Michael Steele's Tweet On Republicans Alienating Minorities

Death.RT @AriMelber: And what would happen to a national Republican party that rebuffed immigration reform and voting rights protections?

— Michael Steele (@Steele_Michael) June 26, 2013

Michael Steele lays into his own party for their racially derisive policies towards minorities. The Republican Party has lost the black vote and is working very hard to permanently lose the Hispanic vote.

Michael Steele's Exit

Reid Wilson of Hotline On Call tweets on Michael Steele's end as RNC chairman.

Steele: "And now, I exit stage right." Prompty exits stage left.

I am going to miss Steele.

Write A Caption: Michael Steele

Michael Steele is the crazy uncle who thinks he is still hip.

Kendrick Meek Zombie Watch: Clinton Asked Meek to Drop Out

Bill Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna confirmed to Politico that the former President asked Kendrick Meek to drop out and endorse Charlie Crist. Clinton asked Meek to drop out during October 19 and 20. Another source told Politico that Meek agreed to drop out.

“It was a completely done deal,” one source said.

The Crist, Meek and Clinton camps even set a date for an endorsement rally: the following Tuesday, October 26. Meek was to give Crist his blessing and explain to his disappointed supporters – many of whom deeply distrust the governor, who was elected as a Republican – that their votes could save the Senate for the Democrats and save America from the rise of Rubio, who is viewed both as a hard-line conservative and a potential national figure.

Doug Band served as the intermediary between Meek and Crist, and Clinton. It seems Stephen Moore's Wall Street Journal article may have been closer to the truth than expected by many. (Including myself.) The date of Moore's article is 11 days before Clinton first asked Meek to drop out.Team Meek would not respond to Politico's request for an interview. That is a clear sign they do not want to go on-the-record refuting a story that is true.

Obviously, Meek changed his mind. What is interesting is Clinton's endorsement cleared the path for Meek nomination and thereby killing any chance of Democratics picking up the Senate seat. Even Clinton came to the conclusion that Meek's campaign was hopeless. I wish Clinton realized this before endorsing Meek.

Update: Crist Crist campaign spokesman Danny Kanner confirmed to Joy-Ann Reid that the Politico story is true.

“While this story is accurate, the Governor’s focus is on uniting common-sense Democrats, independents, and Republicans behind his campaign because he is the one candidate who can defeat Tea Party extremist Marco Rubio and deliver bipartisan results for Florida in Washington.”

Update: Eric Jotkoff of the Florida Democratic Party released this statement.

“Kendrick Meek is the only candidate who has fought for middle class families, he is the only candidate who stood up to George W. Bush’s attempts to privatize Social Security, and is the only one who has always showed up to defend our Democratic values by standing up to the extremist Republicans. Because Kendrick Meek is the leader we need in the U.S. Senate to fight for us, the Florida Democratic Party is proud to continue fighting to elect Kendrick Meek to the U.S. Senate so he can continue working for everyday Floridians and to bring jobs to the Sunshine State,” said Eric Jotkoff, Florida Democratic Party spokesman.

The press release doesn't mention the Politico article. It is pointless to do push back against factual statements. It appears the D.C. establishment is torpedoing Meek in the hopes of holding onto the Senate majority. The internal polling numbers must be horrible for the Senate races.

Update: RNC chairman Michael Steele is suddenly a Kendrick Meek fan.

"One can only imagine the response if GOP leadership tried to force out...a qualified black candidate like Kendrick Meek”

Steele will find out when the Republican establishment won't let him have a second term at the RNC.

Update: Dave Hoffman from the Meek campaign confirmed part of the Politico story. Hoffman contends that Meek never agreed to drop out. Hoffman does confirm Clinton brought up the subject of Meek dropping out.

Dave Hoffman said “that was discussed, yeah,” but Hoffman denied that Meek had ever agreed to drop out.

Hoffman said he could not characterize what Clinton said, but then said, “I think ’suggest’ is probably the best … not ’suggest’ … but that (getting out) was discussed yeah.”

Hoffman said the issue was raised as, “Hey, if you want to do this … That was more of the nature of the conversation.”

Hoffman said Meek “never agreed to drop out” and was committed to fighting through Election Day.

