Breaking: Michael Steele To Run For 2nd Term As RNC Chairman …Update: Steele Releases Statement — Plays Race Card
Posted by Lady Liberty on Monday, December 13, 2010, 7:07 PM
He’s in!
(nj.com)
Neil Cavuto announced that Michael Steele will run again as Republican National Committee Chairman.
FOX News reported:
Controversial Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who last month presided over the GOP’s biggest electoral gains since 1938, will announce tonight that he is running for re-election, Fox News has learned from two RNC members.
Ending weeks of rumors that he would not seek a second term, Steele plans to throw his hat into the ring during a conference call with RNC members at 7:30 p.m. ET, the sources said. Steele is said to be amused by false reports of his retirement and intentionally kept his plans secret for the last month in order to flush out competitors for the post, Fox has learned.
During Steele’s tenure, Republicans picked up 63 House seats in last month’s elections, the biggest gain in more than seven decades. But Steele has been dogged by criticism from some Republicans who see him as prone to missteps.
Criticism of Steele has helped lead to a crowded field of challengers seeking to head the RNC.
Related… Michael Steele’s tenure as RNC chairman marked by gaffes, disappointment.
UPDATE: Michael Steele released this statement this evening:
I want to sincerely thank each of you for giving me the opportunity to work with all of you over the past two years. I consider it a privilege and an honor.
Through your efforts, we have made historic contributions to the party and our country. We have done this in a bold way. But as you each know, now the stakes are higher, the work becomes harder and our commitment to complete the job—to ensure that Obama is a one term President—becomes more important.
The 2009 – 2010 cycle allowed us to chart the course and succeed in a new political environment.This new political environment included challenges like President Obama’s stimulus package, a democrat controlled congress, a bogus reform of our nation’s health care system, a recession, a demoralized American public, and unfair federal election laws.
However, I hope each of you appreciate that while we began this cycle bowed, we ended stronger, better and prouder.
Thanks to you and the American People, 2010 was a watershed year for Republicans and our conservative limited government movement. We elected 63 new members to take control of the House and 13 new Senators setting the stage for Senate control in 2012 and more than 690 new state legislators — more than ever before.
We achieved that in part because we adhered to two important principles: consistency and inclusion. Today members of the republican national committee govern themselves versus being ruled by a small cliquish elite. Together, we have laid the ground game for—as you’ve heard me say before—“turning the elephant” and now we must build the framework for winning the White House.
Our goal is clear: 270 electoral votes in 2012!We fired Pelosi so let’s increase our resources and strength to take back the senate, elect new governors and a principled republican leader to serve as President of the United States. United, we will make a difference for America’s future. You and i already know that.
The path to 2012 and 270 electoral votes requires leadership.
More… Ugh. Steele played the race card on his conference call tonight.
“This (race) will show if we are truly the party of Lincoln.”
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Published May 16, 2012 at 7:37 pm - 46 Comments
TiminPhx commented:
He might want to still update his resume.
Zipity commented:
Anyone doubt that Mr. Steele is angling to be PAID to go away…? I didn’t think so….
Lenore commented:
We need someone like Kevin Jackson.
tarpon commented:
well there are more useless people …
squeaky commented:
[Former Godfathers Pizza CEO Herman Cain signaled on Fox News that he could start taking formal steps to run for president in 2012 in the near future.] we need someone who will be committed to rebuilding the nation rather than the one who is slicing and dicing it.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2010/12/06/herman-cain-2012-exploratory-committee-could-come-soon/#ixzz181rhP4Bh
http://dailycaller.com/2010/12/06/herman-cain-2012-exploratory-committee-could-come-soon/
elhrac commented:
He made some mistakes early in his job, but he’s really not that bad.
RedBeard commented:
If this report is true, then shame on Michael Steele for putting his personal ambitions ahead of his party. He surely knows this will cause a rift and not do the party any good.
bg commented:
++
sorry.. but the samo lamo have got to move over & make room for the up &
coming “fire in the belly”, lets get something done representatives.. not the
carefully orchestrated “career moves” made by & for the establishment, not
“we the people”..
i’d still like to know who’s arthritic hand is up Mitch’s back.. duhd!!
