Dirty Trickster Is New Chair of GOP (Madistan Liberals Are Scared!)

Madistan.com ^ | February 3, 2009 | John Nichols

[Diana in Wisconsin]

When Michael Steele ran for Maryland's open U.S. Senate in 2006, his backers hired 300 mostly poor African-Americans from Philadelphia -- most if not all of them unemployed, many of them homeless -- fed them doughnuts and then packed the crew onto Trailways buses for an Election Day trip that would make a bit of political history.

The buses, which were draped in banners for Steele and Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich, headed across the state line into Maryland, where the day laborers were dispatched to predominantly African-American neighborhoods of the city of Baltimore and populous Prince George's County.

They spent Election Day handing out glossy fliers headlined "Democratic Sample Ballot" or "Official Voter Guide." The fliers employed the phrase "Ehrlich-Steele Democrats." And they featured images of prominent African-Americans, such as former Democratic congressman and NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume, above the words: "These are our choices."

The implication that Mfume and other popular Democrats in the state were backing Steele and Ehrlich was hard to miss.

But Mfume wasn't backing the "Ehrlich-Steele Democrats" ticket.

Steele and Ehrlich weren't running as Democrats.

Both men were Republicans. And, despite what the group Progressive Maryland described as a campaign of "Lies, Dirty Tricks, and Fraudulent Fliers Designed to Deceive African-American Voters," they both lost.

Now, however, one of them, Steele, is the new chairman of the Republican National Committee.

The former lieutenant governor of Maryland, who has long been a favorite Republican commentator on Fox News and other conservative programs, won the backing of committee members who gathered in Washington Friday after promising to renew the sagging Grand Old Party.

Steele, an arguably able political player who has for many years been one of the GOP's highest-profile African-American leaders, pitched himself for the chairmanship by suggesting that he could put a positive face on a party that has seemed in recent years to be more interested in circling the conservative wagons than in attracting new voters.

Steele promises to engage in "outreach."

But what will the outreach look like?

What sort of politics will Steele practice as RNC chair?

If past is prologue, this 2006 article from the Washington Post may prove instructive.

As Post writers Matthew Mosk and Avis Thomas-Lester noted: "Republican leaders have defended the Election Day episode as an accepted element of bare-knuckle politics. But for many voters, it shattered in one day the nice-guy images Ehrlich and Steele had cultivated for years."

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley was blunter: "I think it's pretty low that Ehrlich and Steele would print up a fake ballot and bus in unemployed people and exploit them. It doesn't get much lower than that."

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"I think it's pretty low that Ehrlich and Steele would print up a fake ballot and bus in unemployed people and exploit them. It doesn't get much lower than that."

Hey! That's the way we Liberals do it! Cheater! Cheater!

*SMIRK*

[Danae]

But it’s perfectly fine if Democrats do that and worse, I mean digging up dead people to vote! Al Frankin.... need I say more.

[denydenydeny]

If true, this story is hilarious.

[GrouchoTex]

From the land of LBJ and GWB, the irony is GREAT!

[Fred]

They are pissed because ACORN did not get the gig.

[Abby4116]

No mention of the union paid for ads on the radio constantly during that election that LIED and blamed Ehrlich and Steele for a 73% increase in electricity rates due to rate freezes put in during a totally democratic administration and expired just before the election.

If I didn't say that well, please forgive. My blood still boils when I think about it.

[RobinOfKingston]

What sort of politics will Steele practice as RNC chair?

I hope Steele understands the uses and practicality of everything from a pocket knife to a cavalry sword, when it comes to dispatching his adversaries ... politically speaking, of course.

[muawiyah]

This is from Madistan (Madison WI). They actually believe you have to go to Philadelphia to find black Republicans.

Actually, Maryland has a lot of black Republicans, but even more black Democrats.

Doggone it, Maryland has one of the highest percentages of black residents in the United States (30%). Everywhere you go you turn around and there goes some of 'em. Darndest phenomenon you ever did see.

So, is the article fake? Probably, but is it true? Not a bit.