Update: Peter Schorsch tweeted this.

Kendrick Meek to hold, um, emergency press conference tonight at 9:30.

I am not a Charlie Crist fan. That being said, the best chance to keep Marco Rubio from gaining a Senate seat is for Meek to drop out. I'm not counting on it. Meek seems content on burning his bridges with the Democratic establishment. I have said this repeatedly and said by it. Meek does not have the support of the Democratic establishment and voters. The Politico leak was designed to force Meek out of the race. Democrats don't love Crist. They are terrified of Rubio becoming a major political star.

Update: Joy-Ann Reid blogs that Meek is denying Hoffman's confirmation that Clinton discussed dropping with him. McKenna and the Crist campaign have gone on-the-record on this. So has Meek's own campaign. Meek is denying conversations with Clinton that his campaign confirmed. If you want proof that the entire Meek campaign has been amateur hour then look no further than this. This shitty campaign's confusing message during the entire cycle can be blamed on a man who has no business running in a statewide race.

Update: Meek statement to CNN.

"The president came down to do an event for me in Orlando and St. Petersburg. We talk politics all the time. He said I heard this thing about you getting out. I said, 'I'm not getting out.' I said Charlie Crist needs to get out of the race. And that was that," Meek said.

That doesn't sound like an actual conversation. That sounds like Meek's increasingly passive aggressive campaign rhetoric. Remember Meek yelling during a debate that he is 6'4 and Senators would have to go through him in order to change Social Security. Is Meek going to challenge Chuck Grassley to a fight? The guy has a temper as bad as John McCain's.

Update: Campaign manager Abe Dyk is now walking back Hoffman's confirmation. This is like watch a car crash in slow motion.

"The article is not true. Kendrick Meek was never dropping out of this race, is never dropping out of this race, and will never drop out of this race. Kendrick Meek will always stand up for the middle class and will not leave Floridians a choice between two lifelong conservative Republicans who only stand with the special interests. Kendrick is the Democratic nominee so if anyone should drop out, it's Charlie Crist,” said Meek campaign manager Abe Dyk.

The problem for Dyk and the Meek campaign is two sources confirmed to Jake Tapper of ABC News that Clinton asked Meek to drop out. It is hard for Team Meek to do push back when people within the Democratic Party are telling the media the story is true.

From Beth Reinhard of the Miami Herald.

"I am running. The press report was inaccurate at best."

And he's losing in the polls.

Meek is already a zombie candidate. I didn't think it could get worse. Boy, was I wrong.

Michael Steele Comes to Florida

'Fire Pelosi' bus visits Tampa Bay
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Michael Steele rolled the "Fire Pelosi" bus into Florida. Steele's idea of connecting with Florida voters who are unemployed or losing their homes is to talk about a member of Congress running for re-election in California.

On a related note: I hope the RNC rehires Steele.

Greer Issues Apology to Obama

Remember when former Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer accused President Barack Obama attempting to indoctrinate school children to make the little kiddies into socialists.

"As a father of four children, I am absolutely appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama's socialist ideology. The idea that school children across our nation will be forced to watch the President justify his plans for government-run health care, banks, and automobile companies, increasing taxes on those who create jobs, and racking up more debt than any other President, is not only infuriating, but goes against beliefs of the majority of Americans, while bypassing American parents through an invasive abuse of power."

Obama's speech actually urged students to "set goals, work hard and stay in school." The speech contained nothing about White House policy proposals. Obama is talking to school children. Not the Center of American Progress. Greer never aired his mock outrage when President Bush was creating the biggest deficit in United States history. Greer's attack was cheap partisan politics. Greer now admits as much.

Greer issued an apology to President Obama. Greer admits he was pandering to racists within the base of the party.

"In the year since I issued a prepared statement regarding President Obama speaking to the nation's school children, I have learned a great deal about the party I so deeply loved and served. Unfortunately, I found that many within the GOP have racist views and I apologize to the President for my opposition to his speech last year and my efforts to placate the extremists who dominate our Party today. My children and I look forward to the President's speech."

I doubt Greer would issue this apology if he was still chairman of the RPOF. There is truth to Greer's statement. Michael Steele has admitted that there have been instances when white Republicans are scared to be in the same room as him. It is sad when white Republicans aren't comfortable with the skin color of the party's leader.

