terrible shape with respect to donations and the size of their bank account, while the Democrats were sitting on a war chest several times the size of the RNC's.
Perhaps someone can run down some actual figures for us and post them here.
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CT Voter
January 8, 2010 2:25 PM in reply to Signalman
Full article here
MOre tidbits:
And:
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Signalman
January 8, 2010 2:35 PM in reply to CT Voter
Ah. So they did spend a lot of money *and* they're hard up for cash. Thanks much for running that down, CT Voter.
And give that puddy tat some toona. :)
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monet768
January 8, 2010 2:44 PM in reply to CT Voter
$35mill to death panal mail.....what a freakin waste of time.
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Richardxx
January 9, 2010 11:21 AM in reply to CT Voter
Is Steele a graduate of the Bush/Cheney school of administration? Take over an organization with quite a bit of money and leave it with a lot less and nothing positive to show for the expenditures?
Or is that just Republican doctrine now?
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arias
January 10, 2010 8:29 AM in reply to CT Voter
Right On! Thanks for that tidbit CT!
I was scratching my head the other day when I read something along the lines of the RNC not being in as good of shape as the DNC financially. I thought that rather odd considering all the anti-Dem rah rah this-is-supposedly-the-big-year-for-a-republican comeback rally cry amidst hushed whispers of "inhospitable climate for Democrats".
Now, instead of seeming odd, it's like that perfect last piece of a jigsaw puzzle that allows you to see the big picture in its perfect totality. Michael "The Destroyer" Steele sure is an effective secret weapon. It's like having a superhero on the DNC payroll.
ChaChing!
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tweakyd
January 8, 2010 2:00 PM
somewhere a bag is without its douche
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debbiedoesnothing
January 8, 2010 3:41 PM in reply to tweakyd
Oh my god. Great comment!
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midnight rambler
January 8, 2010 4:46 PM in reply to debbiedoesnothing
Hmm...shouldn't it be the other way around?
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Sir-trd
January 10, 2010 9:19 AM in reply to tweakyd
You sir are a comic genius, GREAT POST!:) I am off to change my pants.
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Hussein Stemper
January 8, 2010 2:09 PM
Darn. I was so eager to hear what he had to say! I've just not had a chance to hear what he thought lately.
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Hidden Oak
January 8, 2010 2:13 PM
Bug that meeting.
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GayIthacan
January 8, 2010 2:15 PM
More and more I am coming to believe that Steele is a Democratic plant!!!!!!!!!
>>
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LarryMo
January 8, 2010 2:40 PM in reply to GayIthacan
Please stop blabbing about this - Steele is only going to "work" so long as we are able to keep his true intentions under wraps.
See you at the 6:00 am marching orders meeting tomorrow. I hear Comrade Soros will bring croissants.
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GayIthacan
January 8, 2010 3:13 PM in reply to LarryMo
Sounds good!!!!
I hear Sarah is bringing Bear Claws!!!! :D :D
ACTUAL Bear claws!!!!
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LarryMo
January 8, 2010 4:51 PM in reply to GayIthacan
Hey - Comrade Palin is even more undercover than is Comrade Steele.
Doing advance work for a Progressive America - you betcha.
No croissants for you!
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Zell
January 8, 2010 2:17 PM
Eh, what the hell: I'd also like to be governor of Maryland.
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Marinus van der Lubbe
January 8, 2010 2:33 PM in reply to Zell
And I want to be Rufus T. Firefly, leader of Freedonia!!!
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Willow
January 8, 2010 2:23 PM
Remember when everyone at TPM was sad that the guy who made the CD full of tunes including "Barack the Magic Negro" lost the RNC elections to Michael Steele? Because we thought Steele wouldn't be as fun to have around as that guy would be?
Phew, glad we were wrong.
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expat46
January 8, 2010 4:46 PM in reply to Willow
LOL! No doubt. Reminds me of the $25 I gave to the John Edwards campaign.
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Richardxx
January 9, 2010 11:29 AM in reply to Willow
For the Republicans that would almost seem to define "Hobson's Choice."
A single possibility is offered (two names, same choice) and the only way out is to make no choice at all. But they couldn't refuse to choose an RNC Chairman.
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Fuddnik
January 8, 2010 2:25 PM
Kenneth Blackwell would make a great RNC Chairman.
You get more crazy for the buck.
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Vertigo
January 8, 2010 2:50 PM in reply to Fuddnik
Alan Keyes would be a better choice, IMHO. Bat-shi* crazy, another loose cannon, incoherent, a disgrace to his race. What's not to like?
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cwnidog
January 8, 2010 3:13 PM in reply to Vertigo
From your mouth to Rush's ear.
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Richardxx
January 9, 2010 11:31 AM in reply to cwnidog
Where's Sarah Palin when the Republicans really need her? She could easily carry on doing what Steele has done.