In fact, this story is a compound of several stories. The group traveling around in a bus is actually about a NAACP/DNC campaign team who would go to every Steele gathering and toss Oreo Cookies at him.

That's what Democrats do ~ RACISM!

The folks in Madistan play ignorant lackeys to Maryland's Democrats.

[muawiyah]

The union sure did lie about the electricity hikes. Then, after the Democrat got elected the rates went through the roof.

[Onelifetogive]

This whole article is a crock of meadow muffuns. He “exploited” unemployed homeless people by “hiring” them. The flyer said the people handing them out were “Democrats for Steele/Erlich”. They WERE! There were pictures of Dims and Pubs on it. No big suprise there!

[familyop]

"I hope Steele understands the uses and practicality of everything from a pocket knife to a cavalry sword, when it comes to dispatching his adversaries ... politically speaking, of course."

I doubt it...physically speaking, of course. See his opinion on the Second Amendment at the bottom, below.

Excerpts from On the Issues:

Michael Steele on Civil Rights

Click here for OR .

• Support affirmative action and its improvements. (Oct 2006)
• Affirmative action programs still necessary to close divides. (Aug 2006)
• We're still discovering affirmative action in corporations. (Apr 2006)
• Led commitment to $70M in grants to minority-owned business. (Apr 2006)
• Move struggle to right to own the diner, not just sit in it. (Oct 2005)

More:

Standardized tests keep teachers from educating students. (Aug 2006)

Reinstate college-level grant and loan programs. (Aug 2006)

Revitalize the Chesapeake; focus on open space preservation. (May 2006)

Independent-minded bridge between two parties. (Oct 2005)

Quote from Steele's comment in interview:

Society should draw lines. What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill. But I don't think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that But what's the point of passing gun laws if we're not going to enforce them? If you want to talk about gun control, that's where you need to start. We've got 300 gun laws on the books right now. At the end of the day, it's about how we enforce the law.
Source: Washington Post interview Oct 16, 2006

And he's from Maryland!

[Always Right]

This is either satire or just absurd. Liberals live in some odd alternative universe.

[chimera]

Dirty tricks, is it? Wasn't Steele himself the victim of a vicious ‘Rat dirty trick? Something about stealing and leaking his credit reports to the press? Doesn't get much lower than that, except maybe what the 'Rats did in IL, unsealing court records in a divorce case to use to smear the 'Pub opponent. But, hey, it got the ‘Rats elected, and that's all that matters.

[SoCalPol]

I see that site has ad for Alan Keyes, they guy who had a chance to take out Obama when he ran for Sen. and didn’t, couldn’t and never could win office. The ever famous gadfly.

Steele is conservative, a sharp mind, and the type of person that can take on the Liberals.
A person who actually won office, Lt. Gov.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“The folks in Madistan play ignorant lackeys to Maryland’s Democrats.”

And they take great, ignorant pride in it too, LOL!

Now, why didn’t I think to throw Oreos at 0bama when he was in town? *SMIRK*

(I never would, no matter how Empty I find that Suit.)

I’ve been blessed to have parents that took in Exchange Students from all over the world from the time I was a toddler on. Mombay? He was funny and very, very smart with a smile like the Cheshire Cat. Oh. He was BLACK?

Usha? She was BEAUTIFUL beyond description and smelled like lavender and honey and gave us girls beautiful glass bangles to wear on our wrists that sounded like music when we shook them. She was BROWN? Who knew?

Sayko? She was tall and slender with gorgeous, shiny black hair that we would brush for hours on end. She was YELLOW? Who knew? LOL!

Not to mention people from every race and ethnicity that served with me and under me in the Army for 20 years. (Best Man at my wedding? From Sri Lanka. *SHRUG*)

Skin color means nothing to me. Character & kindness & intelligence means everything to me. And I am the most boring white woman you’ll ever meet! :)

But, I guess I am a Bad Person because I Hate Liberals; of any color, LOL!

[RobinOfKingston]

Anybody who thinks the 2nd Amendment is about hunting or self-defense has his head where the sun don’t shine. It is strictly about being able to enforce “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands that have connected them with another, ...”

