by Mark Silva
Michael Steele, newly seated chairman of the Republican National Committee, and the first African-American leader of "the party of Lincoln,'' vows that his party will reach out for broader support while remaining true to its core principles - "life,'' fiscal conservatism, protection of the borders and more.
Asked about the deficits that the party has run up in the House and Senate - shown the sizes of the margins the majority Democrats have massed - Steele had this to say today:
"That's ugly isn't it -- that's some ugly numbers,'' the chairman said in an interview on FOX News Sunday. "Now we've got an opportunity to turn it around...
"Putting good candidates in a position to win, that's my job,'' said Steele (pictured at the right in a photo of the party's new and old faces, Steele, left, Sen. John McCain, right, in a photo by Monica Lopossay/Baltimore Sun/MCT) Steele, who was seated as RNC chairman on Friday in the sixth round of voting among divided committee members, said today: "We're not going to win all of them, but we're going to start to win in races that matter....
"The losses you displayed there had nothing to do with our values for life, our values for the economy,'' Steele told FOX News host Chris Wallace - rather, the chairman maintains, it was a matter of straying from the party's principles.
"When we said we believed in less government, we spent more... We had a contract with America... ten principles that would follow...We moved away from that,'' Steele said. "Tthey moved away from us because we behaved badly. We came to Washington and we behaved like the people we came to replace, and they replaced us.''
Steele was asked about a comment he made after the RNC vote on Friday - warning that anyone who will stand in the way of the party's progress should "get ready to be knocked over.''
"I'm thinking of both inside and outside the party,'' Steele said. "It's time for us now to move this party now on the ideas that matter... My goal is to move this party forward. We're in the business of winning elections... I'm expecting (all) to get on board... for a winning pace to move forward.''
For those who want to engage in name calling and tired old tactics, he said, "I don't have time for it.''
So, in appealing to more voters, should the GOP be looking at its stance on immigration, for instance?
"The GOP's position on immigration is very much the position of many, many Hispanics who are in this country,'' said Steele. "The GOP's position is secure our borders first, let us know, let the American people know, that we have taken care of the important issue of dealing with illegal immigration...
"How we message that is where we messed up the last time,'' he said. "We were pegged as being anti-immigrant, and nothing could be further from the truth.''
The chairman is "a pro-life Roman Catholic conservative, always have been,'' he said, yet "the reality of it is, the party has to recognize the diversity of the opinion that is out there.... We can't get everyone to agree... There are some 80 percent issues out there...''
So, if someone believes in a woman's right to choose or gay rights, where is the 80 percent? Wallace asked.
"You just narrowed my scope to two issues,'' Steele complained. "If those are the two issues they disagree with us on... there are a whole range of issues out there that we can address and the American people can come to our table... ''
What about the party standing in unanimous opposition to the economic stimulus plan of a new Democratic president, Barack Obama, with 70 percent approval ratings, Wallace asked.
"I'm saying the GOP did what the GOP had to do to protect the interests of the American people,'' Steele said. "That's a bad bill. It's not a stimulus bill. It's a spending bill... The Republican (House members) did a great job of drawing the line...
What if all the Republicans oppose it in the end, are they obstructionist? Wallace asked. "If I think you propose something that's not in my best interests, why should I be considered obstructionist if I don't agree with it,'' Steele said.
How about some new ideas for the party to address?
"Let's focus on poverty,'' Steele said. "Let' focus on somebody who is being poorly trained in a public school... give their parents a choice.'' They did it in his hometown of Washington, D.C., he said. "Create those opportunities...;;
How about the future of the party - name three new faces of the party who are under 50, Wallace asked.
"I say, certainly Bobby Jindal, Gov. Sanford, Palenty, Palin,'' Steele said. "We have a whole host of folks out there who are starting to emerge and will serve us well in the future.''
Let the record reflect that the chairman named the governors of Louisiana, South Carolina and Minnesota before Alaska.
Comments
" "I say, certainly Bobby Jindal, Gov. Sanford, Palenty, Palin,'' Steele said. "We have a whole host of folks out there who are starting to emerge and will serve us well in the future.'' "
OK. You can take Palin and Jindal off the list of national candidates. This is the 21sr century, and most people of right mind, are not going to vote for a couple of "creationism"
believers. The base will love them, but the other 80% are not going to vote for someone living in the bible instead of reality.
Sanford: Government is the problem, and let the people eat cake.
He is having trouble throwing this trash around even in South Carolina, where the people are telling him to get on board and get their state some needed Government money.
So, that leaves Palenty, and whatever undiscovered bench that will make the varsity by 2012.
