Michael Steele

Michael Steele Faces Off Against The Daily Show's Puppet Michael Steele (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | February 2, 2011, 10:38AM

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared on the Daily Show last night -- both of him!

"Wait a minute," Jon Stewart said at the start of the interview. "You're not Michael Steele."

"What?" Steele responded.

"We've had Michael Steele on the show, like, five times," said Stewart. "I don't -- you look -- you're not him."

"Jon, Jon, I can assure you -- I'm Michael Steele."

"I have to tell you," Stewart began -- only to be interrupted by the blue Sesame Street puppet that the Daily Show used during Steele's tenure at the RNC, voiced by a rhyming, jive-talking Wyatt Cenac.

"Yeah sorry I'm late, Watergate," said Puppet Michael Steele. "Who's this extremely handsome gentleman?"

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RNC

Priebus: RNC's True Finances Even Worse Than Our FEC Report Says

Eric Kleefeld | February 1, 2011, 1:06PM

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus

Newly-elected Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is putting all the bad news right out there. With the RNC releasing a year-end federal report showing over $21 million in debt, he simultaneously put out a statement saying that fully-adjusted numbers would ultimately show that it's even worse -- that is, he has an even bigger hole to dig out of.

"While the year-end FEC report reveals the Republican National Committee is $21 million in debt, I believe it is best to get out all the facts as we know them associated with our financial position," Priebus said in a statement. "To date, the committee has approximately $23 million in debt: $15 million in loans, and $8 million owed to vendors."

Priebus also implicitly put the blame on his predecessor as chairman, Michael Steele, who he defeated this past January. In the statement, Priebus says that prior fundraising operations were very inefficient:

"The RNC transition team is committed to improving the committee's financial situation in two areas: lowering costs of raising small donations and restoring the trust of major donors in the Republican Party. The RNC did raise nearly $105 million in 2010 mainly through low-dollar solicitations online and in the mail, but the costs to raise it were simply too high at approximately 64 cents for every dollar raised. Even more troubling, our major donor programs are at 10-year lows.

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Jon Stewart

Non-Puppet Michael Steele To Appear On The Daily Show Tuesday

Jillian Rayfield | January 31, 2011, 1:05PM

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele is heading to The Daily Show Tuesday night, and will perhaps face-off with the now-retired puppet version of himself, modeled after Mr. Johnson, the blue muppet from Sesame Street who sends his soup back at Grover's restaurant.

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Pres '12

Steele: Obama Vs. Gingrich Would Be 'Fascinating To Watch' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 28, 2011, 10:08AM

Michael Steele

In an appearance on the Rachel Maddow show last night, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele seemed to offer a quasi-endorsement of former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) for the Republican nomination in 2012 -- if only because Steele, who seems to have transitioned into pundit mode, thought it would be really interesting.

Maddow was discussing with Steele how so many of the prospective candidates for president are former officeholders and current personalities, with Maddow wondering whether this was an easier thing to do than to face scrutiny over their policies and actions in government. (Health care reform for Mitt Romney, raising taxes for Mike Huckabee, ethical issues for Sarah Palin.)

Steele responded. "You know, I think the reality of it is, the gauntlet that they'll have to go through is obviously one that's gonna have a high degree of scrutiny -- you know, their past service. And there will be a lot of crazy noise that's brought up about, you know, a decision made here, or an action taken there," he said. "But at the end of the day, they're going to have to communicate, whether it's a Newt Gingrich -- and I'll tell you quite honestly, I would love to see a Newt Gingrich-Barack Obama debate. That intellectual stimulation there would be fascinating to watch."

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RNC

Priebus Assembling RNC Finance Operation -- And Replacing Steele Aides

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2011, 1:33PM

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus

Newly-elected Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus is already busy at work, on such issues as fundraising and party organization -- and turning the page from predecessor Michael Steele, who he defeated for re-election last week.