Hunting, skeet, trap, self-defense, etc are fringe benefits.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“This is either satire or just absurd. Liberals live in some odd alternative universe.”

No, it’s just the mentally ill John Nichols. Really. The guy is whack. Google his name if you have the stomach to do so.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“...except maybe what the ‘Rats did in IL, unsealing court records in a divorce case to use to smear the ‘Pub opponent.”

Yep. Ryan. And look who’s President now! *SHUDDER*

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

What do you make of this and the Steele chairmanship for the GOP?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

What do you make of this and the Steele chairmanship of the GOP?

[okie01]

Liberals live in some odd alternative universe.

That's Madistan...to a tee.

[familyop]

"Anybody who thinks the 2nd Amendment is about hunting or self-defense has his head where the sun don’t shine."

That's right. But Steele didn't even state approval for using firearms for self-defense. ...only hunting. He's way to the left on the Second Amendment, so-called affirmative action and other matters (ugly surprises to come after he has more of a voting record). The same herd that pushed Giuliani (and other stealth left/liberal/anti-American candidates), Rice and Hillary Clinton managed to put Steele in the GOP office.

What Steele said in the interview:

Society should draw lines. What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill. But I don't think that means you go to a total ban for those who want to use gun for skeet shooting or hunting or things like that. But what's the point of passing gun laws if we're not going to enforce them? If you want to talk about gun control, that's where you need to start. We've got 300 gun laws on the books right now. At the end of the day, it's about how we enforce the law.
Source: Washington Post interview Oct 16, 2006

[familyop]

Here's more.

Steele: GOP Should Reach Out To Gay, Pro-Choice Voters
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2176753/posts">

...want to know how he got there?

The GOP Should Go Upscale Townhall.com ^ | January 31, 2009 | Michael Barone
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2175548/posts

Catholic Michael Steele takes over leadership of RNC
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14947
[See the part about Whitman.]
BREAKING! Pro-life, devout Catholic named new RNC chair!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2175205/posts

Opinion: Michael Steele, Black, Pro-Life Catholic Takes the Helm of the G.O.P.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2175726/posts

Catholic Michael Steele (former seminarian) takes over leadership of RNC
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2175574/posts

[mrsmith]

Nothing, typical media ‘dirtying up’.
Steele was hired for the media. He’s a smooth talker.
I hope he’s a hard worker too.

[Retired Chemist]

But it was okay for Liberals to call Steele an Oreo?

[muawiyah]

The Washington Post cherry picks its news. Whatever they said Steele said that means he must have used those words but not necessarily in that order, or even on the same day.

Remember, the Post campaigned against Senator Allen's mother that same year because she was Jewish during WWII.

Unless you heard Steele say it himself, and he was engaged in a discussion with you ~ not giving a canned speech before a Demo-fascist audience (Maryland has a lot of that kind) ~ then you don't know.

[Sgt_Schultze]

It struck a memory chord to see Matthew Mosk named in the piece. IIRC, he was the only person who admitted logging into Free Republic under the screen name Md4Bush - a user who caused a little trouble for Ehrlich. One still wonders if he was the only person logging in as such.

[familyop]

Thanks for the excuse to post more information. Excerpted comment about Steele on his work for Christie Todd Whitman's Republican Leadership Council (RLC):

This may be a unique opportunity to build a relationship or a bridge between the conservatives and the moderates in our party and so she asked me to serve on her board and I said well this will be good. It’ll be a pro-life conservative voice on a board with a pro-choice leadership that is looking to elect moderates. We have to elect moderates in the party.

From "Michael Steele to his Conservative Critics: Wake Up People!" (David Brody interview, CBN News). So obviously, he would talk one thing and do the other, as mentioned about the "board" in the quote above--the kind of tactic that I've not been surprised about since the Giuliani Putsch.

[familyop]

Correction: that was a comment made by Steele--not about him.

[familyop]

Correction: that was a comment made by Steele--not about him.

[muawiyah]

SOURCE: Washington Post interview Oct 16, 2006

Again, the problem is it's the Washington Post claiming that Steele said something in an interview. As a general rule anything the Post says someone said should be discounted unless you get two other independent sources.

