Steele to Rush: I Take It All Back

Embattled RNC chairman vows to carry on reforming GOP despite criticism

(NEWSER) - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says he isn't going to let the Rush Limbaugh hooha or any other criticism stop him from remaking the GOP, the Washington Post reports. Steele, criticized by some for his loose-cannon approach, says drawing fire from both moderates and conservatives is all part of his job. "I'm in the business of ticking people off," he told the Post. "That's why I'm chairman." More»

The new RNC chair's discipline in question; he says he's just telling hard truths

(NEWSER) - GOP leaders are beginning to worry that their new chairman may need a manager himself. A succession of gaffes, flaky comments, and strange decisions by Michael Steele has some experiencing buyer's remorse. Top of the list: Steele fought with, then apologized to, Rush Limbaugh, threatened long-time incumbents, suggested an “off the hook” PR campaign to reach “urban-suburban hip-hop settings,” and a month in which he still doesn’t have any senior staff. More»

(NEWSER) - RNC chief Michael Steele had been quiet for a while, but he brought that to an abrupt halt today with an interview on CNN. Steele did not rule out a future run for president—if it's part of God's plan for him—and suggested that his recent run-in with Rush Limbaugh was no gaffe but part of a grand strategy on his part, reports Talking Points Memo. More»

(NEWSER) - Michael Steele has taken much flak in his short tenure as GOP chairman, and he offers no apologies. “I’m trying to move an elephant that’s become mired in its own muck,” he tells the New York Times. Steele has long been an impulse kind of guy, the Times notes, and his off-the-cuff criticism of Rush Limbaugh and promise of a "hip-hop makeover" for the party are just the latest examples. "I'm very spontaneous," he says. More»

Republicans wonder when their woes will bottom

(NEWSER) - Just when the Grand Old Party thought it couldn't get worse, it has: Conservative infighting from a caustic radio host, stumbles from its emerging non-white leaders—Michael Steele and Bobby Jindal both—and polls that suggest just 25% of Americans support them. Meanwhile, Dems enjoy great popularity and steady donations. "I have no idea where the bottom is," a Republican pollster tells Politico. More»