Goody! Pass the popcorn.

I may be way out of line here, playing the race card for a cheap comment - yet, I wonder if Chmn. Steele's heritage played a key role in his being elected (selected?) as RNC Chairman.

Just wondering...

it reminds me of the Biblical phrase about "confounding mine enemies". The GOP does seem befuddled!

Aww, lemme stop to brush the crocodile tears from my eyes.

And I would add, with examples of leadership like Sarah Palin -- what's she charging for her Tea Bagger Rally appearance, something like $100K? -- Republicans can hardly complain about "us[ing] his position to line his own pockets." Using government contacts to funnel money to the wealthy -- including yourself -- is what modern Republicanism is all about!

. . . but leaders would be even less inclined to start a whole new fight over who would replace Steele.

Oh yeah! With the Teabaggers feeling their oats, that would be a battle royal worthy of a pay-per-view event.

Heck, I might even be willing to pay to watch it. I mean, you only get to see the disintegration of a major political party about once a century.

"...ousting the party leader during an election year would be a significant distraction for Republicans, and signal disarray and division."

"Signal" to who, Steve? Given the abysmal level of analysis that passes for political reportage in this country, the Village (Idiot) media would be more likely to spin a Steele force-out as a sign that Republicans are determined, united, and have their act together - as opposed to Democratic "disarray and division".

Don't you remember the fundamental rule of Washington journalism? - "EVERYTHING is good news for Republicans"???

I don't know if I'd call it Steele's bad week, but definitely bad for repubs. Steele seems ready to ride this all the way to the bank, then jump off when it's over. Money, publicity--it's all good for him!

Is anyone else disgusted with the media, another example was yesterday when Guilliani was on TV saying there were no domestic terrorist attacks under Bush, but one under Obama. The media never calls these people out on their lies. On Sunday CNN will have Lieberman & McCain on to talk about the underwear attacker, that's a useless couple if there was one. Lieberman was the chairman of oversight of homeland security I wonder if he was too busy stopping decent healthcare for Americans to have any oversight meetings.

As a lifelong republican, we knew that this was coming. Everyone knows that you should never give the checkbook to a Negro!

Steele's problems are actually good news for the Republican Party. We will still be able to point out that Steele's failures are minimal compared to those of The Chosen One.

This just verifies the mistake that the American people were fooled into making in November of 2008. Further proof that quota systems for blacks are a big mistake.

We will get rid of Steele after the elections this fall and get hard at work at the task of removing the other high visiblity Negro from the presidency.

We can all thank Sean Hannity for Michael Steele. I do believe it was Sean who lobbied hard for the "articulate" Steele to become RNC chair.

I think the significant point here is that while "unqualified Republican politician who gets into trouble" is a well-established Washington type, the trouble usually ends up being self-inflicted or inflicted on the country at large rather than on other Republicans. This suggests that the Republican party no longer understands that qualifications or abilities have any significance whatsoever. Not something you want to see in a party that intends to take over the government in the 2010 elections.

Heck, I might even be willing to pay to watch it. I mean, you only get to see the disintegration of a major political party about once a century.

Posted by: SteveT on January 8, 2010 at 9:36 AM

Oh, I'd give a month's salary and pay whatever pay-per-view (in HD!) was charging to watch that train wreck in action. Then again, since the GOP is pretty much stuck with him, I hope Steele keeps loudly running his mouth 24/7 and just keeps tearing a bigger and bigger hole in the GOP ship's hull. He's astonishingly tacky and a full-blown idiot: just what the Republicans deserve!

They had to have a Negro and this was the best they could do. Kind of like thinking that Palin was their answer to Hillary.

Understanding Michael Steele is a little easier when you find out who's coaching him:

http://bit.ly/3ppyiu

(satire)

RepublicanPointOfView

"Don't give a Negro the checkbook"? This is the 21st Century not the 19th.

Even in the old days of slavery Negros were entrusted with the raising of children & the preparing of food. Now you're telling us that they can't be trusted with money?

I heard David Gregory on the radio this morning saying that Steele will be appearing with Tim Kaine on the Press the Meat this Sunday.

michael steele's tribulations can only be very good news for republicans come november. it says so right here in the village guidebook to washingtoon d.c.

...ousting the party leader during an election year would be a significant distraction for Republicans, and signal disarray and division.

Frankly, it is unlikely that most people would even notice. The party is already in disarray and division, and people outside the political elite and pundit corps probably don't even know who he is.

db, look up the word satire, RepublicanPointOfView was mocking republicans.

I am worried Steele is going to go off the deep end and switch parties, then we will have to deal with that clown.

I kind of feel bad for Steele. He was muzzled from doing what he wanted almost from the beginning and he's failed at every single thing he's ever done in life. In the end, it seems he's given up and just trying to profit before he gets booted.

