Steele: "I'm Done" Reaching Out To Obama (VIDEO)

RNC Chairman Michael Steele said he is "done" reaching out to the president, having apparently been rebuffed in his previous attempts to start a dialogue. In an interview with CNN that aired over the weekend, the Maryland Republican said he could detect no bipartisanship coming from the White House, stating that Barack Obama "has got a little thing about me that I haven't quite figured out."

The remarks were a new installment in yet another bizarre interview given by the Republican National Committee chair. As aired earlier, Steele told CNN that he would contemplate a presidential run if God told him the time was right. He also claimed to have strategically planned his squabble with Rush Limbaugh, in which he called the radio talk show host's work incendiary and ugly.

In the clips that aired on CNN this weekend, Steele delved once more into the interpersonal psychoses of politics, quickly dismissing questions over whether he was jealous of Obama's ascension to the White House.

"What would I be jealous of?," he said. "I'm chairman of the RNC, so, what's your point? We both have leadership responsibilities and roles. I'm not equating the two. My point is: you are on your track. I'm on my track. You do your thing. I do my thing."

WATCH:

HERE IS THE TRANSCRIPT:

STEELE: Look, I like the president personally, even though I think he has got a little thing about me, that I haven't quite figured out what that is.

CNN: You haven't spoken to him?
STEELE: No.

Story continues below

advertisement

CNN: You've reach out?
STEELE: Several times, and I'm done.

CNN: So there is no bipartisanship going on there?
STEELE: Not, not that I know of.

CNN: Is there any professional jealousy?
STEELE: Not on my part. What would I be jealous of?

CNN: He's the president of the United States.
STEELE: I'm chairman of the RNC, so, what's your point? We both have leadership responsibilities and roles. I'm not equating the two. My point is: you are on your track. I'm on my track. You do your thing. I do my thing.

Get HuffPost Politics on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Comments

[KeepItMoving08]

My Momma once told me, she said:

"Baby, Tonto never received the honor due at the end of the series. He was dumped then trashed behind closed doors"

[KeepItMoving08]

My momma told me, she said:

"Baby, I once told your father, 'Henry you were a fool when I married you and I thought you would change under the right circumstances. I'm sorry to say you're still a fool"

[dashboard]

GOP welcoming committee for Steele.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcZ9ku_wInw

[bac59447]

Sort of like a gnat on a Lion's ass complaining that the Lion won't listen to him.

[tonydon]

Yep, you are done and so is your party. A bunch of fools screaming in the wilderness, signifing NOTH?ING.

[nornny]

He's jealous of Obama because he knows that he's just a Republican tool and Obama is the real deal. Steele got his big break because of Obama...everyone knows that. If Hillary had won, perhaps Palin would be RNC chair. Dummy.

[jscottupton]

Sarah Palin would also do better than Obama...if only because she wouldn't spend one TRILLION dollars per week her first 8 weeks in office. Because of decisions he supported, Obama will be partly responsible for spending more in his first 2 years in office than every president before him COMBINED. And here's the kicker. It's not going to work because it is GOVERNMENT spending (borrow or tax and spend).

[maddie0001]

Government spending ended the depression. What did WWII do? It took millions of men (and some women) out of the private workforce and put them on the government payroll (US military). The government spent billions on tanks, airplanes, etc. creating job opportunities for women and blacks. The military provided food, healthcare and education to millions of soldiers and their families.
All that government spending that funded the biggest economic expansion in the country's history.

Also, the American people were asked to decide if they wanted Sarah Palin anywhere near the White House. They said no thanks.

[PinkysBrain]

So, you are saying we should start another war?

[medici]

In 1932, the national unemployment rate was 25 percent. Thanks to government projects and spending, it was down to 15 percent by 1940.

[Baculus]

Oh, baloney. Thanks for Sarah Palin's policies, Wasilla, the town of which she was mayor, was left with a spending deficit, and since she has been Gov. of Alaska, that state has also increased it's state spending by hundreds of millions of dollars. In both cases, as mayor and gov., she fully supported pet projects that cost millions for citizens.

Palin is NOT a fiscal "conservative" - like most Republicans, she has no problems enlarging government to suite her needs.

Also, when Obama became POTUS, the US debt was already over $10 trillion, which was doubled during the Bush administration, and the deficit was already over a trillion dollars. Why do you behave as if the last eight years didn't happen, when initiatives, such as the Bush tax breaks, adversely affected our long term debt? How come you seemingly ignore this issue?

Of course, folks such as yourself are totally ignorant of these details because you don't make any effort to actually conduct research and behave as if the last two terms of the Bush administration never took place.

Also, GOVERNMENT spending has a function - the public sector is an important part of various industries. But it's funny that Republicans are suddenly sounding like anarcho-ca­pitalists.

So, are you an anarchist? Since you are a Republican, I would suspect that the answer is "no." If that is the case, quit bleating about the GOVERNMENT when YOUR party has been the party of BIG GOVERNMENT for DECADES.

[jscottupton]

Steele would make a much better president than Obama. At least he understands that Washington spending doesn't create wealth...it only redistributes it to people to whom it does not belong.