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CVille Dem
January 10, 2010 9:23 AM in reply to Richardxx
Bachman! Bachman! Bachman! Bachman! Bachman!
Also, there aren't 11 months to the election; it's down to 10 now!
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rubyxyz
January 8, 2010 2:26 PM
If they keep him, they'll look stupid.
If they dump him, they'll look racist.
He's my favorite republican ever!
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CT Voter
January 8, 2010 3:08 PM in reply to rubyxyz
LOL!
Co-sign.
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matyra
January 8, 2010 3:15 PM in reply to CT Voter
heh, and it's all because that Steele is the token. If the Republicans were more multiracial, firing one person wouldn't matter so much. But he's one of the few in the GOP.
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sean
January 8, 2010 2:26 PM
Oooooh!!!
Hiss! Scratch! Spit! Yeowl!
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fsudirectory
January 8, 2010 2:27 PM
Looks like he is doing a better switcheroo than Palin.
Use the platform as RNC Chair to get your name / ideas / books out, and then get fired for being non-establishment, and then leap frog into running for a position he lost a few times already.... better than quitting and playing on facebook
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commie atheist
January 8, 2010 5:32 PM in reply to fsudirectory
You're right, up to the "running for office" part. Neither Steele nor Palin are going to run for anything ever again...or at least they're not going to run with the intention of winning. Whatever they do from now on, it will be with an eye on making the quick buck. Steele will remain House Negro of the GOP, so he can collect wingnut welfare from the idiots who want to show how welcoming of minorities the GOP is. HE's got a book out, and he's giving speeches for big bucks. No need to get involved in another losing campaign.
Palin will speak wherever she can get a nice fee, and probably will encourage people to think she's running in 2012, to get her PAC fully funded. Then, when she fails to get the Republican nomination, she'll be able to rail about how the party regulars kept her down, and go on collecting huge speaking fees until people get sick of her.
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Frinky
January 8, 2010 2:28 PM
From Media Matters for America:
Fox & Friends upset with "strange and eerie" delay before Obama's press conference on results of intelligence review
I can't wait to see their reaction to Michael Steele's eerie event.
(queue the crickets)
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DF
January 8, 2010 2:29 PM
Does TPM not talk to old friend Greg Sargent anymore?
There's your "emergency meeting."
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JNagarya
January 8, 2010 2:32 PM
I hope the teabaggers gain sufficient ascendency in the Republican train wreck/party, and their putsch/purge has sufficent success, that no one but Neo-Nazis and their ilk will vote for their candidates.
Steele is an idiot. Then again, Steele is a Republican't.
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Pete Bilderback
January 8, 2010 2:33 PM
And yet the story will be "Democrats in disarray, facing certain DOOM in 2010."
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freaktown
January 8, 2010 2:35 PM
maybe steele is afraid abc will hold him accountable for factually inaccurate statements like they did with...rudy...oh...um...nevermind.
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monet768
January 8, 2010 2:40 PM
Bg belly RUSH told him too....god darn puppet master
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texscubarat
January 8, 2010 2:42 PM
My day is made every time this buffoon opens his mouth. He carries major entertainment value. Keep it mikee!!!!
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monet768
January 8, 2010 2:43 PM
No one can be in more dissaray than GRAND MASTER Michhael Steele.
They hired a black clown to go after President Obama.....let's see how long they can hamg on to him.
Maybe cracked lips Ron Cristy will replace him and that's coming from an african american
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lousgirl84
January 8, 2010 2:50 PM
Where are the trolls on this one? No masanf, no jorge no inokeach. Typical rats fleeing a sinking ship.
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njr
January 8, 2010 3:33 PM in reply to lousgirl84
rats-
they didn't get the talking points this morning...
Steele's been stepping on talking points,
or stepping out in front of approved talking points,
the trolls may starve!
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jeffs
January 8, 2010 2:54 PM
I absolutely do not want to see Michael Steele go, but it really feels like he's about to be ousted. Does the guy have any constituency left besides us? He's only around at this point because the Republicans are in such disarray, no one had the authority to pull the lever and drop him into the shark tank.
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Aunt Sam
January 8, 2010 2:57 PM
I don't him to be gone. He's one of the best 'tools' as a prop!
Truly the gift that keeps on giving! However, he does need to be careful, because many more gaffes and he'll have to undergo surgery to remove his foot from his big mouth!
Hurrah for Steele - one of the best of the worst!
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Walter Mitty
January 8, 2010 3:12 PM
I bet he's going to get booted. He'll have to shelve his book and tour or leave and he'll leave. He's all about getting himself richer.
However there is a shadow RNC being run out of the GOP Governors Committee - they've mysteriously raised 3X what they usually raise. Gee, I wonder what's going on there. RNC is hurting for money and GOP Governors are swimming in it - somebody is routing donations away from Steele.