==
cal rifkin commented:
Steele’s record is pretty damn good, and most fairminded people know that the issues brought up about him are 100% totally bogus. The repubs should be very happy to get him back for one more campaign.
Mike commented:
What about Sarah Palin? It’ll tick off a lot of posters here, but I think it would be pretty hard to win a presidential election. This would be a useful forum for her. She would surely do better than Steele.
tarpon commented:
Flashback — In particular, the way the RNC supported Gov Crist was outstanding.
Oldpuppymax commented:
This RINO was chosen in the first place to create black voters for the republican party. And didn’t he succeed MARVELOUSLY!!!! Please…if we are to have tokens forced down our throats, how about an actual CONSERVATIVE for a change!!! That would be the most RADICAL token republican elites could possibly choose!!
CatoRenasci commented:
Steele’s record of mismanagement, overspending, inability to work with donors, and his exceptionally limited role in the mid-term elections utterly disqualifies him from a second term.
The fact that he is running again, in the face of serious opposition and knowing that a fight over him will hurt the party, potentially seriously, adds further proof that he does not have the interests of the part or the country at heart and is not qualified.
I think it’s time for the party to cut him loose, take the hit for not reelecting the first black party chairman, and move on to rebuild the national organization. Enough!
Not a penny to the party while Steele is chairman.
Rancid commented:
So Soros bought him off again, eh?
Rancid commented:
#9 December 13, 2010 at 3:45 pm
cal rifkin
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=
You’re correct, he makes a great RINO.
m commented:
If Michael Steele does become the Chairman of Republican Party for second term, we might lose in 2012.
Redwine commented:
Palin would be the ideal person to lead the RNC and rally the GOP to restore conservative values.
Don Rodrigo commented:
Who does he think he is, Nancy Pelosi?
invisibledude commented:
NOT ONE DAMN PENNY.
CAN YOU HEAR US NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Taqiyyotomist commented:
#3 YES!!11eleventyone
Hell, Jim Hoft would be a better candidate than Steele. Unimaginably so.
IS THIS ALL THE (R)s GOT?
Sarah Palin maybe?
Walter Williams?
Bueller? McFly?
—-
“good grisf.” –Charlie Brown
Taqiyyotomist commented:
grief, that is. *
*(I blame Mr. Leinenkugel, and his “Red” for that typo, and any others in the following hours.)
Make Him Chairman Emeritus! commented:
The RNC ought to promote him, that way he can save face (into what position, I don’t know, but find one). He’s got his merits, and the RNC should be grateful for his service (remember how it was going to be a 40 year rule by D’s at the time he took over? it was a gutsy thing to do, and he did help the R’s become electable again).
Its just that he appears to have tolerated the RNC’s decline into a weaker financial position, and there have been too many of those embarrassing statements and set-backs (sometimes by locals or lower level staff, i.e. Bondage-gate). So thank him as you promote him, and find someone who is a good technocrat and fundraiser who does not need to be a media superstar or have daily television appearances.
The RNC could easily have done a lot worse, and the job is not easy. Steele is a talented guy who undoubtedly learned quickly on the job and was really quite good towards the end (i.e., the bus tour on firing Pelosi), but now has some baggage. Don’t forget, the RNC did help in winning the house, a huge achievement, even if many candidates would credit the RGA more…Plus the MSM will imply that the RNC has a problem with African Americans if he’s fired, even if that 100% BS!
ThePaganTemple commented:
Just put a bunch of random names in a hat and draw one out. Anything would be better than Steele,.
Mark1957 commented:
I nominate Micheal Reagan.
dirtmonkey commented:
Mr Steele, just walk away.
It is time for someone to LEAD the RNC.
This is no time for some affirmative action appointed figure head whose only accomplishment so far seems to be spending ridiculous amounts of money.
Now why does that seem familiar…hmmmm.
Drop the chalupa and walk away… just back away from the chalupa.
Valerie commented:
Somebody managed, somehow, to find and support some great minority candidates, something the Republican party really needed, and somehow, it happened, along with a wonderful turnaround, on Michael Steele’s watch.
Just sayin’
bg commented:
++
Valerie #26
oh, was he a Tea Partier??