[maddie0001]

The people of Maryland choose not to send him to the US Senate, he had just finished a stint as lieutenant governor. For a guy who hates the government he spends a lot of time trying to get or stay on the government payroll.

[bac59447]

Spot on. Ditto head jscottupton seems to want little more than to see his sad, intellectually bankrupt mumblings displayed on a grown-up website. Let's just walk around him like you would a stray mutt licking his privates on the sidewalk.

[Baculus]

What sort of looney statement is this? "At least he understands that Washington spending doesn't create wealth...it only redistributes it to people to whom it does not belong."

Are you really that ignorant of the functions of the US federal government? Are you some backwoods hick that doesn't know anything about the constitutional functions of the federal government, including both the military (which employs millions of Americans), and the US post office, which is a highly PROFITABLE government/public venture? (The US Postal service is a perfect example of a money making public venture...)

Do you know nothing about the joint public-private business ventures that affect millions of US citizens in their livelihoods (read: JOBS) that has nothing to do with this new, silly Republican talking point of "redistribution"?

Of COURSE, when you are talking about "redistribution," I bet you nothing to say about the UPWARD redistribution of wealth to the "rich" via tax breaks or corporate "welfare." Why do folks such as yourself always seem to blame the poor?

Again, are you an anarchist that believes in complete decentralization?

[Baculus]

Of COURSE, when you are talking about "redistribution," I bet you nothing to say about the UPWARD redistribution of wealth to the "rich" via tax breaks or corporate "welfare." Have you ever uttered a word of complaint when war profiteers were ripping off the US government by hundreds of millions of dollars?

This new Republican, right-wing "distribution" talking point is really bizarre and intellectually dishonest, because Republicans support wealth distribution when it suites their political base.

Also, government does have a legitimate function and CAN create wealth - there is a long history of private/public join ventures. And many, many companies, employing millions of Americans, receive their funding via the federal government.

[eweknowwho]

Somewhere Ken Blackwell is saying: "This is the black dude you picked over me?"

[KillgoreTrout43]

When has Steele ever reached out to Obama?

[KeepItMoving08]

My Momma once told me, she said:

"Baby, Pinocchio thought he was a real boy too..."

[roshni]

The token clown hip hop bling bling is done doing something he never did. Wow, just wow!.

[swanie]

I have said for some time that Sarah Palin is a true "empty suit". There is simply NOTHING there.

Now it appears the Republicans have TWO EMPTY SUITS. Wow, what good luck for them ! !

They just don't get it, do they ?.

[KeepItMoving08]

++++++++++­++++++++++­++++++++++­+++++
++++++++++­+++#######­++++++++++­+++++++
++++++++++­+#########­###+++++++­++++++++
++++++++++­##########­#####+++++­++++++++
+++++++++#­####++++++­++###+++++­+++++++
++++++++##­#+++++++++­+++###++++­+++++++
++++++++##­++++++++++­++++###+++­+++++++
+++++++##+­++++++++++­++++####++­+++++++
+++++++#++­++++++++++­+++++###++­+++++++
++++++##++­++++++++++­+++++####+­+++++++
++++++#+++­++++++++++­++##++@##+­+++++++
+++++##+++­+++++++++#­##########­#+++++++
+++++##+++­+++++#+++#­#+####+###­#+++++++
+++++##+++­+#####+++#­++#####+##­##+++++++
+++++##+++­##+###+++#­+++****++#­###+++++
+++++##+++­++#++#+++#­+++++++++#­#++++++
+++++##+++­+@++++++++­#+++++++##­+#+++++
+++++#++++­++++++++++­+#++++++##­+#+++++
++++++#+++­++++++++++­#++++++###­#++++++
++++++##++­+++++++++#­###++++###­#+++++++
++++++++++­++++++@#+#­##++++++##­##+++++
+++++##+#+­++++++++++­++++++++##­+#+++++
+++++#++++­++++++++++­##++++++##­##+++++
+++++#+@++­++++++++##­####++++##­+++++++
+++++#+#+#­+++++++##+­++#+++++##­+++++++
++++++#++#­++++++##++­+###++++##­+++++++
+++++++#++­++++++++++­++++++####­#++++++
+++++++++#­++++++++++­+#++++####­#++++++
++++++++++­+#++++++++­+++++#####­#######++
++++++++++­++#+++++++­++++######­#######++
++++++++++­+++#++++++­++########­#######++
++++++++++­++++##++++­########+#­#######++
++++++++++­+++#++####­#######++#­#######++
++++++++++­+###+++###­######++##­#######++
++++++++##­#####++++#­#####+++##­#######++
++++++####­#####+++++­++##++++##­#######++
+++++#####­#####+++++­###++++###­#######++
+++#######­#####+++++­#++++++###­#######++
++########­######++++­#++++++###­#######++
++########­######++++­++++++####­#######++
+#########­######++++­++++++####­#######++
+############### ++++ +++++###########++
+#########­######++++­++#++#####­#######++
+#########­#######+++­++#++#####­#######++

[roshni]

Now this I like. Gorgeous man, our president.

[K-Educator]

WOW neat ...must save it!

[seriouslySD]

Yeah. So...go away ok?