[familyop]

Obama Smiles

Andrew C. McCarthy
National Review
January 30, 2009

Excerpt:

And then there is Eric Holder...As a top Obama adviser, Holder...In a radio appearance last week, Michael Steele, a Holder supporter who is a candidate to become head of the Republican National Committee, explained this, er, strategy. We have to be smart about picking our battles, he told a disgruntled conservative caller. Steele asked, is there any real chance of beating Holder? When she conceded there was not, he replied, with evident self-satisfaction: Why would I want to get into a fight we can’t win? He then spoke vapidly about how it was more important to get Holder in power: that, you see, is when we really get to confront him on issues. Somewhere, President Obama was smiling.

[muawiyah]

Getting Holder into the office of Attorney General was a big win for our side. As I've explained numerous times Holder has a totally bizarre personality quirk that makes him vulnerable to initiating "coverups" when they aren't needed.

He's the kind of lawyer who always assumes his client is guilty ~ so if something bad happens, e.g. a murder, and there could possibly be any involvement in it by someone in the White House, or on the Cabinet, he will move to protect whoever he thinks is the bad guy.

You think we can't use that against the Democrats?!

Our best bet is to make sure Holder keeps that job for a good long time. Sure, we'll eventually be able to have him sent to jail, but as long as the day to day business in DOJ is run by the permanent bureaucracy, there's no real problem in this for us.

Let Holder do his stupidest and we'll reap great political rewards.

[IrishPennant]

You can take everything Winston Churchill & Ronald Reagan said and twist it into the winds of what you MSM needs at the moment.

Steele is good. Steele is strong. Just what we need right now. Believe in him but let us not let him go without plenty of uproar and guidance from us, the Republic of America...Michael will guide those who tell him where we need to go.

"I can chart and captain ye this vessel, for I fear the seas naught...but I need thee to tell me thine intended port of debarkation!"

[aposiopetic]

as long as the day to day business in DOJ is run by the permanent bureaucracy, there's no real problem in this for us.

I know you're probably right, but somehow I wonder if those DOJ folks might not be better-suited to being Wal-Mart greeters or some such thing.

[familyop]

"You can take everything Winston Churchill & Ronald Reagan said and twist it into the winds of what you MSM needs at the moment.

Steele is good. Steele is strong."

Aye! It's those pesky Puritans and Hugenots, Boyo! They even use look-alikes on television to fool our moost lively wimin into talkin' aboot shame, I tell ya!


Meet The Press
October 29, 2006


MR. RUSSERT: ...Mr. Steele, if you’re United States Senator, would you vote for a constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion?

LT. GOV. STEELE: I don’t — vote for a constitutional amendment to outlaw abortion? I think we’d have to have that get to the Supreme Court, wouldn’t we? I haven’t seen that bill proposed. I don’t think...

MR. RUSSERT: That’s been introduced in the Senate.

LT. GOV. STEELE: I don’t think anyone’s going to propose that this day.

MR. RUSSERT: So you wouldn’t do that?

LT. GOV. STEELE: No.

MR. RUSSERT: Would, would you encourage — would you hope the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade?

LT. GOV. STEELE: I think that that’s a matter that’s going to rightly belong to the courts to decide ultimately whether or not that, that issue should be addressed. The, the Court has taken a position, which I agree, stare decisis, which means that the law is as it is and, and so this is a matter that’s ultimately going to be adjudicated at the states. We’re seeing that. The states are beginning to decide for themselves on, on this and a host of other issues. And the Supreme Court would ultimately decide that.

MR. RUSSERT: But you hope that the Court keeps Roe v. Wade in place?

LT. GOV. STEELE: I think the Court will evaluate the law as society progresses, as the Court is supposed to do.

MR. RUSSERT: But what’s your position? Do you want them to sustain it or overturn it?

LT. GOV. STEELE: Well, I think, I think, I think Roe vs. Wade, Roe vs. Wade is a, is a matter that should’ve been left to the states to decide, ultimately. But it, it is where it is today, and the courts will ultimately decide whether or not this, this gets addressed by the states, goes back to the states in some form or they overturn it outright.