"I have no goal to become ... some cable TV rock star," Priebus told USA Today. "I'm the guy from Wisconsin. I'm somebody who is willing to work like a dog."

And, it seems, part of working like a dog means getting rid of the people who worked for Michael Steele.

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RNC

Steele: 'From The Very Beginning' There Were Calls For My Resignation (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 21, 2011, 10:10AM

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared last night on the Rachel Maddow show, offered a vociferous defense of his performance as chairman -- and said how some people had opposed his style of managing the party from the very beginning.

In her introduction, Maddow discussed the immediate scheming that occurred against Steele, and how right-wing media outlets such as the Washington Times quickly began agitating for his ouster.

"I think you nailed it pretty well," Steele said, "that, you know, from the very beginning, literally within the first 30 days of my being on the job, there were calls for my resignation. Now, I don't know how one does -- how you screw up so badly in 30 days on a job that they want to get rid of you when you don't even know where the washrooms are.

"But clearly, there was -- there was a distinctive style issue for me. I mean, I'm a very, you know, grassroots guy. I'm very oriented on being in the neighborhoods and communities," Steele said. "My first venture out of Washington was to Harlem. And I remember a member asked me, why are you going to Harlem as RNC chairman? I said, because there are votes there. Let's take our message to the people."

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Michael Steele

Michael Steele Claims His RNC Was 'A Very Lean Machine' (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | January 20, 2011, 9:30AM

Michael Steele

Recently ousted Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele -- who oversaw the organization's expenditures at bondage-themed restaurants, its plunge into $22 million in debt and a bare bones fundraising effort -- claimed Wednesday his RNC was "a very lean machine."

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RNC

Priebus's New Team Includes Ed Gillespie, Henry Barbour

Eric Kleefeld | January 19, 2011, 2:14PM

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus

Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus officially announced today the line-up for his transition team, with a clear message that the RNC wants to put the controversies of the Michael Steele years behind them -- or, in the press release's words, "implementing the plan to restore faith in Republican donors and communicate with the American public."

Notably on the team are Ed Gillespie, a former RNC chairman during President George W. Bush's first term, and Henry Barbour, an RNC member from Mississippi -- and a nephew of Gov. Haley Barbour, who for his part is also a potential presidential candidate and a former RNC chairman.

"When I ran for Chairman of the RNC, I promised to make changes and begin the outreach process with key Republican donors," Priebus said in the press release. "Today, I am honored to announce the team that will help ensure Republicans have a top-notch ground game in the 2012 election cycle. Together, we will build on our success in 2010 and take back the White House and the United States Senate."

Michael Steele

Steele Blasts Priebus For Betrayal: 'I Know Exactly How Caesar Felt'

Eric Kleefeld | January 19, 2011, 10:13AM

Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele sat down for an interview with Tim Mak of FrumForum, to defend his record after he was defeated for re-election last week. And for Steele, one sore point seems to be the victory of the new RNC Chairman Reince Priebus -- a former seeming ally of his, who then turned on him.

Mak reports:

"I know exactly how Caesar felt," Steele says, without a hint of irony. "It is what it is." He claims that Priebus had been planning to defect for six, seven, eight months before announcing a bid for the chairmanship. Steele was blindsided. "I trust my friends. Well, I guess the adage is right. In Washington, you should get a dog...We put a lot of resources in Wisconsin over the last two years...that's what you do for [the] team."

Steele is referring to the assassination of Julius Caeasr, who was stabbed by group of Roman senators that included his great friend and ally Brutus. According to legend, Caesar said to Brutus, "Et Tu, Brute?" -- "And you, Brutus?"

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Jon Stewart

Daily Show Bids Farewell To Puppet Michael Steele (VIDEO)

David Taintor | January 18, 2011, 10:42AM

Jon Stewart

Just days after Republicans elected Reince Priebus as the Republican National Committee's new chairman, Jon Stewart last night welcomed puppet Michael Steele to The Daily Show, one last time.

