Perhaps the truest words that Michael Steele ever spoke were, "I ain't going anywhere." Yes, part of that is true only because the Republican National Committee head has never said anything like, "The entire reason I became RNC chair was to sell the terrible book I sprung on my colleagues," but let's face it: Steele's endurance in the face of constant personal failure broke new ground, eclipsing even the Los Angeles Clippers and Jeff Zucker.
But today, barring something utterly insane, the man who forced political journalists to fully mine their thesauri for synonyms for "embattled" will be voted out of his position atop the RNC, possibly in favor of someone who sounds like a character from The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy named Reince Priebus. After two years of alienating donors, hilarious gaffes and bondage-themed strip-club expenditures, getting free of Steele is the first step the RNC can take to get its swagger back.
if Michael Steele has a singular accomplishment, it's that I didn't think it was possible to elicit so many calls for resignation without actually being forced to resign. For Steele, calls to resign came at such a regular rate that I was pretty sure he was going to set a new record. Then, abruptly, they ceased. Not because Steele turned it around! It was just that everyone finally gave up, started their own donor networks and got Steele to go to Guam. Later, Steele went on the "Fire Pelosi bus tour." I gather that Steele believes this was essential to the GOP's success in 2010, but really it was just a convenient thing he could be sent to do that would get him out of everyone else's way.
One thing we all know now about the position of RNC chair is that it's actually a very difficult job to lose! Today, we take a moment to remember all of the people who were way into the idea of Steele stepping down before it became cool.
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Founder And Editor Of The Weekly Standard Bill Kristol
HuffPost's Sam Stein reports: Several prominent conservatives offered swift, negative reactions to Michael Steele on Friday, after the RNC chairman was caught on camera saying that Afghanistan is a largely unwinnable war of President Obama's choosing.
The pushback crested with Bill Kristol -- still an influential voice among Republican lawmakers -- writing a letter to Steele on his Weekly Standard site calling for the RNC leader's resignation.
Needless to say, the war in Afghanistan was not "a war of Obama's choosing." It has been prosecuted by the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama. Republicans have consistently supported the effort. Indeed, as the DNC Communications Director (of all people) has said, your statement "puts [you] at odds with about 100 percent of the Republican Party.
And not on a trivial matter. At a time when Gen. Petraeus has just taken over command, when Republicans in Congress are pushing for a clean war funding resolution, when Republicans around the country are doing their best to rally their fellow citizens behind the mission, your comment is more than an embarrassment. It's an affront, both to the honor of the Republican party and to the commitment of the soldiers fighting to accomplish the mission they've been asked to take on by our elected leaders.
There are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan, and they're certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn't be the chairman of the Republican party.
HuffPost's Sam Stein reports: Several prominent conservatives offered swift, negative reactions to Michael Steele on Friday, after the RNC chairman was caught on camera saying that Afghanistan is a largely unwinnable war of President Obama's choosing.
The pushback crested with Bill Kristol -- still an influential voice among Republican lawmakers -- writing a letter to Steele on his Weekly Standard site calling for the RNC leader's resignation.
Needless to say, the war in Afghanistan was not "a war of Obama's choosing." It has been prosecuted by the United States under Presidents Bush and Obama. Republicans have consistently supported the effort. Indeed, as the DNC Communications Director (of all people) has said, your statement "puts [you] at odds with about 100 percent of the Republican Party.
And not on a trivial matter. At a time when Gen. Petraeus has just taken over command, when Republicans in Congress are pushing for a clean war funding resolution, when Republicans around the country are doing their best to rally their fellow citizens behind the mission, your comment is more than an embarrassment. It's an affront, both to the honor of the Republican party and to the commitment of the soldiers fighting to accomplish the mission they've been asked to take on by our elected leaders.
There are, of course, those who think we should pull out of Afghanistan, and they're certainly entitled to make their case. But one of them shouldn't be the chairman of the Republican party.
Perhaps the truest words that Michael Steele ever spoke were, "I ain't going anywhere." Yes, part of that is true only because the Republican National Committee head has never said anything like, "The...
Perhaps the truest words that Michael Steele ever spoke were, "I ain't going anywhere." Yes, part of that is true only because the Republican National Committee head has never said anything like, "The...
On Monday night's "Daily Show," Jon Stewart took one last go at Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele as he leaves his post. Things didn't...
DC proved too much for the man [Too much for the man, he couldn't make it!] So he's leavin' the graft For which he stooped so low [He isn't runnin'!] He isn't runnin' in 12 [Runnin' in 12] Ooh-hoo-hoo, he's in disgrace From the bondage clubs Not so long ago!
He's leavin' [Leavin!] On that midnight train to Maryland [Leavin' on that midnight train to Maryland!] He's goin' back to find [Goin' back to find] Ooh, some more right_wing cr!me RNC will mock him [I know they will] On that midnight train to Maryland [Leavin' on that midnight train to Maryland!] They'd rather have a white chair Than have a token for show...
iconoclast6: DC proved too much for the man<br>[Too much for the
Most of the rightwingers feel,
They want no more of Mr. Steele,
And insist their attack,
Isn’t ‘cause Michael’s Black.
To them I say, Come on, folks, get real.
stape45: Most of the rightwingers feel, They want no more of
Publisher:HarperCollins book publishing company (A Rupert Co)
I Hope it works out better then his previous book.
“Steele’s new book presents a “12-step program for defeating the Obama agenda.” And Step One, says Steele, is admitting where we’ve gone wrong in the past.”
Don't worry about Michael Steele. No doubt he will be a regular on FOX "b.s." NEWS as a regular contributor and will probably get his own show. Bank on it.
ChazAtlas: Don't worry about Michael Steele. No doubt he will be
Wow, so it's all b/c he said Afghan is unwinable? A threat to the GOP war-profiteers! Just goes to show you're only as good as your last public statement with the GOP.
PoliSci2008: Wow, so it's all b/c he said Afghan is unwinable?
Wow. Steele thought he had some friends but I guess they showed him, huh? Steele had been kidding himself for too long now believing that he was a viable contender in a party that didn't want or need him any longer. He served his purpose and is discarded like trash in the garbage. They don't need a scapegoat any longer. They got what they wanted and got in all the money they needed to pull off the biggest midterm election disaster in history. They couldn't have done it without Steele and he is too blind to even see it now.
I pity the f00l!
ebanks84: Wow. Steele thought he had some friends but I guess
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First Posted: 01/14/11 01:14 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 07:25 PM ET