Internal GOP Fight Over Next RNC Chair

UPDATE: Newt Gingrich denies reports of a fight and bows out of the race for RNC chair. Fox News reports:

Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland, has decided to run for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee and is in talks with Newt Gingrich to win the former House speaker's endorsement, FOX News learned Tuesday.

Steele declined to comment, but a source close to the situation said Steele would announce his candidacy as early as Thursday.

The source also contradicted a report in Tuesday's Washington Times that Steele and Gingrich were competing for the RNC post.

"There is no fight," the source said. "This tension between Michael Steele and Newt Gingrich is totally fabricated and, in fact, Gingrich and Steele are working together to create a new strategy for the direction of the GOP."

In a statement issued by the former House speaker, Gingrich said he was not interested in seeking the post of Republican Party chairman.

"A number of people have asked me to consider running for Republican National Committee chair. They have been very flattering, and I am very honored by their support," he said.

"However, my job as an American first is to develop a tri-partisan approach to developing solutions for the challenges we face. I use the word tri-partisan to designate the concept of attracting Democrats, Republicans, and independents to solutions that unify most Americans."

The Washington Times reports:

A behind-the-scenes battle to take the reins of the Republican National Committee is taking off between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele.

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Neither man will acknowledge his interest in the post, but Republicans close to each are burning up the phone lines and firing off e-mails to fellow party members in an effort to oust RNC Chairman Mike Duncan in the wake of the second consecutive drubbing of Republican candidates at the polls.

The New York Times adds:

Mr. Duncan was installed by Mr. Bush, and the fight over his post reflects the effort by many party leaders to erase any remnant of the Bush legacy.

These struggles come as the party prepares for a broad ideological battle, in particular over how much to emphasize social issues like opposition to abortion rights and gay rights. Party leaders said the focus on those issues had constricted the party's appeal to moderate and independent voters more interested in jobs, health care, education and other issues that touch their lives in more concrete ways.

"We can't be obsessed with issues that are not the issues that are important to American voters," said Jim Greer, the Florida Republican chairman and a likely candidate for national party leader.

Across the party, Republicans described this period as one of the toughest in recent history, reflected by the scope of the losses last Tuesday but also by the recriminations that have gripped the party as it seeks to learn lessons from Mr. McCain's defeat and Mr. Bush's presidency.

...

The most important question for Republicans in both the House and the Senate -- and for the future Republican chairman -- is how forcefully to take on Mr. Obama once he becomes president. Richard N. Bond, a former Republican chairman, said he thought the Congressional Republicans would -- and should -- take on Mr. Obama aggressively. Mr. Bond suggested that Republicans should not be deterred by the enthusiasm inspired by Mr. Obama's election, which he argued would be transitory.

"When people wake up from their Bush hangovers, six months from now," Mr. Bond said, "it is my belief that they are not going to be buying into some of the things that Obama will potentially be doing. You have a real potential for these guys making a fundamental misjudgment of this election. They just didn't want George Bush anymore."

But Mr. Gingrich, a veteran of what turned out to be damaging Republican wars with President Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1994, cautioned against that, saying the party would be wiser to offer a broad idea of what it stood for and how it would lead the country, and pick its battles carefully.

Sam Stein wrote for the Huffington Post recently about the split within the Republican Party over how to work with President Obama.

Comments

[eden4barack08]

You know, Michael Steele, on Fixed Noise of course, one day said that it was awkward that Obama "could be about to become the next President, yet, he can't even pass a gov't security clearance.­.". I'm paraphrasing, but that was the jest of it. I mean of all the ridiculous things the right wing radio blowhards say, here's a supposedly "real" politician, a Lt Governor and all, elected, I suppose, and he goes on national TV with such false, scurrilous idiocy, looking and sounding soo damn unprofessional and dumb, and then the next day these fools are treated like sane, normal human beings, and politicians. It's appalling! 

Sorry, unrelated it may be, but I just had to get that out about that clown Steele. :)

[ThePoetryMan]

Newt Gingrich: "We Need To Be Honest About The Level Of Failure For The Past Eight Years"

Now, Newt?
Now?
Now you can be "honest" about your failures..­. AFTER losing?
If you had won would you be doing such "soul" searching?
Would you be groveling as you are now so that 2012 doesn't reflect 2008?
Or is it that you will once again pull the wool over the eyes of the people and yet again find it convenient to be dishonest?

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

This PATTERN of failure goes back beyond the EIGHT years of Bush-boy; it began with Gingrich/D­elay/Gramm­'s "contract ON America" back in the EARLY NINETIES..­..., AND

GINGRICH was in the THICK of the beginning of the ABSCESS!!! Hang him, too!

[openhand]

The GOP is bankrupt, their star was Reagan and this is what they have to say about him.

Christopher Hitchens on Reagan:
"He was as dumb as a stump."

President Nixon: What's your evaluation of Reagan after meeting him several times now.

Kissinger: Well, I think he's a--actually I think he's a pretty decent guy.

President Nixon: Oh, decent, no question, but his brains

Kissinger: Well, his brains, are negligible. I--

President Nixon: He's really pretty shallow, Henry.

Kissinger: He's shallow. He’s got no...he's an actor. He--When he gets a line he does it very well. He said, "Hell, people are remembered not for what they do, but for what they say. Can't you find a few good lines?" [Chuckles.­] That's really an actor's approach to foreign policy--to substantiv­e....