Puppet Steele has a rich history with The Daily Show, and the real Steele, of course, has his own record of gaffes.

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Chris Matthews

Steele Stands By Record On Hardball -- Without Gaffes! (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 17, 2011, 5:40PM

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who was defeated for re-election at the party's meeting just this past Friday, is now popping up again on cable TV. And in an appearance this afternoon on Hardball, the previously gaffe-tastic Steele was...a remarkably level-headed pundit, with the weight of the RNC taken off his shoulders.

At one point, Steele defended his fundraising record. "Well we raised enough money. $192 million is a lot money," said Steele. "And a lot of folks want to sneeze at that. That's a lot of money -- at least in my neighborhood, I don't know about anybody else's. (Laughs.)"

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Michael Steele

RNC Chairman's Race, Round Five Goes To Priebus

Brian Beutler | January 14, 2011, 4:16PM

Reince Priebus and Michael Steele

After ballot five, some real movement.

The overall tally, in descending order:

Priebus: 67
Cino: 40
Wagner: 28
Anuzis: 32
Anonymous, Ineligible Write-In: 1

Steele's bid to throw support to Maria Cino doesn't seem to have worked out exactly as he planned. Instead it appears that under half of his supporters broke for Cino, the rest for Priebus. Now Priebus is really closing in on the magic number, 85. It's a question of whether Wagner and Anuzis supporters accept him as Steele's successor, or decide to play queenmaker for Cino.

Michael Steele

Steele Drops Out, Endorses Cino (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | January 14, 2011, 3:55PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

Michael Steele just dropped out of his race for a second term as RNC chairman and threw his support to Maria Cino, who came in second place after the fourth ballot here at the GOP's winter meeting in National Harbor, MD.

"I will step aside because I think the party is ready for something different," Steele said.

Thus ended Steele's at times disastrous, at times hilarious, at times gobsmacking tenure as the face of the Republican party.

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Michael Steele

RNC Chairman's Race, Round Four Goes To Priebus

Brian Beutler | January 14, 2011, 3:41PM

Michael Steele

The fourth ballot has been counted in the RNC Chairman's race, and we're still stuck, with Priebus enjoying a modest, but by no means overwhelming lead.

The overall tally, in descending order:

Priebus: 58
Cino: 29
Steele: 28
Wagner: 28
Anuzis: 24
Anonymous Write-In: 1

Priebus enjoys a small, four vote gain. If somebody doesn't drop out soon and endorse him, we're in for a long night. Speculation is that Steele will throw his support to Wagner, which would put her in a dead heat with Priebus. Stay tuned.

Michael Steele

RNC Chairman's Race, Round Three Goes To Priebus

Brian Beutler | January 14, 2011, 3:05PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

The third ballot has been cast in the RNC Chairman's race, and the winner, again, is Reince Priebus, with 54 votes.

The overall tally, in descending order:

Priebus: 54
Steele: 33
Wagner: 32
Cino: 28
Anuzis: 21

Strange results. Cino's lost all momentum, and Wagner's slowly climbing, but Priebus isn't building on his lead.

Michael Steele

RNC Chairman's Race, Round Two Goes To Priebus

Brian Beutler | January 14, 2011, 2:26PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

The second ballot has been cast in the RNC Chairman's race, and the winner, again, is Reince Priebus, with 52 votes.

The overall tally, in descending order:

Priebus: 52
Steele: 37
Cino: 30
Wagner: 27
Anuzis: 22

Maria Cino underperformed compared to round one, which will fuel speculation that Priebus parked some votes with her to set her up as his mano-a-mano opponent. This is just one of many unsourced lines of speculation floating around the convention center, bu it's got plenty of traction. Steele, predictably, is sinking quickly -- he lost seven votes between the first and second rounds.

Michael Steele

The Results Are Anyone's Guess As RNC Chair Election Kicks Off

Brian Beutler | January 14, 2011, 12:38PM

Reince Priebus and Michael Steele

The RNC chairman's election will commence momentarily, and members are expected to pick a replacement for Michael Steele. But the arcane rules of the committee's election process allow Steele to remain in contention as long as he wants.

