Posted on 07/26/2006 9:30:18 PM PDT by nunya bidness
In an exclusive interview on WBAL's "The Buzz", Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele says his comments about President Bush and the Republican Party were taken out of context in a story in The Washington Post.
He says he is not running away from the President.
"If the President wants to come and help me in Maryland he is more than welcome because I'm not going to turn my back on a friend," said Steele on "The Buzz" on WBAL.
The Post reported on a conversation Steele had with nine reporters from newspapers, magazines and networks over lunch at a Capitol Hill steakhouse Monday.
Steele said it was an "off the record" meeting with the reporters and the Washington Post is the only paper that did a story on what was said in the meeting.
The newspaper said the candidate said the Iraq war "didn't work" and that U.S. policymakers "didn't prepare for the peace" . The U.S. Senate candidate is quoted by the Post as saying "there is a palpable frustration right now in the country".
The published and Internet report says that when asked if he wanted President Bush to campaign for him, the candidate initially said "well you know, I don't know" and then said "to be honest with you, probably not".
"I'm not trying to diss the President," said Steele on WBAL. "I'm not trying to distance myself from the President. I'm trying to show those lines where I have a different perspective and a different point of view. If I'm not free to share that as a candidate for the U.S. Senate how can people expect me to share that and express that as a United States Senator."
"I've been quoted before as calling the President my homeboy, and that's how I feel," said Steele on WBAL.
The White House said Wednesday that Bush still is backing Steele in his Senate race.
"Look," said Bush spokesman Tony Snow, "the president understands what politics are about. And he wants Michael Steele to be elected as senator."
"I appreciate Tony Snow on behalf of the President reiterating the White House support for me," said Steele on WBAL with Chip Franklin and Clarence Mitchell IV.
Cheers
The media twists and distorts. Why assume Steele wasn't misquoted?
What I don't understand is why he would say such things even in "confidence"? If he wanted to get national attention by bashing Pres. Bush, why bother with the "confidential" thing? And he HAD to know it wouldn't stay "confidential" - he was talking to the MSM, for goodness' sake - they HATE Republicans and like nothing better than to claim Republicans are turning against Pres. Bush. I guess I just don't understand the "nuance" (hate that word) of this.
Imagine that.
Someone in the MSM taking a comment out of context.
Someone in the MSM misquoting a conservative.
Someone in the MSM using what was said in an off-the-record luncheon for a story.
And the Washington Post, no less.
(They don't even call me anymore, trying to get me to subscribe to their fishwrapper. Last time they called, I told them my bird refused to even poop on their pages of crap masquerading as news)
P.S. Watch your back. Shadow with a knife.
Is Steele triangulating a bit here? He's going to have to get a fair amount of black voters to cross over to stand a chance. Did he make these comments to show them that he isn't the President's "house ni.." (no, I better not)?
Even if the drive-by-media has honestly and factually reported this story, a laughable notion, it is not impossible that Rove advised Steele to distance himself from Dubya. There have been many ways that Dubya has taken criticism for the betterment of the GOP Congress. Deficit spending comes to mind. I have no doubt that Dubya would take a media hit if it gets Steele into office.
This many be the 7th time Steele has made these comments off record. Human behavior can be predictable. When Rather asked the Administration to explain some forged National Guard documents they looked them over and said no comment. Rather ran with the story. The White House put the documents on the web later that night. I feel certain Dubya knew those docs were fake and wanted Rather to hang himself.
It could be that I'm giving our leadership too much credit but it is certain that one can never over estimate the motives of the Democrat National Media. I will give Steele the benefit of the doubt, and in my opinion he has already rebuked the media spin and clarified his loyalty.
ymmv
And on this thread and others certain folks have found comfort in trashing Steele. So I put it to you and Jim, is Michael Steele, a black pro-life conservative, fair game for bomb-throwers here when all that has been presented is at stake?
A little clarity would do wonders.
They don't want to accept that whatever 'bombs' were dropped, they were dropped by Michael Steele against the GOP and the President. I didn't come up with the term "Scarlet R", that was Michael Steele.
That some FReepers want to ignore the FACTS behind what Steele did, is their problem. But when they seek to silence what others, (primarily me and Sinkspur) are attempting to point out in their illogic, they do the GOP no favors.
What good is a majority, if half your members vote with the other side? Michael Steele gave many Conservatives reason to believe that he is of the Lincoln Chaffee style of Republicans, and then came up with THREE SEPERATE EXCUSES to deal with the fallout.
I think you moderators know what kind of Conservative I am, and those who don't, I guess will say what they will, but when a GOP candidate for office slams his own party hoping to gain favorable treatment from the media (ala-John McCain) and then insults our intelligence with his multiple attempts at damage control, while never accepting responsibility for his own deeds, are we to be silent?
That some here cant take a bit of reality without losing their bearings ought to be their own problem. I intend to call them as I see them. I have confidence that opposing points of view wont be silenced if offered in a respectable way. To FReepers who cant handle the truth when it hurts, SACK UP. Michael Steele knows what he did, and so does the GOP. I said nothing about Michael Steele that has not been factually reported, and not just by that creep Milbank.
Who needs clarity, when reality is right there in your face?
Hannity likes McCain? I don't watch him much but haven't detected that.
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