==
texas commented:
woah.. judging by the comments, this is an angry bunch. I like Michael Steele. I’ve been following his progress for a long time. Sorry but, this guy IS a Conservative. Like it or not, he’s getting the same treatment as Palin from the Republican “insiders”. I’d say he was on a pretty good path if a lot of the RINO bringemdown squad is hot on his case in trying to disrespect & discredit him.
For what it’s worth, we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.GO MICHAEL STEELE!
LOL i’M RUNNING OFF NOW… NO REALLY …………I’M RUNNING……
bg commented:
++
i’ve nothing personal nor party wise against Mr. Steele, and would stick up
for anyone when they deserved it, as i have for him, however, i won’t stick
up for anyone if & when i know someone else could do better for “we the
people” vs “themselves or their party”, simple as that..
==
bear commented:
steele did his very best to deny, discredit and show disrespect to ALL Conservatives. I shall reiterate my notes written to the rnc on their laughable requests for money to support the rinos…..”no more money, no more votes for rinos. Dump steele, and tell him that he and the other rinos can kiss my butt!”
Texas #28, if steele is a conservative, then so is obama. (and don’t run…fly to Tulsa, cause we’ll find you if stay in baja Oklahoma. LOL back atcha.)
Sheila commented:
Steele’s the GOP’s magic negro and their official counterpoint to Obama’s election; there’s no way they’ll be able to get rid of him without lots of racism accusations and lots of money. I don’t care who’s chairman; they’re all mushes and there’s hardly a one I respect. My own two senators, Cornyn and Hutchison, are both total duds and hispanderers as well.
sam commented:
Michael Steele is an undercover obama operative, working to undermine the Republican Party.
backhoe commented:
He can run all he wants-
…but he cannot hide.
donh commented:
Thank you for your observation Texas #28. I agree with you. Steele is getting the same BUMS RUSH from the RINO establishment as Sarah Palin, Joe Miller, Sharon Angle , Christine O’Donnell , and anyone else who breaches this fire wall of corrupt republican socialists protecting the democratic party from any real opposition. Colin Powell, Conseleeza Rice, and JC Watts are not going to make the kind of progress we need . Steele actually believes in conservatism . When Al Sharptons plays the race card, I have seen Steele speak up and trump it. Never saw that with any of the Rino’s favorite token blacks like Colin Powell who just look the part of a black republican but never worked for any of our values. None of the black RINOS in our party have ever once come to our defense when a democrat accuses conservatives of being racist. I give Steele a lot of credit for standing up to the race hustlers.
mcc commented:
Palin is perfect for this job. She always comes to mind when I think of RNC Chair. If she’s considered it at all, here’s hoping she gives it a go.
ahem commented:
Give him the shaft.
Bill Mitchell commented:
I truly cannot stand this guy.
Bill Mitchell commented:
I would say Steele has about zero chance of winning. And of course when he loses he will say it’s because he is black. No its because you SUCK.
exceller commented:
Steele has to go, he’s been terrible. Under his tenure its all been about him.
ck commented:
It doesn’t really matter, the republican party needs to become the grass roots party or it will disappear. Everything is trending toward direct contributions to favored candidates. This is a good trend. We’re not going to get what we want until we beat the republican establishment into submission. The NRC is one of the reasons we’ve been beaten like a rented mule for the last several years. It was republicans that beat O’Donnell(f**k you Karl Rove) and Miller, not democrats.And, Sarah for RNC? screw that, you want Babe Ruth to be a bat boy?
CT commented:
WHY?
CT commented:
Why do you think we want you or need you Mr. Steele?
Simon commented:
Isn’t this the Michael Steel who said we have no chance of winning this year?
Simon commented:
Steele.
MidwestMan commented:
Time for him to go. If this is true, that he kept his plans hidden to flush out his competitors, then the position is about him, not the conservative movement. A person of integrity would have made his intentions to run again known long ago, to prevent a party fight.
He sought, while chairman, to profit personally with speaking engagements. Isn’t that why he was paid? He poured money into the Senate race in California long after it was obvious it wasn’t moving, and ignored contests where the money would be more productive. He was a spectator in the last election, and isn’t doing the conservative movement any good.
bg commented:
++
“This (race) will show if we are truly the party of Lincoln.”