RNC Is Broke

Michael Steele is the one Republican I want still employed. I think Steele is doing a heck of a job.

The troubled Republican National Committee has just over $5 million in the bank for the final stretch of the 2010 mid-term election campaign, according to an unannounced filing with the FEC disclosed Friday night.

The report also indicates that the national party headed by embattled chairman Michael Steele is carrying just over $2 million in debt.

Steele previously explained that is gaffes were part of his strategy. I doubt Steele intended to make the RNC broke. Although, it Steele's money management skills will give progressives ammo the next time he complains Democrats aren't fiscally conservative.

Shame Doesn't Exist In GOP/Conservative Movement

RNC chairman Michael Steele has a talent for bad timing. Andrew Breitbart will be one of the feautred speakers at the Republican National Committee's "Election Countdown." The fundraiser will be held in Beverly Hills, California on August 12 to 14.

I am not surprised that Breitbart could get torn apart for his bogus reporting of the Shirley Sherrod story and still be welcomed by the RNC. Breitbart is a hero to conservatives who have contempt for anything that doesn't fit their personal narrative. This cynicism allows Bill O'Reilly and Newt Gingrich to preach about sexual morality. G. Gordon Liddy and Oliver North can go on Fox News and be taken seriously. Conservative television viewers refuse to ask why Liddy and North aren't in prison. Mark Foley even managed to snag his own talk radio show. It is literally impossible to be shamed out of the conservative movement.

Michael Steele Video Greatest Hits

Michael Steele is so bad. If I were a Republican I would think the Democrats created an evil cyborg and made him the chairman of the RNC. Steele is a Daily Show sketch come to life.

Muppet Steele

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Steele Crazy After All These Years
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Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

The Daily Show mocks Michael Steele's comment that the Afghanistan war was Obama's fault.

Quote of the Day

"Keep in mind again, federal candidates, this was a war of Obama's choosing. This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."...

"It was the president who was trying to be cute by half by flipping a script demonizing Iraq, while saying the battle really should be in Afghanistan. Well, if he's such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that's the one thing you don't do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan? All right, because everyone who has tried, over a thousand years of history, has failed. And there are reasons for that. There are other ways to engage in Afghanistan."

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

President Barack Barack Obama used his awesome time-traveling powers and won the 2000 presidential election. Obama then asked the 2002 Congress to declare war. President Obama had the 22 amendment repealed and won a third term. Curse the evil time-traveling socialist ways of Obama.

Quote of the Day

"George (W.) Bush created a lot of jobs."

RNC Chairman Michael Steele, on CNBC

The Wall Street Journal has kinder job creation numbers than Young Turks host Cenk Uygur. The WSJ still labels Bush's job numbers "The Worst Track Record On Record."

Michael Steele is the gift that keeps on giving.

Michael Steele Hammered on Fox News

You know things are bad for RNC Chairman Michael Steele when Neil Cavuto rakes him over the coals. My favorite part of the interview is Steele telling Cavuto he isn't part of the Republican Party establishment. Really? Then who is running the RNC?

GOP Unleashes America Speaking Out

The Republican Party has released the web site America Speaking Out. The goal of the web site is to get the GOP's 2010 election year message out. As usual, Republicans fail epically with new media.

Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy described ASO.

“This is an open community and a debate of ideas; you submit the idea, you debate the idea, you put it into your network and you’ll continue to have that dialogue,” said project chairman and Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).

The web site allows open posting. The Huffington Post reports one post said the Civils Right Act was "UNCONSTITUTIONAL, PROGRESSIVE and HITLER." Apparently, wingnuts aren't aware that Hitler would not congratulate Jesse Owens or other African-American winners at the 1936 Olympics. Another poster suggested Orwellian level surveillance on Muslim Americans. So much for the Republican Party for building a big tent.

ASO is not run by the RNC or a political action committee. This is paid for by tax dollars. Republicans use the legal pretense that ASO is to shape policy. Thomas Mann and Meredith McGehee explain how this couldn't be further from the truth.

Congressional scholar Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said it is not credible to say the agenda is not intended for the 2010 campaign cycle.