A Republican comeback in the next 4 years is possible. They have to find their own Obama; hey, it can't be that hard, even the Democrats found one, but they happen to hang out with all people, not just THEIR PEOPLE
Posted by: barkleyg | February 1, 2009 10:43 AM
They could not have picked a better man for the job. The one bright spot in the Republican party.
Posted by: Paul | February 1, 2009 11:06 AM
Let the puppet games begin. Black is not the answer to the RNC problems, it's the negativity. This was a weak move, Steele is no OBAMA, nor is he even a Tim Kaine (DNC chairman of VA), The RNC negativity and Divide and Conquers ways will continue to keep them weak.
Posted by: Steele no Obama | February 1, 2009 12:08 PM
Michael "George Bush is my homeboy" Steele. Well, Mike before you start sparring with President Obama you should give him a call and thank him for getting you the job. Rosa sat so Martin could walk, Martin walked so Barack could run, and Barack's victory helped bring about change in America and the Republican party.
Posted by: Beltway Greg | February 1, 2009 12:13 PM
Great choice. Steele has been in my town at a few fundraising events and came across as a great person.
Ryan
Posted by: Ryan Biddulph | February 1, 2009 12:16 PM
So glad for Michael Steele's RNC win, and his choices of Palin, Pawlenty and Jindal will energize the party. As for Gov. Sanford, I was not impressed with his demeaning sarcasm when asked about Gov. Palin during a recent Fox interview with Bret Baer. It was a cheap shot against a governor with a super high approval rating and a wonderful public persona. Gov. Palin is on OUR side, Gov. Sanford, remember? Let's learn from the past and not throw one of our own under the bus again! We need 100% unity from within to win. Chairman Steele, we're counting on you to keep your eyes and ears open. The next election depends on it. Congratulations and let's rock on to 2012!
Posted by: taraking | February 1, 2009 1:09 PM
Obama's coattails surely picked up some strange lint.
Posted by: ornery | February 1, 2009 2:36 PM
Good luck with your agenda, Mr. Steele. The way your party is behaving, you are going to need it!
Posted by: athena | February 1, 2009 2:59 PM
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Posted by: Steele no Obama | February 1, 2009 12:08 PM
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Wash out your headgear, Jack. Steele isn't trying to be the Republican version of Obama, and no one in the Republican Party is touting him that way.
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Steele actually represents change for the Republicans. No, it isn't the kind of change "progressives" are looking for. But Steele actually acknowledges that Republican politicians haven't been true to conservative principles. And he's right. Whatever we saw during Bush's two terns may not have been liberalism, but it sure wasn't conservatism either. He wants the party to return to the conservative ideals of small government, fiscal responsibility, accountability and a strong national defense.
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So please try to wrap your tiny little mind around the idea that maybe Republicans voted for him as RNC chairman because of his substance, rather than his superficial similarity to some other politician. Your failure to consider that possibility shows just how biased and blinded you really are.
Posted by: John W. | February 1, 2009 3:52 PM
I have admired Mr. Steele and hope he follows through on most of what he said, however I have misgivings on his moderate views and will oppose any changes of our party to the neoconservative or progressive ideologies. Affirmative action in particular is not a majority opinion or even a fair and workable solution. As for the Party of Lincoln, our nation needs to look into the true Lincoln agenda regarding bigger government, higher debt and a multitude of true facts that are unknown
Posted by: Barbara | February 1, 2009 4:02 PM
"As for the Party of Lincoln, our nation needs to look into the true Lincoln agenda regarding bigger government, higher debt and a multitude of true facts that are unknown
Posted by: Barbara | February 1, 2009 4:02 PM "
Pray tell Barbara, please enlighten us to what the LINCOLN AGENDA is regarding government, national debt, and whatever else you think it
encompasses. Especially the "multitude of true facts that are unknown" At least now I know where Rummy found the line!
I have NEVER heard of the Lincoln Agenda.
Posted by: barkleyg | February 1, 2009 8:18 PM
What, now we go and find our own “magic Negro”?
This is a very, very sad day for America. The election of Steele proves that the Republican party will not go in the direction they need to for the sake of our country. They can expect to be in the minority for quite some time to come.
Are you a true conservative or just a kool aid drinker? If you are a true conservative then you would listen to what this other true conservative has to say about him.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/deacesteelernc
Steve Deace is so right about him.
He’s a RINO. On that we can be clear. This proves that the Republican Party’s move to the Left might be a permanent legacy of the Bush years.
Posted by: Greg | February 1, 2009 11:03 PM
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Posted by: Greg | February 1, 2009 11:03 PM
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Steve Deace is not right about Steele. Deance’s idiotic rampage about Steele is based on his believe that the main difference between “Republicans” and “liberals” consists of their stands on social issues like gay marriage and abortion - and that’s simply not true. In fact, I believe Deace has the tail wagging the dog on this one.