Here's the intelligence we have so far.

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RNC

Thanks For All The Gaffes! Michael Steele's Two Years At The RNC

Eric Kleefeld | January 14, 2011, 8:44AM

Michael Steele

The end is near, and now he faces the final curtain -- but Michael Steele has sure done it his way.

The Republican National Committee is holding its election for chair today, with the incumbent Chairman Steele widely expected to lose. He may very well put in a strong showing on the first ballot, though just about everyone expects opposition to him to eventually unify around a single opponent -- such as Wisconsin GOP chair Reince Priebus, the frontrunner in terms of publicly committed votes.

So let's have a look back at Steele's tenure at the RNC. If there is one consistent theme to Steele's gaffes, it is this: A desire to please the immediate audience that he is talking to at a given moment, without regard for the wider audience of the whole American political class that is watching. In particular, during Steele's various efforts at party outreach, when a person will criticize the GOP for some flaw, he will agree with the initial criticism before trying to discuss how we can all come together to fix the problem. But int he end, people only notice the agreement -- that is, putting down the party, or contradicting it on some key point -- without the benefit of actually winning over the converts.

So with that in mind, let's take a look at 10 great gaffes from Steele's tenure at the RNC. There have been many, of course -- but these are doozies.

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RNC

Facing Near-Term Shortfall, RNC Raises Its Own Debt Ceiling

Brian Beutler | January 13, 2011, 2:37PM

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele

Whoever wins the RNC chairmanship tomorrow will inherit a committee deeply in debt. According to Reid Wilson of The Hotline, the party faces more than $21.8 million in outstanding debt as of the end of 2010.

But in an ironic twist, the RNC basically raised its own debt ceiling. The committee was scheduled to make a $5 million payment on its debt by the end of February, but has been granted a significant reprieve.

At its winter meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, a hurried RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen confirmed to me the party had "negotiated an extension from the bank for one year," on its debt.

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RNC

Will Reince Priebus Surge To The RNC Chairmanship?

Eric Kleefeld | January 13, 2011, 10:38AM

Reince Priebus and Michael Steele

The Republican National Committee is set to meet Friday to elect its chairman -- and from the looks of things, incumbent RNC Chair Michael Steele's history of gaffes, combined with the party's recent financial problems, will doom him at the vote. But can Wisconsin GOP Chair Reince Priebus, the frontrunner headed into the vote, seal things up?

In the latest count from National Journal, Priebus has 40 committed votes, Steele 17 -- a truly awful place for an incumbent to be -- former Missouri GOP chair Ann Wagner 15, former Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis 14, and former Deputy RNC chair Maria Cino 12.

This is not to say that Priebus has it locked up -- far from it, when one takes into account that the single largest group are the 70 committee members who have not publicly declared a choice. As a percentage, then, Priebus is at 24%, Steele at only 10%, Wagner 9%, Anuzis 8%, and Cino 7%, with "uncommitted" in the lead at 42%.

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Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart Lampoons The RNC Chair Debate (VIDEO)

David Taintor | January 5, 2011, 11:26AM

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart last night lampooned Monday's Republican National Committee chair debate, highlighting some of the candidates' better gaffes.

Stewart began by critiquing Ann Wagner's wardrobe. "Wagner, what are you doing?" Stewart asked. "The lady Dole train left the station in 2008. These are Palin days!" He then performed an impromptu makeover, adding some bangs, a flag lapel pin and a leather jacket, among other things.

"You just got grizzlied!" he added.

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RNC

Michael Steele Tells TPM: GOP 'Purists' Could Help Obama In 2012

Evan McMorris-Santoro | January 3, 2011, 5:00PM

Michael Steele

Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele says a growing call by conservatives to purify the GOP from views that differ from their own could make life a lot easier for President Obama in 2012.

