Michael Steele and the next Republican party
National Republican chairman Michael Steele at the state GOP convention/Associated Press
Savannah — To understand the churning passions within the Republican party this weekend, all one had to do was play a game of follow-the-leader.
In one of two speeches on Saturday, national GOP chairman Michael Steele paid red-meat tribute to the defiance of 1,200 frustrated but angry delegates who showed up at the state Republican convention.
“We don’t have to re-make anything. What do we have to re-make? Our values?” Steele shouted.
But only a few hours earlier, at a smaller breakfast event, the chairman of the Republican National Committee had delivered a quite different message, using the blunt language that’s made him famous.
The chairman said he had inherited leadership of a party that was “stuck in a 1980s philosophy, using a 1990s strategy to win campaigns.”
The Republican demand for orthodoxy and purity, Steele said, risks making the party irrelevant to “the changing heartbeat of this nation.”
“We can no longer be afraid that to open up, to invite someone in, diminishes us. I don’t know how that works,” Steele said. “If you are true to your convictions, to your core, why are you so afraid to share that?”
The RNC chairman rushed out of Savannah without speaking to reporters. Unscripted moments have cost him lately — plus, there was a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to prepare for.
But more importantly, the head of the national GOP probably needed a few hours to ready himself for this week’s palace revolt.
The 108 days of Steele’s tenure as the first African-American chairman of the GOP will be marked by a special session of the 168-member Republican National Committee that elected him.
A faction within the RNC has placed at least two items on the agenda. One is a high school-prankish resolution to mandate that all Democrats be referred to as “Democrat Socialists.”
A more serious measure would put new controls on Steele’s power to determine where Republican cash resources — which remain formidable — will be spent.
Georgia has Republicans on both sides of a fight that is less about book-keeping practices and more about how Republicans should attempt to recover from four years of defeat.
Alec Poitevint, former chairman of the state GOP and a former treasurer of the RNC, identified himself as one of the “dissidents” insisting on tighter fiscal controls over the new chairman.
“We live in a more transparent world,” Poitevint said.
More exacting, business-style regulations would increase faith in Steele’s role as “CEO of the Republican National Committee,” the Bainbridge businessman said — and “absolutely” should not be interpreted as the first move in an attempt to send him packing.
But Poitevint hinted at dissatisfaction with Steele’s early performance, which has been marked by gaffes — the latest over Mitt Romney and his Mormon faith. “There’s an impatience within the Republican base. I think that’s what you see at the RNC,” Poitevint said.
Sue Everhart, re-elected by acclamation as chairman of the state GOP this weekend, twisted many an arm in January to get Steele elected. And will do so again this week to preserve his authority.
To slap controls on Steele would be a blunder for a party looking to expand its reach, she thinks.
“We’ve had chairmen that were very extravagant, we’ve had chairmen that were frugal,” said Everhart. “To me it would be sending a message. Do we not want him to be able to write checks because he’s black? We don’t trust him? Why?
“I don’t think we need to put anything on Michael that we didn’t put on any other chairman,” she said. “I think it’s just a bunch of people who didn’t get who they wanted, so they want to punish him.”
Linda Herren is the third Georgia Republican on the RNC. She’s not opposed to controls aimed at exorbitant spending.
But the constantly morphing draft resolutions she’s seen would require Steele to get approval for expenditures over $100,000 to $150,000.
“You can spend that in stamps,” she said. “That would pretty much tie his hands.”
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27 comments Add your comment
Notoray
May 17th, 2009
5:26 pm
The Republicans were on fire with the Contract with America when they gained Congressional majority in the mid-1980s. But as soon as they were in control, they abandoned all their campaign talk about smaller, less intrusive government, eliminating waste (including a number of federal agencies), and balancing the budget. And that’s why so many people abandoned them.
Get Newt back onboard with a new Contract with America and this time do what you say you’ll do. And do it now, before Obama destroys everything this country stands for.
The Snark
May 17th, 2009
5:32 pm
Looks to me like the President has his hands full trying to mend all the things this country stands for, things that your beloved Republicans trashed. Or maybe you enjoyed warrantless wiretaps?
Why worry about wiretaps Snark?
May 17th, 2009
5:56 pm
Do you have something to hide?
I don’t and they can wiretap my phone any day they want!
Pointy-headed intellectual
May 17th, 2009
7:05 pm
Yeah, what is the problem with warrantless wiretaps? After all, the Founders were really silly to mandate that warrants be obtained before any searches are conducted.
Kris in Loganville
May 17th, 2009
9:05 pm
Warrantless wiretaps are not American. The Republicans collapsed because the system they have always supported has collapsed: Corporate America. Average Americans have witnessed that the ferocious economic feline that was once the mighty Fortune 500-AKA the force guiding the Republican party- has now shriveled into a harmless, toothless kitten. Meow!