“Its only purpose is as a campaign document,” Mann said in an e-mail. “They are in no position to shape policy before the election. It is a defensive move, to deal with the criticism that they are the party of ‘no.’”

But Meredith McGehee, policy director at the Campaign Legal Center, said Republicans have to maintain that the document is not meant for the campaign trail, even if it is only a charade. “If they don’t, they are in danger of using taxpayer funds for campaign purposes,” she said.

Blogger Steve Benen reports that Congressman Mike Pence would not elaborate on how the ASO web site will be paid for. This is why I never take Republicans seriously when they talk about fiscal conservatism.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele had similarly disastrous relaunching GOP.com. GOP.com had a future leadership page that was empty. The web site also mislabeled Jackie Robinson a GOP hero. The site was so amatuerish that it was hacked into. The GOP is a top to down party.

The reason grassroots activism and the internet work better for the net is because Democrats needs the votes and contributions of people not in the upper tax bracket. Democrats will not vote in force if they do not believe the candidate talks to grassroots issues. If Obama made offshore drilling and sending more troops to Afghanistan his two central campaign issues then John McCain would be President. Republicans rely on redistricting, fearmongering and winning presidential elections by razor thin margins. A conservative can post a comment about clawing back money from Goldman Sachs on ASO. The current Republicans are more concerned with getting Wall Street campaign dollars then creating regulations to prevent another economic meltdown. The open dialogue with voters is an election year sham.

Crist Officially Announces Independent Run

Gov. Charlie Crist makes it official.

"Our political system is broken," he said. "They look at Washington and they don't like what they see."

He added that he doesn't have a Republican Party or Democratic Party to turn to. "I need you -- the people -- more than ever. I am counting on you. And I believe in you."

Crist will be list on the ballot under no party affiliation.

Update: ABC News has more on Crist's announcement.

"My decision to run for the United States Senate as a candidate without party affiliation in many ways says more about our nation and our state, than it does about me," Crist announced.

"For me it's never been about doing what's easy," he said today, "it's about doing what is right for the people first."

Update Marco Rubio has issued a press release condemning Crist. Nothing shocking about that. RNC Chairman Michael Steele sent out his own press release.

"Now more than ever, Floridians need leadership in Washington. With unemployment at an all-time high in Florida, they want a Senator to exercise strong fiscal discipline and be a catalyst for job creation. Without question, the Republican nominee this fall will offer those qualities. Governor Charlie Crist, however, will not be that candidate. Over the years, he has served this party well, which is why his decision to run as an Independent is so disappointing. To be sure, he left this party. This party did not leave him. His decision will in no way impede our path to victory in Florida. The challenges that Floridians face are many. And this November, we will have a nominee in place that will listen to them and put forth solutions to get Floridians back to work."

The Republican nominee will create jobs!?! I seem to remember the state budget and housing market tanking when Rubio was Florida House Speaker. Rubio was against the stimulus. As of February of 2010, economists estimated the stimulus created 1.8 million jobs. Rubio's solution would have been tax cuts. Job growth grew by 0.28 percent under President Bush. The Bush tax cuts did not create the promised budget surplus or job gains. Joel Friedman and Isaac Shapiro summed up how the Bush tax cuts damaged the economy.

The Bush tax cuts have contributed to revenues dropping in 2004 to the lowest level as a share of the economy since 1950, and have been a major contributor to the dramatic shift from large projected budget surpluses to projected deficits as far as the eye can see.

The tax cuts have conferred the most benefits, by far, on the highest-income households — those least in need of additional resources — at a time when income already is exceptionally concentrated at the top of the income spectrum.

The design of these tax cuts was ill-conceived, resulting in significantly less economic stimulus than could have been accomplished for the same budgetary cost. In part because the tax cuts were not as effective as alternative measures would have been, job creation during this recovery has been notably worse than in any other recovery since the end of World War II.

Rubio's answer to the worst economic crisis since the Depression is more tax cuts. Rubio's economic worldview reminds me of Alcohol Anonymous's definition of insanity.

"repeating the same action over and over again, hoping to achieve different results."

