An Open Letter To My Friend Michael Steele

Just wanted to send a note congratulating you on your election as the new Chairman of the Republican National Committee. I also wanted to thank you for writing a blog for Global Grind. The hip-hop community remains eager to hear the views of national leaders like you who understand the importance of diversity, inclusion and striving to end poverty in our nation and the world.

I have known you to be a strong advocate for the advancement of the poor and also as a supporter of small businesses.

This is your chance to make history and real change. I have heard the rhetoric from the mean left and from the angry right. Don't let those who are angry in your base guide your choices or let the people to the left of President Obama push your buttons. If you work directly with the White House, from your informed perspective, you can help to build an effective bridge for the sake of the improvement of the quality of life of millions of Americans. This is America's great chance for change.

We all should be working together for the common good beyond the lines of partisanship. Let's keep this constructive dialogue going and give the American people a comprehensive stimulus package that EVERYONE can support.

Your friend Russell Simmons

-Russell Simmons

Comments

[PamperedHousecat]

Unfortunately, Mr. Simmons may fall into the catagory of a "bad n......" as compared to a "Ba-ad n.....".

The differnce can be found in the research done by the historian Eugene Genovese. In his book, "Roll Jordan Roll", Mr. Genovese, who did extensive research into how African-Americans during the antebellum period lived, said that a "bad n....." was a slave who preyed on his own people many times with consent of the master, to keep them in line. A "Ba-ad n....." was one who was definate against the ruling powers, and who actively fought against these powers for freedom and justice of his people by any means necessary.
Now translate that to what Mr. Simmons has perpetuated with his gloirfication of music and images that have been negative to the African-Am­erican/wor­king class community, both within and without the American psyche.

[justicia]

Hear hear!

[Apollo62]

Russell: Why is Michael Steele your friend? He's just another GOP partisan loser.

I would love to see some people from the GOP, like Hegel, Collins and Snowe, stop with the childish partisanship and start making decisions based on what's best for their constituency rather than what's best according to Rush, Hannity and the like.

[AuntSally]

Just watched your friend Steele on Stephanopolous.

I'm sorry to tell you Russell, but your friend is lost. Probably irrevocably. If there was ever I thinking person in there, he's been wiped by the idealogue I just saw.

Government bad bad bad; infrastructure jobs aren't jobs; incentives to business. Blah blah blah. Tax cuts tax cuts tax cuts tax cuts...

He cannot be reasoned with. If he were living quietly in Schenectedy we could leave him alone. But he's not, he's trying his hardest to influence policy. He now must be fought: unmercifully, unfailingly fought. His ideas need to be killed. He needs to be rendered impotent and irrelevant through the power of unwavering, full-throated logic and force of will.

[DCvote]

When Steele was running for senate on the day of the election they were giving out in PG county in Maryland (a mostly black county) fliers that said that all these black leaders supported steele when in reality they didn't. he is a karl rove republican. don't be fooled by his race.

[Dustee]

Just who is he trying to fool? The majority of African Americans detest him! Unless his message is to NEW FOOLS.

[tailgateshirts]

alot of complaints, at least hes trying to get the guy to be normal.....

[rockyersocksoff]

This is surreal.

What's next, Ludacris and Bill O'Reilly playing a round of golf?

[zola77]

lol

[rbenjamin]

Just heard your friend Mike Steele on This Week With George Steph.... Send him your open letter again, I don't think the first one got delivered. It was good advice and he should take it.

[The Albany Kid]

Does Brother Simmons's post portend a burgeoning Right Wing element within the Hip Hip community? The post, along with Fifty Cent's saying that he would vote for W in 2004 (if he were eligible to vote) is a bit alarming.

[sloppyJoe]

I want to believe that the GOP selects individuals based on their merits, but their timing makes me suspicious. It looked like they brought not ready for prime time Palin in to try to win over Hillary's supporters. The first black man elected president seals the Dem base's support of black voters for the forseeable future....the GOP just happens to elect their first black party leader. When you looked into the GOP's convention this year you did not see a rainbow of color. It sure looks like they are selecting individuals as token representatives when it's in their best interest to do so.

[pipetoe]

Don't forget that W chose Condi Rice for one of the most respected positions in the world....

[pfc1369]

Perhaps it was; before Dubya appointed the feckless school marm.

[IronJawAngel]

Hello did you not know that there has been a National Black Republican Association for many many year's, Did you not know that Harriet Tubman Martin L. King were republicans, Fredrick Douglas and many more. Do you ask yourself why, because all you need to do is read about the Democrat Party and what they stood for.

[ericad]

Most definetly!

[DavidATolucaLake]

Should we not support people for their ideas and not mainly because we share the same skin color??

Supporting M. Steele because you share the same skin color is no different then supporting George Bush because he is white. It is both ridiculous and racist.

Can we please end this racist way of supporting leaders.

I did not agree with G. Bush as I dont with M. Steele. But it is because I disagree with their IDEAS, not becasue of their skin color.

[WeHopeRushFails]

"We all should be working together for the common good beyond the lines of partisanship."

The operate word there is "should".

"Let's keep this constructive dialogue going and give the American people a comprehensive stimulus package that EVERYONE can support."

The question is, how can Michael Steele possibly get around having to take his marching orders form Rush Limbaugh, who, with four little words "I Hope Obama Fails", redirected the whole course of American politics back down the same old dirty road that Obama so brilliantly cleaned up?

It's pathetically easy to dirty up a clean road when you're as irresponsible as Limbaugh is.

Especially when Rush can, with four little words, call for millions of people to mindlessly join him in hoping that the President of the United States of America fails. Rush's plan to destroy post-partisan reasonableness (just for the sake of keeping his seat as problem-cr­eator-in-c­hief) should not be allowed to succeed so easily.

A mirror needs to be held up to those tactics.

http://www.WeHopeRushFails.com

Even the Republicans who had the initial courage to take him to task for his outrageously unpatriotic comments promptly went groveling back to him for forgiveness. Defeating Rush's brand of "discourse" should be the focus until it no longer dominates the political scene.

[JayDDrew]

And in his first interview on George Stephanopolous Sunday morning, Steele opens with the obvious lie that George Bush inherited a recession.
This is who they chose to lead - a bald-faced liar. One tired lie or mistruth after another. It's the same B.S., just coming out of a black face rather than a white one.
I'm sure we'll all see more on the Sunday morning roundup blog later today.

[pfc1369]

Historically, blacks have almost always been the first to see through the BS coming their way.

Could anyone be more transparent than Mr. Steele?

[rich misty]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/06/AR2009020604151.html?wprss=rss_politics

Steele's Campaign Spending Questioned
Agents Contact Sister After Ex-Aide's Claims
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He is presently attacking Dems for letting power "go to their heads", but the WashPo confirms information provided by the snitch to the Feds and they are engaged in a criminal investigation.