Michael Steele Hails End Of "Era Of Apologizing"

Celebrating his 100th day in office, RNC Chairman Michael Steele did his best Thursday morning to present a GOP that was prepared to "turn a corner" from its current doldrums.

The process included what seems to be his first public rebuke of an effort from some in the Republican National Committee to official brand the Democratic Party the "Democrat Socialist Party."

"I'm not for that at all," Steele told "Fox and Friends" Tuesday morning. "And I've mentioned it to folks inside the party and said, you know, I think we should be smart and strategic about that. But a lot of people have passions and the beauty of the Republican Party is you get to express those passions in various ways."

The Fox appearance, and the wrist-slapping of the Socialist branding resolution that came with it, is part of a renewed push on Steele's behalf to bring the Republican Party away from the brink of caricature status.

The Chairman also penned an op-ed in Politico pointing to "three important ways" that "Republicans are turning a corner." The list, however, was rather mundane, including such promises as "the Republican Party will be forward-looking"; the "Republican Party will not shy away from voicing our opposition to the president's policies"; and "the Republican Party will seize upon momentum for a GOP resurgence that is already underway in states and local communities."

Steele planned to speak before RNC officials in a committee meeting in Maryland on Tuesday, in which he would call for an end to the "era of apologizing" in the GOP.

"Ronald Reagan never lived in the past," Steele will reportedly say. "Ronald Reagan was all about the future. If President Reagan were here today he would have no patience for Americans who looked backward."

As for the resolution branding the Democrats the "Democrat Socialists," Steele hasn't always taken such a hard line. Appearing on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, he said that committee members were entitled to their own advocacy. "If they do that, they do that." The chairman did, however, pen a memo last month opposing the resolution.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[dragonlady620]

10:45 AM on 05/20/2009

This from the man who apologized to Rush Limbaugh??
That said, when did the Republican party apologize for anything? I have yet to hear any Republican admit any responsibility for of the failed policies of the last eight years, let alone apologize for any of it. All I have heard is "It was really all the Democrats' fault".

[American50]

12:51 AM on 05/21/2009

Distraction

[langej]

10:26 AM on 05/20/2009

Well, it is only the GOP, but it is a start.

I am sick to death of people apologising - usually for something they didn't cause and couldn't have prevented - and then others shouting that they didn't apologise enough or in the right way.

The deeper we get into the era, the more frequent and less sincere the apologies.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

10:10 AM on 05/20/2009

Era of Apologizing?

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Oh you mean apologizing to RUSH?

Expecting APOLOGY to Rush for not clearing announcement of "End of Era of Apologizing" in 5....4....3....

[coldwind]

03:34 AM on 05/20/2009

"Ronald Reagan never lived in the past," Steele reportedly said. "Ronald Reagan was all about the future. If President Reagan were here today he would have no patience for Americans who looked backward," the RNC Chairman said. As he invoked the long-dead past.

WHO CARES?

The Republican Party is irrelevant.

They represent less than a quarter of the population -- and those people are crazy. They have no new ideas. They have no old ideas. They have destroyed the country, and refuse to take responsibility for it. They wanted stuff to go in the Stimulus Bill. They got it. They didn't vote for it. THEY'RE DONE.

We don't mention the Greens much. We don't really talk about the Libertarians. Why are we still talking
about the Republicans? Let them join the Federalists, the Whigs, and the Bull Moose.

NO MORE REPUBLICAN INK.

They're history. They're outta here.

They. Are. Irrelevant.

[Vasudeva]

10:51 AM on 05/20/2009

Ronnie never lived in the past, so why does everyone from that ilk continue to dredge up The Raygun, from the past. Ronnie was an idiot like Bush, a puppet, a facade. I know the man that wrote the que cards that were slipped into Ronnie's pocket or hand while he spoke. They made him dumb the comments and responses down. Down to his level of understanding and abilities to regurgitate. Somthing they should have done for Bush. In twenty years are we going to be hearing about how great Bush was as cheif "decider and strategeryist."

[AmirZadeh]

02:59 AM on 05/20/2009

The change comes in a Teabag??? Are you F*&king kidding me??? Have they not learned from the experience in which they were mercilessly mocked and savaged?

[truthinreporting]

02:24 AM on 05/20/2009

Here's what I noticed from Michael Steele's speech today: he, or someone in his party, noticed how Obama speaks, they studied Obama's speeches and gave him a speaking style that parroted Obama's. Steele did a pretty good job in this. However, the substance of his speech was dismal: confrontational and dismissive of any forward thinking. He did a good job of engaging his audience, but he had nothing to offer other than "we are going to fight him every step of the way". This did nohing to further discourse. He said, many times "the honemoon is over". I ididn''t see that the Repblicans ever gave this administration a honeymoon at all. They were at odds from day one. Much to their demise. The "honeynoon" phrase is great ground for analysts better than I and I can't waitf or them to pick up on this one.

[BillMelater]

01:07 AM on 05/20/2009

He must mean they are through apologizing to Limbaugh. Because that is the only apologizing any of them have been doing.

[Exfl]

12:51 AM on 05/20/2009

As I understand it the "new idea" has two parts: (1) "take the high road" by attacking Barrack Obama while saying that you are taking the high road and (2) stop apologizing for not apologizing for not actually having any new ideas. Is that about the gist of it Michael?

[gonzocolorado]

01:41 AM on 05/20/2009

no,no no,no no,no.We are the ......nevermind,,,,,,,no no no no no....

[hilary916]

12:41 AM on 05/20/2009

What? No more apologizing to Rush?

[American50]

12:32 AM on 05/20/2009

Steele stated this is the only time in his life that he is ashamed to be african american

[C65]

09:04 AM on 05/20/2009

I'M ASHAME HE IS WEARING THE DISGUISE AS ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Frumious]

12:30 AM on 05/20/2009

Oooh! Scary!! They're gonna get tough now.

Get tough about what?

I really think that if we ignore these folks, they might just go away.

[Vasudeva]

10:58 AM on 05/20/2009

you cant ignore them. We ignored them after Nixon and their offshoots were Cheney and that ilk. They need to be followed and exsposed and reexsposed and pushed so far away from the light that their roots die out, or they will come back! Come back with the same old lies and manipulations and trechery.

[Wide Stance]

12:24 AM on 05/20/2009

or
e

0h

[booboo111]

12:24 AM on 05/20/2009

Anyone who thinks Raygun was a hero, needs to read the book "Tear Down That Myth."

[patrickmcdougal]

01:36 AM on 05/20/2009

great book!!!!!

[Vasudeva]

10:58 AM on 05/20/2009

he was an idiot, like Bush II

[Foreground]

12:16 AM on 05/20/2009

...So, to emphasize that Republicans need to look forward and shouldn't look back, he references the ideology of a president that's been out of office for over twenty years. Three times in a row. Once to even say that said president wouldn't tolerate that sort of thing.

[booboo111]

12:15 AM on 05/20/2009

He should at least apologize for his lack of intelligence.

[newdates]

01:05 AM on 05/20/2009

The Repiblikans knew that too.