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The main difference between conservatives and so-called “liberals” is not their stand on social issues. The main difference is the fact that Republicans are supposed to support the ideas of small, non-intrusive government, fiscal responsibility, government accountability and a good national defense. Republicans also believe that social issues should be decided as close to home as possible: by the individual and his/her family first, by society as whole second, and then, in progressive order, by local government, state government, and the federal government at the very last. (You know, “states’ rights” and all that stuff?) “Liberals” or “progressives,” on the other hand, believe that government is THE proper medium to bring about all desirable economic, political and social change. Therefore, they not only believe that big, intrusive government is tolerable and good, they also believe that the federal government is the best and first place to deal with all important issues. If they had their way, federalism and constitutional orthodoxy would be a thing of the past, and we would only have one large universal government. Such has been the trend of the Democratic Party since the era of FDR’s “New Deal.”
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Bush and his neo-con cadres took bits and pieces from both sides of the aisle (and some from south of no north) and concocted a monster made in hell. They blended the “progressive” ideals favoring “big government” and a “welfare state” with the values of a police state, constant war, secrecy, fiscal irresponsibility, unaccountability, and a contempt for local decision making. The only manner in which the Bush administration resembled conservatism was its half-hearted gestures toward a small number of social issues. It totally ignored the institutional, fiscal and foreign policy traditions previously prescribed by Republican Presidents. I don’t know what you want to call it, but it didn’t at all resemble the traditions of the conservative movement, and I was very glad when it stopped parading around, falsely pretending to represent conservatism.
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In this regard, Steele is a great leap in the right direction on a lot of issues. He says we have to get back to our root principles of small-government, fiscal responsibility, federalism, and a strong national defense. It is because of the last administration’s failures in these latter areas that the Republican Party has lost the support of its conservative base. Thus, Steele has pointed the Republican Party back into the right direction.
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Now, don’t get me wrong: Steele has some ideas with which I do not agree. On the other hand, Steele didn’t get elected to either Congress or the White House. He is only part policy maker for an organization designed to help candidates win elections. He won’t set policy in Washington. On the issues in which more socially conservative voters may disagree with him, they still have the power to vote their conscience in local and federal elections to choose candidates whose platforms best fit their views. In short, he may not be perfect, but he’s head and shoulders above what we had before.
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PS - Your “magic negro” remark is both uncouth and unwelcome. It only perpetrates the Republican Party’s image of being exclusive and xenophobic. That’s got to stop. Conservatives believe in small government, fiscal responsibility, and all the rest because we believe these are best ways to secure “liberty.” We don’t do it to be stuffy, anal-retentive martinets. Ours is the tradition of Washington, Jefferson and Madison, the latter two being the men who gave us the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Ours is the party of Lincoln that brought us the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments - that embody the ideas of fairness, liberty and equality. If we believe these ideals are good, then we must cling to the belief they are good for everyone - and not just for those whose ancestors came from continental Europe. Mr. Steele, in this regard, also serves our best interests by welcoming greater inclusion from those who have seen themselves as excluded and unwelcome.
Posted by: John W. | February 2, 2009 2:56 AM
Leave it to the Repubs to find someone this corrupt and dishonest to be the RNC leader. Putting out flyers and bumper stickers that say he's a Democrat just to get votes in Democratic Maryland. He's a disgrace -- so for them, business as usual! No honesty or integrity. Way to look out for the country you wingnuts!
Posted by: Nancy | February 2, 2009 4:42 PM
Actually Nancy, you need to educate yourself on Maryland politcs. Have you ever heard the term "REAGAN DEMOCRAT"?
I'm from Maryland. Steele wasn't trying to deceive anybody with the Steele Democrat bumper sticker. Steele Democrat and Reagan Democrat are the same tagline.. Former Republican Governor Robert Erlich had a bumper sticker that said
"DEMOCRATS FOR ERLICH". Steele's Senate campaign had some that said STEELE DEMOCRAT. Only a retard would think that Steele was a Democrat in Maryland. Everybody in Maryland knows Steele is a Republican. The slogan meant simply that a Democrat that voted for Steele was merely a "STEELE DEMOCRAT". How stupid people can be not to figure that out? My mistake nancy.
Posted by: Tyrone | February 4, 2009 10:50 PM
I would like your assessment/opinion regarding recent mainstream media hype that are now touting Colin Powell as the "new" head of the Republican Party. He is a man who stabbed Bush II in the back, openly backed and voted for Obama and now is trying to promote himself as a Republican?? He is neither Republican and certainly not a conservative. He is not the voice of conservatism and should openly become part of Obama's socialist/marxist party.
Posted by: Gerald Stratbucker | May 28, 2009 10:03 AM