Michael Steele Becomes Powerless RNC Chairman
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Money, Republicans
This comes as no surprise to those of us who’ve been following the floundering Steele, and it speaks to just how rudderless the GOP is right now.
Capitulating to critics on the Republican National Committee, embattled Republican Party Chairman Michael S. Steele has signed a secret pact agreeing to controls and restraints on how he spends hundreds of millions of dollars in party funds and contracts, The Washington Times has learned.The “good governance” agreement revives checks and balances Mr. Steele resisted implementing for RNC contracts, fees for legal work and other expenditures that were not renewed after the 2008 presidential nominating contest.
The agreement, proposed by several current and former RNC officials, goes further, making 33-year RNC veteran Jay Banning, who was fired by Mr. Steele along with his deputy last month, an on-call adviser to the RNC treasurer. Mr. Banning was seen as a trusted liaison to RNC members critical of Mr. Steele’s tenure and financial management.
The writing on the wall is clear. Steele is now a figurehead and little else. Because if he doesn’t have the ability to truly control the purse strings, he controls nothing in the GOP.
If I were him I’d quit and save myself further embarrassment. Besides, what’s he going to do after this besides become a lobbyist? Go back to Maryland and run for national office? Run for President? I find both scenarios unlikely and I’m sure most in the Republican party do too.
More as it develops…
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 and is filed under Money, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 7th, 2009 at 6:37 am
This is what the GOP gets (and deserves) for pulling a blatant post-Obama racial stunt.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:30 am
So in other words there is no space whatsoever in between king and puppet? Either you have 100% control or you are a figurehead?
OK, well suppose Steele loses his job and these rules stay ion effect. Then everyone else who takes the job is a figurehead from day 1, right? I’ll remember that when you come up with some sort of more Rove-ish spin on the next guy.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:35 am
Uh… Steele was already on the radar and being talked about for GOP chairman well before Obama became flavor of the month, EI. He impressed a lot of people in 2006 during his Senate run, me included, and after losing that race was widely talked about as a potential GOP Chairman to replace Ken Mehlman.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:40 am
before Obama became flavor of the month
And it is this kind of crack that makes people think that Republicans are racists.
May 7th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Only in the most warped if not outright deranged of imaginations could any kind of racism be insinuated into the claim that this President is popular but that it won’t last, Kevin. I do appreciate, though, your taking the time to strengthen the claims of some to my right that liberals are apt to press the “racism” button at the first, faintest smoke of what might be a criticism of this President.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:10 am
The color of Steele’s skin is irrelevant. He’s a member of the race of Idiots, which crosses all boundaries of skin color, party, religion or nationality.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Simon-
I’m sorry if I misread you Simon, I thought you were referring to the fact that since the Democrats had a popular black man that the Republicans would get one. No one obviously has made that connection. No one spotted it with Palin either when they wanted the woman’s vote. How stupid do you think people are. For a party that says no to affirmative action they sure seem to use race and gender as factors for their hiring. Of course I am sure everyone but you has it wrong again.
Absent the racial component, it is still offensive to denigrate an obviously intelligent, well-spoken man solely because you don’t like his politics. He has solid skills, argue against his policies if you wish but saying he’s fluff is petty. That is why you are so woefully in decline and bitter.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Kevin, it isn’t a “fact” that “since the Democrats had a popular black man that the Republicans would get one.” That’s exactly the point of my earlier comment: Steele was already being talked about as a candidate for GOP chairman before Obama was being talked about as a Presidential candidate. Nor does your point about Palin hold water: there were a number of reasons why Palin was selected that have nothing to do with a play for womens’ votes. I can’t say McCain didn’t choose her for that reason, because I don’t know, but the primary reasons her name was broadly-floated throughout early 2008 had to do with her credentials and, particularly after McCain won the nomination, her unique status among possible veep nominees as someone who could unify the party behind the ticket.
As to “denigrat[ing]” Obama, I have seen no evidence that he is “well-spoken.” I have seen it repeated over and over again that he is so, to the point that it has congealed into conventional wisdom, but having watched his speeches ad nauseum (including once in person), I don’t find him to be particularly eloquent in style or engaging in substance.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Simon
As usual, I find your conclusion to be out of touch with most but that is ok. I am there often myself.
Out of curiosity, Who would you say is a good speaker or someone who is well-spoken? I think that Obama has some speech affectations that drive me up the wall but he is an extremely effective speaker. He would have had no chance to be where he is without it. Like it or not, he has inspired a lot of people. I would think that even begrudgingly you would admit that.
I’ll make you a deal, let’s find some things where you and I both try to start by not thinking the worst motives of the other.
Perhaps music could be a start, I’ll only listen to liberal artists like Peter Gabriel. You can have Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Ted Nugent, Lee Greenwood and Toby Keith. :-)