Steele was the star attraction at today's RNC chair debate sponsored by Grover Norquist's Americans For Tax Reform group, the Daily Caller and the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List. For about 90 minutes, Steele joined a panel of four others intent on taking his job when the RNC's 168 voting members convene later this month for their annual winter meeting. As expected, much of the talk was about fundraising, with each candidate in turn promising to rake in the gobs of cash the party will need to take on Obama (and try to flip the Senate while they're at it) in two years. But there was a surprising amount of philosophizing mixed in with the money talk. Candidates weighed in on what a Republican is, who counts as a Republican and what role the RNC should take in enforcing Republicanism.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Michael Steele's Summer Vacation: Elect Republicans, Then Reelect Me!]

All the candidates were willing to say that being a Republican is more than just saying "I'm Republican." But while the challengers seemed to agree that some kind of litmus test was not only possible but probably necessary to keep the GOP from wasting money on candidates who weren't with the program, Steele implored his party to keep the tent doors flung open to all comers. Steele, who was one of the establishment figures on the inside taking fire from conservatives as Washington leaders attempted to select candidates in primaries last year, called talk of a litmus test "very dangerous" and suggested that closing the tent doors at the GOP was the first step toward political oblivion for Republicans.

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RNC

Ann Wagner Owns Way More Guns Than Other RNC Chair Candidates (VIDEO)

David Taintor | January 3, 2011, 4:41PM

Ann Wagner

Republican National Committee chair candidate Ann Wagner blew away the competition when Grover Norquist asked each candidate at today's debate how many guns they own.

"About 16," replied Wagner, whose family actually just got a new gun case for Christmas.

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RNC

Ann Wagner Names Favorite Bar -- Not Book -- At RNC Chair Debate (VIDEO)

David Taintor | January 3, 2011, 3:37PM

Ann Wagner

The candidates for chairman of the Republican National Committee are a literate bunch. And when asked to name their favorite book, their answers were revealing, to say the least.

Maria Cino's favorite is the classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Reince Priebus named The Reagan Diaries as his first choice. And current RNC Chairman Michael Steele's favorite is War and Peace.

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RNC

RNC Candidates: We Heart Fighting Voter Fraud

Eric Kleefeld | January 3, 2011, 3:15PM

This afternoon's RNC chairmanship debate saw the candidates being asked what they would do about a perennial issue that is near and dear to GOP hearts: The threat of alleged Democratic voter fraud.

As you probably know, voter fraud is a frequent complaint among Republicans, motivating their efforts to enact laws such as voter-identification, and to dispatch poll-watchers to precincts in (heavily Democratic) urban areas. At the other end of the spectrum, Democrats are quick to point out that very few voter-fraud prosecutions ever actually take place, and that the GOP's efforts would have a great impact of making it harder for lower-class and minority demographics to vote.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Michael Steele's Summer Vacation: Elect Republicans, Then Reelect Me!]

Reince Priebus was first. "Well that's a good question for me, because I was chairman when we sued our Government Accountability Board in the state of Wisconsin over our non-compliance with an eight-year-old HAVA [Help America Vote Act] law," said Priebus, who then criticized the very open voting system in his state. "We are one of the few states in the entire country, in Wisconsin, where you can actually vote on Election Day without registering. And you can also vote without any picture identification at all. So our challenges in Wisconsin are astronomical."

He also added: "I think we need to win more races in the legislature so we can pass photo ID in all states, and make sure that we either have photo ID or real ID, or some method of protecting our constitutional right to vote in this country. And I think it has to be a top priority of the next chairman."

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RNC

Steele Opposes GOP Litmus Test -- Priebus Backs It

Eric Kleefeld | January 3, 2011, 2:23PM

In a fun moment at the RNC chairmanship debate, incumbent Chairman Michael Steele and Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus took very different positions on whether the party should have issue litmus tests for candidates -- and both got some good applause for their position.

