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

[Tom Joad]

oh, NOW they should be honest about the failures of the last 8 years.

[tbone99]

if they were honest , wouldn't there be some mass suicides?

[ENOS]

hmm. maybe thats what all the gun purchases are about?

[MadxAsxHell]

"Newt Gingrich: "We Need To Be Honest ." And then tried to blame the Republican crash-and-burn in the election and in their leadership of the USA on incompetence in the White House, rather than on the bankruptcy of their ideas. Gingrich still thinks the IDEAS that Bush enacted are fine, just that Bush was incompetent at bringing them about.

This is, of course, a lie. America rejected Republicanism as it currently stands, which Gingrich helped build. It doesn't matter WHO was in the White House from the right wing of the GOP--we'd be in this mess anyway because THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE CURRENT REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE WRONG! and have been blatantly, clearly proven wrong over the last 8 years. Incompetence merely exacerbated that.

[IntelligentDesign]

The GOP is in year 3 of their fall from grace, and they have yet to understand or admit that they have no idea how to stop the bleeding - like a rogue bull elephant they will plow forward without a clue as to where they're going - at this pace, and if the Dems do an adequate job of governing, they will place themselves in a super minority for the next four election cycles - if they survive this wilderness journey they should be competitive again in 2024.

[BlueZoo]

Newt Gingrich? Are you kidding! If you are Republican, the last person on earth you should want to run the RNC is this man! Don't you Republican's realize that we're through with regressing in this country? Didn't you see why Obama was elected? We are going FORWARD! Newt Gingrich, Tom DeLay, John McCain and every other name you dredge up are the past! When the RNC disavows the neocons and evangelicals who hijacked your party, then and only then will you have a chance to advance your party!

[helmboy]

amazing isn't it that they just figured this happened because we hated bush. We hated him since 2000 but he stole enough elections to get in. THis is about change and they will NEVER EVER get it. Thank god.

[Hillrick]

Still trying to sell us a load of hooey. Same load too. Oh, and no fighting over here, just one happy party where everything goes as planned.

[txgal44]

"just one happy party" Amen.

[peacekitten]

perhaps newt can find some inspiration this way.......­...

http://wonkette.com/403920/jesus-people-pray-that-false-idol-will-save-gods-economy

[lornejl]

What a group of twisted freaks, seriously.

[peacekitten]

if there was any doubt that the right wing had lost its collective mind entirely, i think those photos and that story put it to rest. all you can do is look at those pictures with your jaw on the ground.

[pennsykid2000]

The following may help conservatives know what to expect in the coming months. The stages of Grief identified by Kubler-Ross are:
• Denial (this isn't happening to me!)
• Anger (why is this happening to me?)
• Bargaining (I promise I'll be a better person if...)
• Depression (I don't care anymore)
• Acceptance (I'm ready for whatever comes)
Most went through Denial before the election and now are well into Anger (now toward each other). They can see from the list of stages where they are headed next.

[Hillrick]

With this group it is more likely Plea bargaining­....

[GoBarryGo]

The reality about the grief cycle is that it isn't all neat and tidy and people don't necessarily go through the stages in order and, in fact, often repeat some stages on the way to acceptance. I suspect the GOP will just stay in an infinite loop and never really come out of it, but the spectacle of watching them just pathetically thrash about is definitely amusing.

[tbone99]

Actually I think the body is already starting to stink...

[Toonadude]

The opinion of every honest Republican in the United States was solicited on this point and they both agreed with Newt.

[NewArtz]

good one

[Bettysdad]

Newt might want to be honest about the failure of conservatism over the entirety of recorded history. They win once in a while for a short period, but over the long term, humanity is progressive.

[KarlaElisa]

While crayfishing I captured a Newt last summer. It was very anti social and committed suicide after only one day of being left with my left leaning pets.

