Republicans Increasingly Unhappy With Steele's Leadership

Republican party officials are starting to regret picking Michael Steele to run their national committee. In the wake of Steele's embarrassing scuffle with Rush Limbaugh, the GOP dissatisfaction has become increasingly vocal.

"There's frustration that there's no discipline, no planning," one Republican consultant told Politico. "He's risking being overexposed by accepting every interview, which makes gaffes more likely."

"What is amazing is that Steele was elected because of his communications skills, and it is those skills that are damaging the Republican Party. Before people begin to completely judge him as worthless, Steele needs to focus and knuckle down on building a strong foundation at RNC so we can begin rebuilding our majority," a top GOP strategist told US News & World Report. "If his implosion continues, RNC members are likely to call a special session to dump him for an effective chairman. There is not much patience for failure."

It's not only Steele's awkward TV appearances that are making Republicans nervous. The former Maryland Lieutenant Governor has failed to staff the organization he runs.

"I think it's been a disaster of a first month," a Republican insider tells the DC Examiner. "He needs to disappear for 60 days, go and staff the building, put his personal energy into making sure he has the people he wants, and go from there. That's what people are hoping he will do."

"It's not good," says another. "People feel that it's been very erratic at a time when we really need some sort of stabilizing force."

So far, Steele has responded with defiance. In an interview with Politico, he dismissed GOP critics as "nervous Nellies."

"If I told folks what I really thought, I'd probably be in a lot more trouble," he said. "I think that's what I bring to this job, as a voice of the party: I think it's important to have that kind of newness and rawness to it that grabs folks' attention and hopefully ... take a look at what we're doing."

But if the attacks continue, Steele might want to take this advice from Limbaugh himself: "It's time, Mr. Steele, for you to go behind the scenes and start doing the work that you were elected to do instead of trying to be some talking head media star, which you're having a tough time pulling off."

Comments

[Bafun]

He obviousely didn't understand he is just a muppet as response to democrates and President Obama and muppets are not allow to speak and have ideas on their own

[HoraceOvidson]

Now is not the time for a leader.

[rich misty]

If Republicans cannot govern themselves... Why would any logical person vote for them to govern a district, a state, or heaven forbid, our nation?

[TheGuide]

Been there done that. Ouch!, it still hurts.

[CherokeeGirl]

It's gonna be a long time to "come back" if they take this long on self-reflection. Thank goodness the American people are smarter now, and they aren't buying any of it. RIGHT ON PEOPLE! :)

[nellie]

Wow, what an excellent point. Common sense is so simple and yet sometimes to elusive.

[nellie]

That's "so elusive."

[STG 44]

Why not Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Sec. of State?
"I unequivocally support the Second Amendment right of every law-abiding Ohioan to keep and own firearms for hunting, personal protection and any other lawful purpose," said Blackwell. "I am proud to receive the NRA’s highest rating and will be an unflinching advocate for gun owners as governor."

Ken Blackwell

[treetracker]

Yeah, but he's not real good at allowing the citizens of his state to vote. I will always remember the long lines in OH where they pulled to voting booths from the Dem Districts to the GOP Districts, then closed the polls (with the help of a GOP judge, as I recall) shutting those still waiting in line out of the process.

He'll support your right to own a gun, but not your right to vote. Heckofa job!

[Timtheenchanter]

GOP spokesman Thurston Howell III said, "Well, we just don't think that he's, well, that he's (whispers) like us."Asked to elaborate Mr Howell said, "Well, he's just too...tall."

[Timtheenchanter]

MY my my..didn't anybody see this coming?

[Whinger]

Ooooh! I hear the sound of a toilet being flushed and a huge bus engine turning over!

Michael, you should watch the movie, Trading Places, there's a lesson to be learned there!

[Timtheenchanter]

He's risking being overexposed by accepting every interview, which makes gaffes more likely."