That said, Republicans’ natural base of big spenders is dwindling since the George Bush economy has bankrupted many of them, so Republicans are now only left with a ragtag assortment of white supremacists, anti-abortion advocates, Bible thumpers, a few soccer moms, and people over the age of 75. Not a winning coalition.
Republicans have no solutions and only offer hopeless sermons patched together from the remnants of 1980s Reagan speeches. Their leaders are out of touch and over the hill. Republicans need to realize that the America that voted for George Bush is not the same America which voted for President Obama: We have learned our lessons and we won’t be fooled anymore. We want a government that works with and for the people-not steamrolls over us.
And those of you who are waiting for the Great Return Of Newt as if he is some sort of deity need to keep holding your breath. The demographics have all changed in this country, along with the economic picture. Not a good fit for the extreme-right ideals of Newt and his guests. The formulas that worked for Republicans in the past no longer get the job done. Your message is hopelessly stuck in the past, and so are your party leaders.
vuduchld
May 17th, 2009
9:58 pm
When will Republicans realize that to look at failure is to look at themselves in the mirror. Your party is not a white knight, on a white horse out to save a damsel in distress, that was done in the 20th century, Birth of a Nation, remember!?
For all your bluster and bluffing all I heard was a lot of whining from a bunch of losers who don’t have the intellect or vision to solve problems. We the people have seen through your transparency and will never again let idiots like you dictate any agenda, let alone the involves our lives and futures.
Frankly, all you Republican clowns can do is step aside and let REAL LEADERS lead. If you think that what you had in Savannah was leadership this weekend then you ne’er-do-wells are smoking some serious meth!!
Mainstream
May 17th, 2009
9:59 pm
Kris,
If the capitalist system is so bad, and it does become completely controlled by government, who exactly is going to do the work????
Am I supposed to work hard so you won’t have to or am I alrady doing that for you? And just what exactly has led you to believe that all capitalists are greedy crooks but elected and appointed government officials are not??
Careful what you ask for friend. You just might get it!
Boots
May 17th, 2009
10:39 pm
The Republican party will not become relevant by acting like a bunch of third graders with their stupid little “Democrat Socialist” name calling.
They need to run viable candidates — not retreads — and offer some intelligent answers to the perplexing problems of the 21st century. Cutting taxes on the rich and Reagan’s trickle down economics just doesn’t feed the dog anymore.
And, electing a black Chairman of the RNC in an effort to attract blacks from the democrats is about a stupid as thinking Sara Palin could capture Hillary’s votes.
death to haters
May 17th, 2009
11:14 pm
Thx God for us Democrat Socialists lol ya’ll just follow us we will show you how to run that party lol
La tyrannie des les Républicaines me rend malade. Je veux la liberté, la fraternité et l'égalité pour les Etats-Unis
May 18th, 2009
9:05 am
Mainstream,
I’ll bet you weren’t whining quite so loudly whenever the Bushies were involved in corporate welfare. After all, it’s different when Republicans do it.
Your morning jolt: A $105 argument in Alaska, and quiet doings at the state GOP convention | Political Insider
May 18th, 2009
9:54 am
[...] According to the new rules, national committee members are now limited to three four-year terms. The RNC member from Georgia most immediately affected is former state GOP chairman Alec Poitevint, one of the “dissidents” looking to subject the new national chairman to tighter fiscal controls. [...]
J Conservative
May 18th, 2009
9:57 am
Yeah, I don’t have anything to hide so they can do a warrantless wiretap on my phone anytime! And, I do not own a handgun so they
can do gun registration anytime they want. And, they can take private property anytime they want just so they say it is in the name of national security. And, to save money for REAL national defense, they can start quartering troops in private houses without the consent of
the owner – everyone with more than 2 bedrooms gets to keep 2 troops for each extra bedroom. Think of the savings!
“Those who willingly give up their liberties in the name of security, deserve neither…”
Stephen
May 18th, 2009
9:58 am
I give Michael Steele no more than 6 more months before they all agree that the strategy of putting him in charge, without giving him any real power, did not work.
The inclusiveness charade is a huge bust and the majority of people saw it for what it was right from the beginning!!!
Sean's Cavity
May 18th, 2009
10:19 am
One of the core values of the GOP is exclusionary politics. So bringing in Steele was nothing more than yet another example of the GOP moving away from their core and selling themselves to a misguided belief of chasing the “next big thing”. Silly rabbits, just because an African-American wins the POTUS, doesn’t mean that you go off and find an African-American to push your product. Steele is a state-level loser. The GOP needs to go back and find one their blue bloods who taps his foot in the airport restrooms (or cheats on his wife) to guide them in the next set of national elections. You know, a champion of family values.
Corey
May 18th, 2009
10:24 am
WHY WORRY ABOUT WIRETAPS SNARK, everytime you have a phone conversation with anyone regardless of the topic why don’t you just invite the entire neighborhood to listen in? Are you old enough to remember the old party line phone system?