The candidates were asked a question about what sort of non-conservative issue position a candidate could have which would cause them to not be welcomed as a Republican. Ann Wagner and Maria Cino both gave more general answers about how candidates should uphold all the party's core beliefs, while Saul Anuzis was a bit more open to differences -- though he said that a prospective GOP candidate should be with the party 80 percent of the time or more.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Michael Steele's Summer Vacation: Elect Republicans, Then Reelect Me!]

Then Steele chimed in, coming out strongly against drawing such a hard line.

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Michael Steele

Steele At Debate: 'I Don't See The Crisis' At RNC (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 3, 2011, 1:39PM

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is facing his four opponents at the RNC chair debate today -- and in his opening remarks, he set out to tell the tough crowd how hard he has worked in the past two years' successful effort to improve the party's fortunes.

Steele is widely tipped to lose his re-election campaign, due to the party's large debts and his history of making gaffes. But at the debate, he opened up by saying just how badly off the party was when he first found it.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Michael Steele's Summer Vacation: Elect Republicans, Then Reelect Me!]

"When I began this job in 2009, we couldn't find anyone to say they were a Republican, let alone run for one," Steele said. "We couldn't find people who actually believed that we could do it, that we still had value. Time magazine claimed that we were an endangered species in 2009 -- not that long ago.

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RNC

Former Steele Aide Gentry Collins Quits RNC Chairmanship Race

Eric Kleefeld | January 2, 2011, 9:59PM

Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele

On the eve of Monday's debate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, one of the candidates has now dropped out: Former RNC political director Gentry Collins who quit his post in November, and publicly attacked incumbent Chairman Michael Steele in a scathing letter.

Collins launched his RNC chair bid shortly afterward, but ultimately garnered the public support of only three committee members so far, out of a pool of 168 voters.

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RNC

With Priebus Surging, Is Michael Steele Heading For A Big Loss?

Eric Kleefeld | December 31, 2010, 8:54AM

The race for the Republican National Committee chairmanship is heating up -- with Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus now having emerged as the frontrunner to defeat the incumbent Chairman Michael Steele.

The next big event to watch is this Monday, January 3, when the candidates will meet for a debate hosted by Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform.

In many ways, it seems odd that Steele could very well lose, after a cycle in which the GOP made big gains in offices large and small. And if there's one thing we've learned about Steele, it's that he has an impressive ability to weather scandals and gaffes that would fell others. But now, after all those gaffes and scandals, his opponents are now striking back in the open at election time.

Steele faces a crowded field of challengers that includes: Priebus, a former Steele ally whose smashing success at painting his state red this year has helped him shoot to the top; former Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis (also a previous 2009 RNC candidate, and the first challenger to get in this time); former Bush Administration official Maria Cino (who has been endorsed by Dick Cheney); former Missouri GOP chair Ann Wagner; and to top it all off, former high-ranking Steele aide Gentry Collins.

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RNC

Race Recriminations Pop Up In RNC Election

Eric Kleefeld | December 27, 2010, 10:08AM

Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele

The Republican National Committee chairmanship race is on -- and so are the recriminations on race, Jonathan Martin reports.

When Steele officially launched his re-election bid earlier this month, he said of the contest: "Who you elect as our next Chairman will speak volumes about our willingness to truly be the party of Lincoln."

This line was immediately attacked by a Steele detractor, committeeman James Bopp of Indiana: "This is the threat he has made by playing the race card - he will smear the RNC by saying we are all racist by not voting for him."

Now Bopp is jousting with a Steele-supporter, Idaho GOP chairman and Steele-supporter Norm Semanko, who is calling the blanket anybody-but-Steele campaign launched by Bopp and others "hateful."

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Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart Brings Back Puppet Michael Steele (VIDEO)

David Taintor | December 16, 2010, 10:29AM

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart last night found it hard to believe that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele -- who announced this week he will seek reelection -- is really much of a "street guy."