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jeffgee
January 8, 2010 3:25 PM
Michael Steele is the Michael Scott (The Office) of the GOP, always pushing the envelope on the cringe factor.
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freaktown
January 8, 2010 3:27 PM in reply to jeffgee
omg that is such a perfectly dead on comparison!
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runfastandwin
January 8, 2010 3:30 PM
He cannot be fired, since he is elected. The RNC would have to convene a convention, vote him out, then vote in a new guy. Since he won the election last time on multiple ballots, it does not seem likely that he would get voted out this time, since his constituency is still in place. On the other hand, he could just resign if so persuaded. And what's the greatest persuader of all? Cue Scaife to come in with a golden parchute.
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Schmed
January 8, 2010 3:39 PM in reply to runfastandwin
They're a private club, they can do whatever the f they want. His ass is grass. They're just trying to figure out what lawnmower to use.
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Elizabeth2
January 8, 2010 3:47 PM in reply to runfastandwin
Now *that* is interesting ... and sheds a new light on his "fire me or shut up" challenge. My first thought was "Oh, no - we don't want him fired! He's the best thing going for the progressives" but if they can't actually fire him, then his outburst sounds more like "Give me my golden parachute or I'm going to really, REALLY embarass you and make you look like girlie-men."
Hey, you've got to give him credit. He's about the only Republican you ever see these days who looks like he's enjoying himself. If he's gone, it's just going to be the mouth-frothers (Limbaugh, Beck, etc.) and the constipateds (McConnell, Boehner, etc.) I wonder how many times a day Arlen Specter thinks "I'm so glad I don't have to 'make nice' with that bunch!"
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Richardxx
January 9, 2010 11:43 AM in reply to Elizabeth2
Interesting. Just like Bush/Cheney, Steele was elected and can't be fired.
Well, not exactly like Bush/Cheney. Steele actually WON his election.
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jsdc007
January 8, 2010 3:51 PM
Why does it even matter? He'd have gone on ABC and said "9-11 didn't happen during GWB's tenure" (like every GOP half wit and liar nowadays - Dana Periino, Mary Matalin, Rudy Guiliani) and ABC wouldn't have questioned him on it. Maybe they had enough 9-11 deniers for a week.
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ariseatex
January 8, 2010 3:53 PM
It'd be funny if this was related to Gibbs' announcement today that the State of the Union would not be on February 2nd (pre-empting the season premiere of Lost) as had been rumored the past few days.
http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/huzzah-wh-says-obama-state-union-wont-pre-empt-lost-12681
Two ABC & DC related stories released around the same time? Maybe Steele was banking on all the disaffected Lost fans voting Republican to get back at Obama.
Long shot, I know, but let's face it, it makes more sense than some of the other stuff he's done.
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lousgirl84
January 8, 2010 4:01 PM in reply to ariseatex
Are you serious? They postponed the SOU address for Lost. Give me a fucking break!!
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ariseatex
January 8, 2010 4:04 PM in reply to lousgirl84
No confirmation that it was specifically related to Lost, just a statement by the press secretary that the SOTU would not be on February 2nd. The date had never been set, but there was talk that it would be that day.
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Bloggin
January 8, 2010 3:55 PM
Oh no. They can't fire him. He's the only 'black/minority' face the GOP have in the party so they don't give the 'perception' of being a racist group. But at this point, since the KKK/Tea Bag Party is taking over, it's a non-issue.
When all Steele did was 'do as they do', and not as they say...like all the rest of the GOP.
Maybe he cancelled the interview for a trip to C Street for the quick and easy 'forgiveness' they offer. Then everything will be just fine.
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Seafarer
January 8, 2010 4:11 PM
MICHELLE BACHMANN FOR RNC CHAIRWOMAN
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Bloggin
January 8, 2010 4:14 PM
Steele/Palin 2012
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commie atheist
January 8, 2010 5:37 PM in reply to Bloggin
No, Palin/Steele 2012!!! Queen Sarah ain't gonna play second fiddle ever again, and especially not to someone of a darker hue.
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Sexxybeast1973
January 8, 2010 11:14 PM
I vote Michael " what up" Steele as "undercover brother" of the year!!
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larryman
January 9, 2010 3:21 AM
Steele is what we in the human resources dodge call "the diversity hire." The dems had a black guy; the republicans wanted one, too. But we insisted our black guy be smart. The republicans just needed theirs to be black. And black he is. But none too smart.
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margaret
January 9, 2010 9:59 AM in reply to larryman
Just like we had Hilary, so they went and got themselves a woman. The problem is the only GOP women around are airheads.
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Knothead Jake
January 10, 2010 6:34 PM
I agree with Doofus, Alan Keyes would be excellent. He's everything a Democrat wants in a Repubtard.And to have Steele out there dejected, lurking about with Sarah Palin. Crazy Town, WoW.
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