EJ Moosa
May 18th, 2009
10:24 am
Michale Steele and his double-speak are not helping the Republican Party. The problem lies within. They do not need high paid consultants to tell them the direction they need. They do not need re-branding. What they need is to stick to a set of principles, and they can be found in the US Constitutuion.
http://www.nolanchart.com/article6428.html
Ferguson
May 18th, 2009
10:45 am
The 1st thing the Republican Party needs to do is hire a leader that can compete with Barack Obama intellectually. That person is not Micheal Steele. It appears to me an African American female that Steele as hired because he is Black and not because of his intelligence. Thats a big mistake. Intelligent is what the leader of the Republican Party needs to be, and that could have been a person of any race. You guys really made a huge mistake with Micheal Steele. He is not going to help your situation. I never thought I would feel this way about the Republican Party, but I really feel sorry for you guys.
SaveOurRepublic
May 18th, 2009
11:28 am
Steele is just another Neocon/”RINO” Globalist pawn. That’s the major problem/downfall with the GOP…they’ve been co-opted by Machiavellian, Trotskyite Neocons and the Globalist agenda. Placing Steele as GOP Chairman was just a PR move meant to dupe a few sheeple (via this obvious window dressing). Also, most times we that we hear sniping towards the DNC (& vice-versa), it’s empty rhetoric to further promote the Left/Right paradigm control mechanism. The GOP & DNC “leadership” are two sides of the same (Globalist Elite) controlled coin!
http://www.infowars.com
ChefChuck
May 18th, 2009
11:33 am
All the Republicans need to do is listen to the party that LOST 7 of the last 11 presidential elections, right? The last pro-Palestinian socialist in the white house destroyed the military and the economy which handed the next three elections to the GOP. History has a way of destroying the left-wing arguments. In the end, everyone outside of the welfare class wants lower taxes and more free-market opportunities that reward hard work. By definition, this means less government. Was our country better off BEFORE dems took over congress in ‘06? Look it up.
LeftLuvr
May 18th, 2009
11:52 am
Seriously, folks, what do you think the margin of victory would be for the Democrats if Newt ran against Obama in 2012? That’s a lol if I ever heard one. You Repuglicans need to realize that the ONLY country you will ever run again is NASCAR country. yeehaw.
Reality
May 18th, 2009
12:17 pm
Perhaps Mr. Steele should invite his ex-brother-in-law (Mike Tyson) along when he has a speaking engagement? What are yall looking at me for? Did I say something wrong? Remember back in the nineties when Mike Tyson married a doctor from Maryland/DC. That’s her. She was obviously a gold digger. She new Tyson was a nut when she married him. I wonder if Tyson bank rolled any of Steele’s campaigns?
RickyBooby
May 18th, 2009
12:27 pm
D@mmnaggit “Reality” you are ABSOLUTLEY RIGHT! I cannot believe I didn’t catch that one!
Somehow I don’t think Mike cared much about politricks though.
Copyleft
May 18th, 2009
12:38 pm
Ferguson: “The 1st thing the Republican Party needs to do is hire a leader that can compete with Barack Obama intellectually.”
Not an option. If they put somebody smart in charge, they’ll alienate their base.
deegee
May 18th, 2009
5:26 pm
Steele defends Payment to Sister.
Michael S. Steele, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, said yesterday that there was nothing improper in a payment of more than $37,000 to his sister’s company for work on his 2006 Senate campaign and that he would work with the FBI “to clear up my good name.” In his first public comments on the inquiry, Steele said on ABC’s “This Week” that the FBI is “winding this thing down,” although he did not explain how he knew that.
In recent days, federal agents have contacted his sister, Monica Turner, according to a spokesman for Steele. Steele said those contacts were for “purposes of closing out” the matter. He said he will be “proactive” in gathering information to give to the FBI.”
Bitter EX democrackkk
May 20th, 2009
6:02 am
Michael Steele is an OUTSTANDING choice for R-Chairman! Its still a mystery WHY most black folks still support the ORIGINAL party of SLAVERY, the democrackkks. Dont they realize that emancipation came from a Republican? STRIVE to be SMARTER than the EVIL controlling party of SLAVERY wants you to be! Get yourself OFF the government plantation of nannystatism.
Copyleft
May 20th, 2009
8:43 am
Bitter: What are you, 160 now? Yes, the Republican Lincoln helped end slavery.
And for the past 50 years, the party of white bigotry has been that “same” Republican party… which, of course, bears no resemblance to the party it was back in the 1860s.
Black voters are smart enough to know who harbors and encourages today’s bigots… and it sure isn’t the Democrats.
RNC chairman hints he’ll quit if party purse strings taken out of his hands | Political Insider
May 20th, 2009
10:22 am
[...] Georgia members of the RNC are knee-deep in the debate. Here’s the backgrounder from Monday. [...]