Jim DeMint On Michael Steele's RNC Reelection Bid: 'I Am Looking For Some Alternatives'

There has been a subdued blame game being waged in Republican circles for weeks over who is at fault for the failure to pick up more Senate seats than the six the party gained in the 2010 midterm elections. On one side is the Republican establishment, which has pointed fingers at the Tea Party movement for nominating candidates who weren't viable in a general election format. On the other is a class of activists and practitioners who argue that the Republican National Committee lacked the resources to harness the enthusiasm of the base.

On Sunday, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) added a bit of fuel to the fire when he refused to support the re-election hopes of RNC Chairman Michael Steele, saying he would look for alternatives instead.

"I want to look at the choices," DeMint told "Fox News Sunday" when asked if he would support Steele. "Frankly, I think where we lost a few Senate seats our ground game was not as strong as it could have been. We were actually out-manned on the ground, and going into 2012 we need a really strong leader for the Republican Party to match the get-out-the-vote [efforts] that we saw from the Obama machine last time. So I appreciate Michael Steele's service but I am looking for some alternatives right now. I haven't decided who I would support. But we need a strong national Republican organization to help organize the energy of the Tea Parties and the other citizen activism that we are seeing out there right now. We need to make sure we have a lot of boots on the ground."

As the Washington emissary of the Tea Party movement, DeMint has been accused of encouraging the type of Republican primary disorder that resulted in the nomination of Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, and the like. So his coldness toward Steele is not without a personal interest in reassigning blame.

Comments

[bluecollaramerican]

12:04 AM on 12/09/2010

Mikey used to be my favorite Republican but he's losing ground to Christine O fast.

http://huff.to/eD35BH

[Strateshooter]

06:58 PM on 11/15/2010

"Stupid Uncle Tom's' is so 100% correct!!

[CarolinaYankee]

06:57 PM on 11/15/2010

quick give me the phone number for Sarah's witchdoctor I have 666 fans

[tchristin]

06:35 PM on 11/15/2010

Perhaps Michael Steele will see no how he has been used by the Republican Party and step out of the dark side into the light.

[gevan]

05:36 PM on 11/15/2010

Hey Jimbo, If you're that hard up, I'll take the job.
Experience: 1966 Chairman of the Teen-Age Republicans of New Jersey, Inc.
Like I said, if you're hard up.

[pbnyc59]

05:02 PM on 11/15/2010

How about a bag of rocks or dirt?

[IcedTee63]

04:32 PM on 11/15/2010

Like it's his decision.

[IfIonlyknew]

03:12 PM on 11/15/2010

Sen. Jim, If you are looking for an alternative to michael steel.....Have you thought about some crack,It is far cheaper and just as euphoric.

[freedomsxm]

02:43 PM on 11/15/2010

People in the African Amercian communities have known for some time that Micheal Steele got the job he has as RNC Chairmen because the GOP needed a Black face to hide behind to attack President Obama and not look racist...now the same man (Senator Jim DeMint) who gave us Alvin Greene wants Steele out? When will stupid guys like Steele,Clarence Thomas, Juan Williams, Ken Blackwell, Ron Christe and this new freshmen nutt from Flordia learn that once you serve their purpose they will turn their backs on you and then where can you go? Stupid Uncle Tom's...

[ibsteve2u]

10:39 AM on 11/15/2010

This time, they should pick somebody that is more representative of Republican values...and - quite conveniently - Jack Abramoff is scheduled to be released from the halfway house he's assigned to on December 4th, 2010.

[bryce05]

10:22 AM on 11/15/2010

"I am looking for some old white men."

[Kipper51]

10:57 AM on 11/15/2010

HAHAHAHAHAHA

That was the first thing I thought the entire time reading this article. I guess there was too much Raining of Oreo's for Jim DeMint - part of the overly Racist and bigotry laced Tea Party

[nappyman]

10:19 AM on 11/15/2010

Apparently he is the head of the GOP. Mitch McConnell must really hate him. Im sure there's some juicy dirt on what's going on in the senate.

[01202009]

10:18 AM on 11/15/2010

Does Jim DimWit realize that he is not head of the GOP or the senate or for that matter not president of the US? One day he will really overstep and come down on something sharp. He acts as if he's been anointed and we know where pride goes....

[ibsteve2u]

10:48 AM on 11/15/2010

Could see a Palin/DeMint Presidential ticket given the success the right had at looting America during the Court Jester/Emperor experiment of Bush/Cheney.

[Kipper51]

10:59 AM on 11/15/2010

In the end I couldn't see Jim DeMint aligning himself with Palin. While they try to perform that whole united Tea Party B.S. DeMint for being as whacked out and loony as he is, tends to stand pretty firm on his backwards philosophy and beliefs. It amazes me how a state like South Carolina made up of a majority of minorities vote for this stooge overwhelmingly. Are blacks barred from voting in S.C.?

[IcedTee63]

10:06 AM on 11/15/2010

Oh boy Mike, you just got the "It's not you, it's us" speech from the Republican Party. Maybe if you take up DeMints' offer to have you hold that latern and wear the red jockey uniform, you might get to keep your...er a job...

[whiskeytangofoxtrot451]

10:00 AM on 11/15/2010

DeMint better make sure whatever choice he backs meets with Rush's approval, or there could be trouble.