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Steele to Rush: I Take It All Back

RNC chair begs radio host's forgiveness for criticism

By Gabriel Winant, Newser User

Posted Mar 3, 2009 7:13 AM CST

(Newser) – Republicans just can’t stay mad at Rush Limbaugh. A few weeks ago, Rep. Phil Gingrey begged forgiveness after criticizing the radio host. Yesterday, Politico reports, RNC chair Michael Steele came crawling back to Limbaugh, saying he didn’t meant it when he dismissed Limbaugh as an "entertainer" and "incendiary" Saturday night on CNN. Explains the apologetic Steele, "I was maybe a little bit inarticulate."

"I was saying one thing, and it came out differently," says Steele, who now calls Limbaugh "a very valuable conservative voice for our party." Democrats see Steele’s apology as evidence of who really runs the GOP. Says Steele’s counterpart, Tim Kaine, "His apology to Limbaugh proves the unfortunate point that Limbaugh is the leading force behind the Republican Party."

[Images (3)]

[Videos (2)]

[Quotes (2)]

In this photo provided by ABC News, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, appears for an interview on ABC's This Week, in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/ABC News, Lauren Victoria Burke)

Michael Steele, chairman of GOPAC and former lieutenant governor of Maryland, speaks at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh talks with guests in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

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RNC s Michael Steele calls Limbaugh's comments "incendiary" and "ugly." (realclearpolitics)

Rush Limbaugh discusses the comments made by Michael Steel (RNC... (QHoneybee)

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What I was trying to say was a lot of people…want to make Rush the scapegoat, the bogeyman, and he’s not. - Michael Steele

If I were chairman of the Republican Party, given the state that it's in, I would quit. I might get out the hari-kari knife. - Rush Limbaugh

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 24 comments

Guest

Mar 4, 2009 5:03 AM CST

Did anyone really think Republicans were going to listen to Steele? Remember, we're talking about Republicans -- just look at an audience picture from the convention or from speeches during the McCain campaign. Steele never had any real power. He just got called to apologize to one of the real powers.

woodyTX

Mar 3, 2009 10:29 PM CST

Hey, I tune in to Rush every now and then for 5 minutes just to see if he's as nutty as ever and he is. Maybe it's people like me who drive his radio ratings up. Rush is nutty but at least he has a brain. Hannity is dangerous... an extremeright wing knucklehead attack dog frothing at the mouth, without two brain cells to rub together. It's very scary that people have any time for THAT. Google "Hannity and Nazis" sometime. See what pops up.

Fondue

Mar 3, 2009 10:00 PM CST

The way I see it, the GOP is screwed at this point. If they disown Rush and all of his followers go with him, the better their party will be. Not everyone listening to the Rush show is a devout follower, and if they were, it would force Rush to run for some office and/or others to run that will run on what Rush says. The true power here is held by the GOP if they can take a few lumps and reorganize their platform. Limbaugh is a Domestic Terrorist.

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Steele to Rush: I Take It All Back