President Nixon: I've said a lot of good things, too, you know damn well.

Kissinger: Well, that too.

Later in the 24-minute-long discussion, the two discussed the possibility of Reagan running for president:

President Nixon: Can you think though, Henry, can you think, though, that Reagan with certain forces running in the direction could be sitting right here?

Kissinger: Inconceivable.

[kjstjohn]

Thanks for that. I was a student when Reagan was in office. I could not figure out why Brokaw would look at Reagan so adoringly. Reagan had star power galore, but no brain power. Why couldn't Brokaw see the difference?

[Shieldmaiden]

I hope they go even further to the right. Then they can lose for years to come.

[mamacat]

When I read that Newt et. al. are trying to devise a new strategy, I can't help thinking that they are doing nothing more than trying to come up with more plausible lies and smears. Good luck, America. With these guys as the loyal opposition, you are going to need it.

[johnmorgan]

You're right. What have they got to offer? More stealing from the poor and giving to the rich? They can't win elections by saying that, although that's what they really want to do. So--- they have to come up with new wedge issues, lies, hatred, and slander. For these guys, it's whatever works to get power. Nothing else matters.

[CR46]

Wasn't Newt bopping his girlfriend while he was married during the Clinton admin, while trying to get Bill impeached for a B. J.????

[mamacat]

You must be thinking of the other Newt Gingrich. You know, the one who used to be Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the one who tried to shut down the federal government as a tactic to bring down the Presidency of Bill Clinton. This Newt Gingrich is a patriot and an America-Firster, not a hypocrite and a near-sighted political strategist.

[rebelrebel]

Most conservatives are now saying that they lost because they weren't conservative enough. If the GOP accepts this view, they can expect to remain out of power for a while longer. Most people aren't that interested in ideology; they want results.

If Obama is unable to stabilize the economy, both he and the Democrats in Congress will see a backlash. However if they get things done that most people want --- reviving the economy, stimulating job growth, putting people back to work, and can pass a decent health care plan ---- most voters won't care about who's true to liberal or conservative ideals.

The Republicans lost because for eight years they did more and more things that people did not want (for example, invading Iraq and then bungling it).

There are plenty of single-issue voters out there but they are far outnumbered by independent swing voters, who are more pragmatic. Ideas are very nice, but again, it's results that count.

[ramal]

Why stop at the last eight years regarding failure? Let's take it back to 1981 and the Reagan Presidency.

[Curt]

" This is still a center right country! "
" We lost because of Boosh! "
" We lost because of the economy! "
" We couldn't turn out our base"

WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!

Don't face up to the fact that you lost because the better man won. Please keep crying and don't face reality.
Don't find solutions, after all this election was about personality and not on the issues.
Make succubusara your model.
It's all about social issues!
Listen to Neewwwt, russssh, and Steeelee. They have a winning record.
Blame O for the economy. Blame everybody and deny that your party had any involvement.
Remind people that it was president #42's fault that we didn't capture you know who.
People will forget that you held the majority.
2006 and 2008 were flukes!

Trust me on this it's a winning formula for your comeback.

[Cedman]

I have to admit that Newt is right. I was completely annoyed by the GOP's inability to assume full responsibility for how badly they screwed up this country. They ran a campaign based on the American people being stupid or suffering from amnesia. They are getting and will continue to get their azzes handed to them for the foreseeable future.

[BruceHNV]

Newt doesn't want to be honest about that.

He want's to be "honest" about the need for better messaging. Don't imagine for a moment the republicans will accept blame for the damage they have done, nor that they will ever acknowledge the bankruptcy of their ideology.

[Judyisacutie]

Hey, that guy's not Obama! RNC is still at its gimmicks. "You want a black guy? We got a black guy. Want a minority? Want a woman?" No. We want jobs, health care, education, home ownership, peace, clean energy, lower national debt, a brighter future. We don't care if that comes in a skirt or pants or wears a tan or not.

How 'bout a new slogan for you guys:

"The RNC. We still don't get it."

[Georgia1992]

Well said. The GOP doesn't get it.

[btanner]

I believe that the world would keep getting better and better each time the GOP moves to the right. ;-)

[repugnicansfearme]

how can newtie gingrich look at palin and think their party is anything but a laughingstock? Have you seen the interviews she has done lately? Talk about lowering the bar! They buried the bar.

[Sparty1]

Michael Steele is just trying to get in when the getting's good. After the way he was treated by the Repubs when he ran for the Maryland senate seat, I wouldn't have looked back EVER! I see you Michael, playing on Obama's whirlwind and thinking that the Repub party may look at you the same way. It ain't gonna happen Michael, no matter how bad you want it. You're in the WRONG party!

[Georgia1992]

So you also noticed M. Steele playing on Obama's whirlwind? I wish many of my African-Americans Repubs would cross over and get out of the WRONG party. They don't like the Dems policies, but they went to the polls (silently) and voted for Obama/Biden. Oh yes!

[majorteddy]

I do not understand why one black person would vote for the Republican Party , with all it's hatred and underlying suggestive advertising putting down black people.

[IntelligentDesign]

GOP still needs to weather the Iraq war crimes trials, where many of the party elite are likely to be found guilty and many big names are likely to be found implicit enablers - in other words the GOP may not even survive as a going institution.