Rubio is addicted to the Republican mantra of tax cuts and refuses to give it up. Rubio would rather get elected than talk seriously with voters about economic policy.

Update: Jeb Bush comes out to officially diss Crist.

"I am not surprised. This decision is not about policy or principles. It is about what he believes is in his political self-interest."

Democrat Kendrick Meek told reporters he is ""running against two Republicans in the general election." The Meek campaign is hoping Crist and Rubio will split the Republican vote. This is what DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is hoping for. Meek needs to start exciting Democratic voters. Counting on Crist and Rubio to implode is not enough.



Democrats and Republicans, in the Florida Senate, comment on a Crist NPA run. African-American Democrat Al Lawson thinks a Crist NPA run could make Meek's chances of getting elected harder.

LAWSON: I wouldn't say it really helps Meek. I think if you're Meek, you really have to be concerned the Governor is gonna pull a lot of African-American votes. So, as a result, if you're Kendrick Meek this is a bad move.

Quote of the Day

"For the last 40-plus years we had a 'Southern Strategy' that alienated many minority voters by focusing on the white male vote in the South. Well, guess what happened in 1992, folks, 'Bubba' went back home to the Democratic Party and voted for Bill Clinton."

Michael Steele, RNC Chairman.

The Chairman of the Republican National Committee admits that the GOP used racism to garner votes.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and Nixonland author Rick Perlstein discussed the possible reason for Steele's statement.

MADDOW: Did architects of the southern strategy express regret or remorse for it at all in the way that Michael Steele seemed to this week?

PERLSTEIN: Well, the fascinating thing about it is, it seems to happen at regular intervals. I mean, one of the architects of it in the Nixon years was a guy named Harry Dent. And after he retried, he became a preacher and he apologized for it right before he died.

Lee Atwater became Republican Party chair. He apologized for it kind of when he was on his death bed. You can almost say when these guys get ready to meet their maker, they tend to man up and own up to the strategy. Even Ken Mehlman was kind of out the door and, you know, kind of writing his resume for history when he said it was happening.

So you know, it says interesting things about, you know, what we can expect from Michael Steele, whether he`s, you know, heading out the door or whether he is trying to extend his tenure by, you know, basically setting up a deal where if you kick me out, maybe it`s just because I was a truth-teller on this civil rights issue.

As David Frum can attest, truth-telling is not encouraged in the Republican Party.

Daily Show on RNC Stripper Controversy

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2 Girls 1 GOP
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We knew that The Daily Show wasn't going to pass up making fun of the Michael Steele and RNC stripper controversy.

Quote of the Day

"Our platform is one of the best political documents that's been written in the last 25 years. Honest Injun on that."

RNC Chairman Michael Steele, during an interview with Sean Hannity.

Steele once again inserts foot into mouth.

Michael Steele's Dance of Death

RNC Chairman Michael Steele tells Neil Cavuto health care reform will create death panels. This is a Republican myth backed with zero factual evidence.

CAVUTO: Now obviously in this environment a lot of vitriol comes forth. Michael, I just wanted to get your reaction to some of your co-party members, former Alaska governor Palin, who calls these panels that are essentially going to be dispensing care or deciding it, death panels. That sort of thing — is that proper? Is that right?

STEELE: Well, I think it’s, I think it’s proper because its within the context of what people are seeing in some of the legislation that’s floating around out there. When you’re talking about panels that are going to be imposed, that will be making life and death decisions, that will be making decisions about whether or not you get health care or don’t receive health care. I think that’s perfectly appropriate.

Shorter Michael Steele: Republicans Are Scared of Blacks

RNC Chairman Michael Steele has an interesting way of telling people the Republican Party is a big tent. Steele tells Roland Martin Republicans are terrified of black people.

MARTIN: One of the criticisms I've always had is Republicans -- white Republicans -- have been scared of black folks.

STEELE: You're absolutely right. I mean I've been in the room and they've been scared of me. I'm like, "I'm on your side" and so I can imagine going out there and talking to someone like you, you know, [you're like,] "I'll listen." And they're like "Well." Let me tell you.

Steele is having a moment of candor. I'm sure Steele has had uncomfortable moments with white Republicans. As the RNC Chairman, it is a horrible message for Steele to give minority voters.