~ Michael Steele
thank you for clearing my mind of any doubt and confirming to me that
you are not worthy Mr. Steele (also feels good to know i was leaning in
the right direction from the get go)..
==
wlshow commented:
Under the tenure Steele has big wins. You might not like him or his approach but what he has over all of his challengers and critics is scoreboard. And when conservatives and republican finally get that nothing is even possible without winning it will be a good day. I want to win with the right folks too, but raising a ton of money ( which they say is his weak point) and losing is not the way I want to go.
w commented:
Ken Blackwell
Frank DiSalle commented:
Just the idea that he gives no credit to the Tea Parties , tells you all you need to know about him. Somebody please give him a higher paying job to shut him up, before he lose the 2012 Elections
timp commented:
Yeah- big wins that he had nothing to do with. Money went directly to candidates because the people were tired of funding his personal fun crap. He needs to go.
bitterclinger commented:
Michael Steele made those nasty comments about Rush being “an entertainer who inflames people” and the ever-popular “Well, sure, abortion should be a choice for everyone.”
What a conservative!
The RNC is also $24 million in the hole. Let’s re-elect Steele and keep on digging.
Re those who think RNC Chair would be a good fit for Palin — how insulting. Do all the heavy lifting and get offered a grunt job. She already turned it down, FYI, and with a far more polite response than was needed.
Fred C commented:
time for him to go.
Time to make room for new, conservative blood…..he doesn’t get it, and is part of the problem.
Fred C commented:
and BTW????
None of the “Big Wins” are attributable to Steele. None.
CatoRenasci commented:
I think what it comes down to is he doesn’t have a job and doesn’t have any money saved — and he doesn’t think he can get by on unemployment for the next 99 weeks…..
mac commented:
He was a disaster as RNC chair and we won this year in spite of him. I told the RNC that Hell would freeze over before I ever gave them another nickel while Steele was head. He’s not the man for the job and the sooner he is gone, the sooner we start to get some decent leadership. He and Obama have more than skin color in common–they both need to be deposed from their positions so someone competent can get started sorting out the disaster they’ve created. Dump him–NOW!
Valerie commented:
Mr. Steele’s updated resume is as follows:
“We elected 63 new members to take control of the House and 13 new Senators setting the stage for Senate control in 2012 and more than 690 new state legislators — ”
#57 – disaster, yes – for the Democrats.
bg commented:
++
Valerie #58
“we”, sounds like Obama, who’s “we”??
==
==
Joann Walker commented:
I have always liked Mr. Steel’s writing and speeches. However, he is not a very effective Republican Chairman. The conservative voters came out and voted not because of Mr. Steele but in spite of him.
higgins190 commented:
Power corrupts. Exhibit A: Micheal Steele.
GLM In Ohio commented:
#60 – You are absolutely correct. I didn’t give Steele a single thought prior to, during, or after the election, except to remind myself not to send him any money to prop up the RINOS in the Republican Party. I’ve never met the man, but anyone who dismisses the Tea Party movement sucks in my book…. Period! Steele may have stumbled into a victory in November, but I’m sure what happened in November was coming regardless of who filled his office. It’s a damn shame he couldn’t be a REAL Conservative Republican, because if he was, he’d be a real asset to the party … walking, talking proof that we’re all about Conservative principles and we’re color blind.
This movement is all about removing the “business as usual” politicians from Washington, and Steele certainly fits into that category. This fight is so far from over …. I pray that we can stay strong and don’t give up before the job is done. The future of our country depends on it …
Rose commented:
Throw Steele under the bus – let him join the party of his fellow believers, the Dims.
No more RINOS.
If the RNC re-selects him as anything AT ALL, the GOP is down the drain.
Period. They stand in bad enough disrepute in the midst of this tax compromise with Odrama Queen.
They aren’t going to survive this.
Militant Conservative commented:
I’m going on safari, bringing my big bore rifles.
Hunting Black RINO, very rare and illusive.
Won’t get much for him though as he has no stones nor horns.
Aww hell who am I kidding?! rubber band and a paperclip is all I’ll need to bag this wimp.
what I think commented:
If he was running for Chair of the TEA Party, that would be news.
But he just wants to run what’s left of the Republicans. Ehh, go ahead.