[ginsushark]

Im not against republicans as a rule. but it would be nice if they offered a really really smart and reasonable alternative to the dems. we need two strong parties with intelligent and real solutions to debate and conversate.

republicans need to be true patriots and represent the good of the entire nation rather than certain constituents.

when they use intelligent but hyperbolic language to sell questionable selfish policies they come off as really creepy. equating a minor inconvenience on the purchase of handguns with a ban sounds paranoid - and nuerotic paranoids are not the sort of people one wants to own guns in general. calling any social safety net communism sounds ignorant and uneducated, and makes one question the intelligence of the policy maker using the language. it would be nice if they could kill that shizzle.

it would also be nice if they could live up to their ideals a bit more. if theryre social conservatives, thats great, they can lead by example. if theyre for small gov then they should never support the patriot act.

[JettaBostonian]

"A newt is any number of amphibians in the Salamandridae family (order Caudata), found in North America, Europe and Asia. The larvae leave the water as a terrestrial form called an eft, returning to the water when mature to live or to breed. The adult form has a lizard-like body and is either aquatic or semi-aquat­ic."

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

You are quite the scientist, just like another famous Bostonian--Ben Franklin.

And quite the smarty pants! ;)

[parrotkisser]

He is swimming against the tide.
Aren't lizards kind of slim tho?

[BruceHNV]

Hopefully, Republicans will not wake up to the fact that they are victims of their own success:

Who does not believe in government should not attempt to govern. As they deny government has legitimate purposes, they use it for illegitmate ones. Were government to succeed, their painting it as "the problem" would fail.

No, in their minds, people don't need government, but values - their values:

Orthodoxy over rationality
loyalty over competence
ideology over practicality
power over service
force over dialogue
revenge over justice
punishment over rehabilitation
"morality" over sense
patriotism before self-examination
Idealized "good old days" rather than history
establishment rights over civil rights
self interest over the common good
fear and division over common cause
What's good for business is good for all
profits over value
all government is bad, and all private enterprise is good
religious morals are senior to sound policy
dissent is dangerous
differences with our opinions are evil
the solution to an objectionable government is war
in war, we are always blameless

What went wrong is that their entire value system was put into practice, first to elect W, and then throughout his presidency. It produced the only result it could have - chaos. They complain that conservative orthodoxy wasn't fully implemented enough, but it was too fully implemented.

Their real actions failed to obtain an imaginary result - and all they can think of is: "How can we package this so it will sell better?"

[tbone99]

You forget to add;
Christians above all
men over women
whites over non whites
and
everybody over "girly men"

[FairTalk]

Well said.

[tbone99]

In other words the Repugs are saying no matter how bi- partisian Obama tries to be , they have absolutely NO INTENTION of meeting him anywhere.on any issues. . Given that, why should the Dems do all the reaching out?

[bearcck]

When did Newt suddenly become relevant? He has not been relevant for the last 20 years and 3 mariages ago! Please don't tell me he's trying for a comeback!

Newt...you and your good old boy mindset is why the Republican Party cannot comeback..­...look to the next generation and step aside....P­LEASE! Boehner, McCain, Gingrich, Limbaugh..­...it is over and you can't let go! Time for the younger republicans to decide your parties future....­and by the way...it is not Sarah Palin....g­ot something else! If not start looking.

[GrouchoMarxist]

Reagan wasn't available.

[MIMom]

When they ran out of recognizable names?

[enlighteninglad]

Along these lines I saw Tom Delay the other day on Chris Matthews. What's up with that? This guy belongs in jail and Matthews is interviewing him as if he's got any credibility left. I dont' get it, really. But it is symbolic of the Republican party I guess. Criminal losers.

[BWonka]

When did Newt suddenly become relevant?

When they realized they didn't have anyone else?

[tbone99]

They say cockroaches will be the last survivors on earth..

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"Newt Gingrich: "We Need To Be Honest ...""

Why start now?

[peacekitten]

i'm surprised his hair didn't catch on fire when he said that......­....

[myangeldog1]

LOL!

[JamesR.]

Ha! Hiya pk.

[BruceHNV]

Especially since he follwed it up with more self-deluded dishonesty­...

[BWonka]

Heh! ((chin scratch))