I am worried Steele is going to go off the deep end and switch parties, then we will have to deal with that clown.

Unless, of course, he's a deep-cover operative for the DNC, in which case we should just let him carry on as usual.

Who do they think will replace him? If I remember correctly they had to settle on him after other choices said no.

Things done for the wrong reasons, never seem to work out that well - Electing Steele to head the RNC seemed to be a reflexive response to Obama winning a national election by a lot. Republicans patted themselves on the back and said to each other "see, we are just as big a tent". It wasn't some closely held, arcane secret that Michael Steele isn't very smart and is kind of a jackass.

The whole of the mess left by Bush are the unintended consequences of things done for the wrong reasons, decisions made by people who are not very smart and hold crowns for Jackassery.

Is it at all possible that he was trying to "motivate the base" with his "not the year" statement? It's a little different strategy than Newt's "Contract on America" in '94, but who knows? I say let the man speak. Over and over and over!

Are any Republicans reading this blog? I hope so.

I have been an unrepentant Democrat and/or Independent all my life, but this Steele guy, he's causing me to re-examine my traditional prejudice against the GOP. He's witty, unpredictable, off the hook! Nowadays, I look forward to what the RNC has to say about the issues that concern me.

Oh, and I have lots of money (why else would I lean Republican?) that I might want to send the RNC if Steele is allowed to continue to express himself and attract vital, affluent, hep, incoherent voters like myself.

The traditional Republicans should think carefully (and tell their friends!) before they attempt to rein in their throbbing, bouncing, pulsating voice of the future.

The more of a mess Steele makes, the more I agree with the sentiment that he must be a brilliant Democratic operative; there's just no way anybody could be that stupid, is there?

Yes! Michael Steele is that stupid; he has lived off of wingnut welfare in Maryland for years.

As sduffys alludes above, Steele remains perfectly safe as long as he stays black while there's a black Democratic president in the White House. Steele is the Republicans' cover for pushing the racism envelope in the hope of firing up their base. We can't be racists - why, look; the RNC Chairman is black!

I think it's hilarious that:

1. Republican leaders are apoplectic that a Republican leader is expressing his own opinion over party-line talking points, as well as saying things which are more or less true;

2. Republican leaders were so willing to choose as the head of the RNC someone who is such a breathtaking, absolute buffoon just because he's black - something along the lines of burning down an office building to fix a mouse problem.

The more of a mess Steele makes, the more I agree with the sentiment that he must be a brilliant Democratic operative; there's just no way anybody could be that stupid, is there?

Him and Ann Coulter, one of the most brilliant left-leaning satirists in American history.

Steele is such a self-promoter that he is consumed with his own ego and sense of greatness. It seems he doesn't weigh the benefits and risks of what he says, which seems impulsively self-defeating,
in a way. He is a gift that keeps on giving, though, to Democrats.
Why wasn't more made of the Republican National Committee's health insurance plans paying for Republicans' abortions--such hypocrisy of these right wingers, huh? Those who endlessly spout about limiting women's reproductive rights having coverage for their own abortion needs.
What jokers. Endless hypocrisy.

Palin/Steele 2012!!!

"...his recent efforts to use his position to line his own pockets seems to have pushed some Republicans over the edge."

Now just a second here. I was under the impression that this is SOP for the Republican Party, part of the unwritten code. Was I wrong? Hasn't K St. been the employer of first choice for Republicans after they leave office (or in some cases, before they leave office? Aren't there a number of Republicans out of office for using it to line their own pockets? Aren't Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly et al doing what they're doing for the express purpose of lining their pockets? Didn't Palin just put her name on a book somebody else wrote that is supposed to be her financial salvation? Didn't Tom Delay use his "charity" program for foster kids as a source of funds to go golfing and partying on? Didn't Rick Perry try to make HPV vaccinations mandatory in Texas because Merck was paying him a bundle? Now they're upset because Steele wants to promote his own book?!! Do these people have mothers who will admit to it??

Steele will get bounced from his job and it will be good news for republicans.

If you're a minority and you're a Republican, you're on a very short leash. Oh sure, they will chalk up their animus with you to dissatisfaction with performance, or some such other rationalization. But if this were Hailey Barbour- and he claimed the GOP wouldn't take back congress in 2010- the response from whites in the GOP would be "He's being conservative, setting expectations properly so the GOP can claim victory even if we net seats but not a majority". With Steele, the GOP response is he's a "fool" and obviously not trying hard enough to win. These are trying times for minorities in the GOP- its is hard to keep the faith when you are held to a different standard and diminished at every turn. You can only jump so many hoops until you get the Mel Martinez or Michael Steele treatment from the good ol boys. I've often felt that the problem with the GOP is not the platform or the ideas, but rather the people that support the GOP.