LOL>.They didn't have this problem with Palin? Omg these people! Pssst..don't tell anybody, but he's black.

[voting4BO]

awwwww, so much for the hip hop GOP. I was looking forward to having a great laugh.

[riverhouse]

All that and look! He's not white!

[quiltinglady]

Was it Steele who chose Jindal for the rep response last week? If so, he really is history.

[BornInTheUSA89]

I'm an Obama supporter but doesn't it bother anyone else that Obama's job disapproval rating is getting higher? (61%-28%) I'm somewhat concerned. He's obviously doing something wrong.

[dimplesmile7]

Where did you get that information? Look like the GOP is in the dump! This is what I found on MSNBC;

While the poll — which was conducted of 1,007 adults from Feb. 26 to March 1, and which has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points — finds Obama in a strong position after his first six weeks as president, the same isn't true for Republicans.

Just 26 percent view the Republican Party positively, which is an all-time low for the party. That's compared with 49 percent who have a favorable view of the Democratic Party.

In addition, a combined 56 percent say the previous Bush administration deserved "almost all" of the blame or a "major part" of the blame for the partisanship in Washington, and a combined 41 percent say the same of congressional Republicans.

By contrast, only 24 percent say that of congressional Democrats and just 11 percent say that of the Obama administration.

[swe123]

I'm always a little suspicious of posts that start out with "I'm an Obama support but...."

Just saying

[Timtheenchanter]

Yep.

[rich misty]

I am not suspicious in the slightest ;) He's a Republican with fake "concern"

[fame]

Doesn't bother me at all.

[rich misty]

I learned everything I needed to know about you, and your post.... From the first 4 words.

His dissapproval ratings are right there with Bush's approval ratings... Same people who love Bush and Republicans are not logical, intelligent people and they are so in minority as to represent absolute zero in political temperature.

[writerroz]

You can't believe every poll you see or hear. Remember, the Republicans have control over some polls, and are being nothing but OBSTRUCTIONISTS. They DON'T think about how their attempts to stop the Stimulous hurts every person in the country somehow or other. Nor do they care as long as they can make trouble to help their own agenda. Doesn't this sound like what they've done for eight years?

Some of their trouble is that they have TOO MANY loose cannons among their members. Loose cannons cause confusion, over zealous worry and rising tempers, and that is their main purpose in life, but no help in their present broken condition, and brokenness begets more brokenness.. Since they can't agree among themselves, it is impossible to agree with Democrats.

[Rosey]

Steele is already back-tracking and kissing up to the far right. Does not anyone in the Republican party have a backbone? The wimps are lead by the Mr. Potato Head... actually it is fun to see them implode.... For all the crying about not voting for the President's plan and vocally hoping he fails (DO I HEAR ANYONE SAY THESE FOLKS ARE UNPATRIOTIC?), I question why they are accepting money right and left -- we Californians will glady take their share!!! Why they are entering tons of pork into the bill and then questioning Dems. McBush is at it again!

[revruc1]

I feel sorry for him, you first need someone to lead. The republicans tried to put another leg on a goat and say it has 5 legs and not a goat. They are still the bigot generation with their hands in the money. The only way to get rid of the devil is to let them die out. The new generation is on its way. Goodbye good old boys. Get ready to follow Stanford, Madoff, Bush, Cheney (haliburton, kbr, brown and root, bri.) Ripping ius off rebuilding Iraq. My children will see you being tried for crimes against humanity. An oil man in the presidency and cannot control the oil prices. Like we got a baby bib.

[dimplesmile7]

All of the fighting in the GOP is going to be perfect ammunition for the dems in 2012. Please keep Steele and Limbaugh babbling back and forth. The GOP has empowered this man and there are going to be so many controversial and racist statements coming from this man over the next four years. We can use it all against the GOP because they were to afraid to stand up to Rush. Their candidate is going to have to explain away their silence when Rush was overthrowing the party. It is not going to be pretty!