"Street?!" Stewart said. "You live in an affluent suburb in Maryland. The only street you remind people of is Sesame Street."

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Michael Steele

Steele: Establishment Doesn't Like Me Because 'I'm A Street Guy' (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 13, 2010, 11:18PM

RNC chairman Michael Steele

Michael Steele is down but he's not out. Shortly after informing the 168 voting members of the Republican National Committee that he'll be running for second term as RNC chair, Steele stopped off at Fox News to explain his decision.

Fox host Greta Van Susteren asked Steele why so many of his compatriots in the Republican party don't want him to run again -- even after the GOP's epic wins on Nov. 2. Steele explained that he's just a little too real for the establishment figures lining up to replace him at the head of the RNC. (Steele's opponents might point to the virtually unending series of gaffes and money scandals that have plagued his term at the RNC, but Steele didn't mention that.)

"My style is a little bit different than most conventional party chairmen," Steele explained. "My style is more grassroots oriented, I'm much more of a street guy."

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RNC

Michael Steele Could Announce Bid For Second RNC Term Tomorrow

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 12, 2010, 1:06PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

According to multiple reports this morning, embattled Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele could finally make it publicly known whether or not he intends to seek a second term.

In an email sent to RNC voting members send last night, Steele announced a "private conference call" for the GOP leaders nationwide who will determine who leads the RNC for the next two years.

Steele has yet to announce whether he'll seek a second term as the field of Republicans interested in replacing him fills up. Politico reports "key supporters" of Steele expect he'll decline to run again.

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RNC

RNC Reveals $4 Million More In Debt

Eric Kleefeld | December 9, 2010, 11:21AM

RNC Chair Michael Steele

In a possible further blow to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's hopes for re-election, the RNC has revealed to the Federal Election Commission in amended filings that its debts are $4 million higher than had previously been reported.

ABC News reports:

In a letter to the FEC Wednesday, RNC official Boyd Rutherford said the unreported money woes "were discovered during a self-initiated internal review process, which was undertaken in connection with the arrival of a new Chief of Staff and Finance Director."

The additional debt numbers only add to earlier reports that the RNC was not fully disclosing its unmet financial obligations. In July, ABC News and others reported that the RNC had failed to report more than $7 million in debt to the FEC in what some alleged was an attempt to make the party appear to be in better shape than it was.

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RNC

Preibus Wins Key Endorsement In RNC Bid

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 7, 2010, 4:17PM

Reince Priebus

Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Wisconsin GOP and the latest entrant into the crowded field of Republicans seeking to replace Michael Steele as chair of the Republican National Committee, just snagged a big name endorsement, CNN's Peter Hamby reports. Henry Barbour, RNC member from Mississippi and nephew of the state's governor, sent an email to the 168 voting members of the committee praising Priebus' tenure as RNC general counsel, a job he resigned this weekend.

"Let's face it, that was a tough job and he did as well as reasonably can be expected," Barbour wrote of Priebus. "He was always fair-minded, candid and inclusive with members. I also believe Reince was one of the few people in the inner circle who talked straight with Chairman Steele when he disagreed with him."

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RNC

Former Steele Backer To Make His Own Run For RNC Chair

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 6, 2010, 12:46PM

Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus

Ending widespread speculation today, Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus has thrown his hat into the ring to be the next chair of the Republican National Committee. Priebus -- a key backer of current chair Michael Steele's 2009 election to head the RNC and until this weekend a powerful member of Steele's staff -- sent a letter to RNC members today announcing his campaign to run for chair and taking a swipe at Steele, the man he helped take the reigns at the RNC a little less than two years ago.

"The RNC must be at its best during this next election cycle. There is too much at risk for our Party and, more importantly, for our country. That is why I am running for Chairman," Priebus wrote in his letter, according to the Hotline. "It is not just about fundraising. It is not just about communicating our message. It is not just about standing up for our conservative values and party platform. It is not just about putting together successful victory programs. It must be all those things to win in 2012."