Republican Party chairman Michael Steele defended his stewardship of the party’s finances by suggesting that his managerial style is "streetwise" and that has rubbed some of the old guard GOP the wrong way. The latest criticism concerns the $2,000 the GOP recently spent at a sex-themed Hollywood nightclub. Steele had already come under fire for committee spending on flights, limousines and high-end hotels, but he was not present at the Voyeur Hollywood West on Jan. 31 when a group of young Republicans ran the $2,000 tab picked up by the RNC. Two top congressional Republicans said that the RNC must be held accountable for the way it uses the money it raises in light of the much-criticized Hollywood outing. "This kind of thing has got to stop or they won't get any contributions," said Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate.
Kyl and Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, who is leading the GOP effort to recruit candidates and elect House members, distanced themselves from Steele when discussing the committee's controversial spending.
After reporters noted the bill in a funding report, the RNC fired a staffer it blamed for the outing and said it would be reimbursed by a donor who had attended.
Steele was asked if he felt he has a smaller margin of error than others because he's black."The honest answer is yes. It just is," Steele said. "Barack Obama has a slimmer margin than others." "But you take that as part of the nature of it," Steele added. "It's more because you're not somebody they know. ... Not old-boy network oriented. ... My view on politics is much more grassroots oriented ... so I tend to, you know, come at it a little bit stronger, a little bit more street-wise. That's rubbed some feathers the wrong way."
In my opinion, Michael Steele is an opportunist and uses every opportunity to promote himself and to suggest that he is being criticized because he’s black – well duh, that’s the only reason he was elected as GOP chairman. If Barack Obama had not been elected President, Michael Steele would not be Chairman of the Republican Party. The Republican leadership did not want Steele as their Chairman which was painfully obvious after it took six ballots before he was elected Chairman. Minorities, in general, are not well represented in the Republican Party and based on Republican’s rhetoric and fundamental beliefs they are not a big tent party. Any minority who thinks that Republicans will look out for their interests are truly misguided.
Steele knows exactly where he stands in the Republican Party; and it’s not his so called “streetwise” managerial style that got him into trouble; he’s basically a joke.
Carol, CFO
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