Michael Steele Gets Into Heated Debate With Andrea Mitchell Over Bondage Club Snafu (VIDEO)

Since a slew of embarrassing stories about the Republican National Committee's spending habits dominated political news coverage several weeks ago, the normally ubiquitous RNC Chairman Michael Steele has kept a relatively low profile.

On a slow-news Friday, however, he agreed to a mid-day sit down with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. Things went smoothly for a while, with Steele deftly deflecting questions about Republican primary elections and the fairness of charging the president with having no counter-terrorism strategy. Then the topic turned to the RNC's recent spending controversies -- the committee paid for rather lavish items (private jets, swank hotels a winter meeting in Hawaii) and, in one instance, forked over $2,000 for a night at a bondage-themed club.

"You've got to be kidding," the chairman bemoaned, accusing Mitchell of reading "Democratic talking points for God sakes."

"I'm not kidding at all," replied Mitchell.

"What evidence do you have of lavishness at our winter meeting in Hawaii?" Steele asked.

"While you guys were having luau, we were digging our way out of snow banks," said Mitchell, in reference to Washington D.C.'s massive blizzards this winter.

As for the more substantive exchanges, Steele insisted that every organization has an expenditure (a la the lesbian-bondage theme club) for which they are embarrassed.

"So you mean to tell me not one employee of your organization has done something that the management's not proud of?" he asked, with Mitchell offering an audible snicker in the background. "So that happens. It is what happens in the business. We dealt with it very effectively. That individual was let go because they knew better. That is not how we operate here. That is not how we treat the resources that are given to us by many on fixed incomes. And so I think the media just needs to put it all in the proper perspective and recognize that is not how we operate."

Earlier Mitchell asked about reports that Republicans donors were essentially circumventing the RNC, giving instead to outside groups like the one that GOP operatives Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie and other heavyweight Republican donors helped start. Steele actually cheered the development, saying that campaign finance laws were too restrictive for the Republican moneyed-class.

"Ed Gillespie can take a million dollars," Steele said. "McCain Feingold only allows me to take 60,000, so they're doing a very good service to the party by expanding the reach and opportunity we have to engage as MoveOn.org and the George Soros' of the world have done for the Democrats."

Comments

[betito]

07:07 PM on 06/06/2010

both parties are guilty of not being foward with the american public. why belive both or any one in the goverment? there's more truth here and insight then im aware beside's one hate toward's another because of unresolved issues. it's not the blame game it's that chance we take in voteing one way or another and blameing other's because your party failed you and helped other's. the rich i mean. more power to them and less to go around to other's. i wonder if were going to get the short end of the stick again?

[DorianCorso]

02:08 PM on 05/10/2010

That passes for "heated debate" in today's MSM ?

Really ?

[jsgaetano]

12:18 PM on 05/10/2010

And let's not forget about all the epic-level frauds conservatives have run in the past.

Remember the "Minute Men"? When they weren't murdering latinos, they were stealing money from donors.

Remember the flag burning stuff? Another huge scam, money disappearing all over. And how about that "Border Fence" that John "Keating" McCain is STILL pushing? That's like Arizona's Fence To Nowhere- a huge way of making huge amounts of money disappear without a trace!

[dmccas]

08:55 AM on 05/10/2010

All that laughing and deflection by him... it just SCREAMS 1. Being caught in a lie, and not able to/not willing to answer the question and 2. Complete and total dishonesty.

Yeah- she could have pushed him MUCH harder and either forced him to "answer", or at the least dig an even deeper hole for himself.

This just shows yet again what the GOP's priorities are... to raise more money, and to "win". Winning is great- anyone in competition with someone else wants to, but what do they plan to DO with the win to make things better? They don't have a clue, they don't have a plan, they don't care to even HAVE either. It's all about "being in power" and that's it. It's not about serving the people or doing anything for the country... it's all about power for the sake of being in power. Oh... and making MORE money for themselves.

[gumbo1049]

07:50 AM on 05/10/2010

Mrs Greenspan needs to be questioned about how much she new about hubby's role in the money meltdown.

[Bingolong]

12:22 AM on 05/10/2010

"They were severely punished" for going to a bondage club ?

The perfect crime.

[no-to-neocons]

10:49 PM on 05/09/2010

He is so full of Sh*t. His white skin turned brown.

[GatorAtLarge]

08:13 AM on 05/10/2010

Its quite stupid and dangerous to accuse a black man of "whiteness" just because he doesn't agree with you politically. You comment isn't funny and you should be ashamed of yourself.

[satanlite]

01:21 PM on 05/10/2010

faved to counter gator.

[EBDave]

09:04 PM on 05/09/2010

Michael Steele SPANKED Mrs. Greenspan!

[pyradius]

08:35 PM on 05/09/2010

Regardless of how you feel about the man, he bull-rushed her quite effectively. I do not think she was prepared for that.

[HJS2010]

07:07 PM on 05/09/2010

DO AS I SAY AND NOT AS I DO!

[GeoNorth]

05:39 PM on 05/09/2010

The Republicans have been telling us how government doesn't work and they loaded the govt for eight years with incompetent people to prove it. They also believe that blacks are inferior and installed an incompetent to prove it. They are all reprehensible people, regardless of race. They have a bankrupt outlook and no real core values other than "WIN". Win what? What? Just Win. That's all that matters to them.

[jdiary]

05:37 PM on 05/09/2010

I saw this and he kept laughing in appropriately trying to turn a serious conversation into something more light-hearted to deflect real issues. He kept calling Andrea by her first name over and over again and laughing - it was odd. He is so completely inept - that's what's really funny. The sad thing is that the average conservative constituent probably just thinks he's incompetent b/c of his color.

[demimckingwoodtx]

04:42 PM on 05/09/2010

What gets me is, these people do not eat nor do half of them live like this at home. When you are managing others monies caution seems to be thrown to the winds.

[DrObvious]

04:39 PM on 05/09/2010

yeah, Mr. Steele is right, thank goodness that rich Republicans are donating tons to groups other than the political parties because the rich don't already own enough congressional voices under the campaign finance restrictions still in effect post-Citizens SCOTUS decision

[WhatACountry]

04:12 PM on 05/09/2010

That is not how we operate here.
Is he kidding! First of all, why do they take potential donors to a sex club. What they spend is irrelevant since the Repugs are supposed to be a party of strong family values, yet they take clients to places of ill repute. Where they spent money should be the focus, then how much. Michael Steele is an @$$!