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November 14, 2008

Michael Steele is running for RNC chair

Maryland's former lieutenant governor Michael Steele announced yesterday at the Republican Governor's Association meeting in Miami that he is running for Republican National Committee Chairman. He expressed interest in the job four years ago, but he's getting a lot more buzz this time from the likes of Sean Hannity. He sent out a statement last night laying out his platform for the job:

 “the Republican Party must present a vision for the future of America that relies on our conservative values and core principles.  It is wrong to believe the voters have suddenly become liberal.  They have just lost any sense of confidence that the Republican Party holds the answers to their problems.   We must face the fact that our party has failed in recent years to live up to our own principles -- we have failed to be ‘solutions oriented’ in addressing the concerns of all Americans.”

 

Steele played up his plans for a grassroots resurgence of the Republican Party. That's surely a stance that plays well with the county leaders, national committeemen and women, etc. who form the backbone of the party and are the people who will choose the next party leader. But it's also one that is probably appealing given the success Barack Obama just had building his own grassroots organization and fund-raising machine.

He also played up some of the views and priorities that made him somewhat atypical as a Republican candidate for public office over the last few years, such as his view that government needs to do more to tackle poverty, drug addiction and other issues more typically associated with Democrats.

“I believe the leadership of our party must come from its grassroots because the members of the RNC are the best representation of what direction our party needs to take.    The state chairmen, national committeewomen, and national committeemen are the party leaders who are closest to the voters – they know what the voters want – they talk to them everyday.  I have walked a mile in their shoes; without them you become out of touch with the issues that are important to Main Street Americans.”

“I want Republicans to get back to winning elections, not just for the sake of winning, but for the sake of our Country’s future.  Most Americans today see a Republican Party that defines itself by what it is against rather than what it is for.  We can tell you why public schools aren’t working, but not articulate a compelling vision for how we’ll better educate children.  We’re well equipped to rail against tax increases; but can’t begin to explain how we’ll help the poor. The success of our Party’s resurgence will come from the states -- from our local leaders and from our Governors.”

We must articulate a positive vision for America’s future that speaks to Americans’ hopes, concerns and needs.  It’s time to stop defining ourselves by what we are not, and tell voters what we believe, how we’ll lead, and where we’ll go … how we Republicans will make America better … how we’ll make their families more prosperous, their children better educated, their parents more secure, and all of us healthier, safer, and stronger.  That means we must articulate our vision in the local public square, on TV, on Radio, in the local newspapers, on the internet.  With God’s help and the guidance of the men and women who give strength to our Republican National Committee, I am prepared to do just that.”

 

For more on his plans, check out his new website.

 

Posted by Andy Green at 6:34 AM | | Comments (4)
        

Comments

Michael Steel was most recently in charge of GOPAC which in the recent election produced and financially supported several mendacious and dishonest attacks on democratic candidates in the recent election, including the "godless" attacks on Kay Hagen in in North Carolina. He has proven to be a dishonorable man . . . so I guess head of the RNC would be perfect for him.

Ms. DeVries,
You do not know Mr. Steele very well like I do. He is a very honorable man. You are a typical liberal who attacks anyone who doesn't define the liberal mantra. So typical of liberals. They tend to say they are tolerant of other but when it comes to others such as Republicans it is a double standard

why should a smart man like steele want to be used as a token for the gop just because hes black..and why do blacks choose the wrong side

Why must everything be about race when its an African-American seeking to be the head or leadership of something?
Have we not proven decade after decade we are capable of succeeding at anything we put our minds to?
As I see it, we need black, latino, asian, native american and whites as democrats, republicans, independents and all other parties to represent the interest of ALL AMERICANS!
G-D bless Michael Steele, Colin Powell, Clarence Thomas and all others who are willing to buck the status quote

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Annie Linskey covers state politics and government for The Baltimore Sun. Previously, as a City Hall reporter, she wrote about the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon and kept a close eye on city spending. Originally from Connecticut, Annie has also lived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where she reported on war crimes tribunals and landmines. She lives in Canton.

John Fritze has covered politics and government at the local, state and federal levels for more than a decade and is now The Baltimore Sun’s Washington correspondent. He previously wrote about Congress for USA TODAY, where he led coverage of the health care overhaul debate and the 2010 election. A native of Albany, N.Y., he currently lives in Montgomery County.

Julie Scharper covers City Hall and Baltimore politics. A native of Baltimore County, she graduated from The Johns Hopkins University in 2001 and spent two years teaching in Honduras before joining The Baltimore Sun. She has followed the Amish community of Nickel Mines, Pa., in the year after a schoolhouse massacre, reported on courts and crime in Anne Arundel County, and chronicled the unique personalities and places of Baltimore City and its surrounding counties.
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