MR. RUSSERT: Is is your desire to keep it in place?

LT. GOV. STEELE: My desire is that we follow what stare decisis is at this point, yes.

[familyop]

In the video behind the link, you'll hear what Michael Steele and the Republican Party effete had to say to any of those of us who disagree with them. I transcribed the following excerpt from the dialog for you.

"RNC Chairman Michael Steele on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace" (video)

Republican National Committee
01FEB09

Wallace: I want to start with something that you said in your victory statement on Friday just after you were elected by the RNC, and here it is.

Steele: We want you to work with us. And for those of you who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over.

Wallace: Who were you talking about? Who...who are...are you thinking may want to obstruct?

Steele: I'm thinking...uh, both inside and outside the Party.

---

[lentulusgracchus]

He “exploited” unemployed homeless people by “hiring” them.

You mean he GAVE THEM MONEY to actually DO SOMETHING?!

Something the 'Rats DIDN'T WANT THEM TO DO?! OMG!!!

What is the world coming to?

How LOW can one man GO? He GAVE them MONEY!!!! OMG OMG OMG!!

lolol

[lentulusgracchus]

[Quoting your quote of WaPo article quoting Steele]

"What do you need an assault weapon for, if you're going hunting? That's overkill."

Actually, an "assault weapon" is "underkill" for some game. Elk, moose, bear. You need a lot more gun, if you're trying to defend yourself against a top predator.

People, especially Democrat polemicists, tend to equate these Militia weapons (esp. when fully automatic) with recoilless rifles or something.

Much hotter cartridges are used by big-game and "tropical" rifles. Tons more energy. Except for rifles in .50 BMG, even snipers using military sniper rifles are using .30-cal. rifles of some description -- .308 or .30-06 as a rule.

Even the scary-looking Russian Dragunov SVD sniper rifle, permanent resident of the 'Rats hate-list, is just another semiautomatic .30-cal. rifle, like the venerable Browning Automatic Rifle that someone's grandfather took on deer hunts in the 1940's. The fact is, neither rifle is quite enough gun to go after big elk, and "assault-rifle" ammo is a step down from most of the .30-cal. rounds.

[lentulusgracchus]

The interviews with Wallace and Russert are good examples of 'Ratmedia trying to make trouble for Republicans.

Russert invites Steele to dis-elect himself, to bump himself off, in a race in a very liberal State by posing Roe vs. Wade as a litmus test. Russert is trying to help the 'Rats beat Steele, is why he put that question to him.

Chris Wallace just wants Republicans to fight amongst themselves, so that's why he brought up that quote about knocking people down.

[familyop]

Yep. I live on a high and windy mountain basin, so .338 Win Mag is nice.

[lentulusgracchus]

See the gun magazine article a year or two ago about the guy who's converting M-1 carbines to your caliber? I don't think it does anything for their service life .....

Also M-1A's I think. Guy just loves those .338 Mags. More bang for the buck.

And I guess you're equipped to defend yourself against an ornery grizz, too.

[familyop]

I didn’t know about the M-1s. Savage is relatively low-priced, good and very accurate for the money. I like the .338 because of the long distances with little or no concealment (trees) and performance in wind. ...less windage guessing. .300 Win Mag’s good, too, for those who miss because of .338 recoil and noise—versatile enough to make the girls happy and accurate enough with the right loads.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[Albion Wilde]

Everywhere you go you turn around and there goes some of 'em. Darndest phenomenon you ever did see.

You owe me a new pair of sweatpants!

[muawiyah]

The Dems didn't need the divorce records to "smear" Ryan. They already knew what he was about ~ you couldn't be a public figure and go to that particular club (across from the YMCA) without someone there knowing you, or taking your picture and finding out who you were ~ and the idiot took his wife, Seven of Nine, with him.

What the Democrats needed was cooboration ~ not the initial story.

WHat I find interesting is the knee-jerk reaction to the idea that anyone needed to "smear" a guy who visits S&M clubs ~ seems to me that sort of behavior "smears" all by itself.

Best to not do that anymore.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, I’m not saying I would’ve voted for Ryan either, LOL!

[muawiyah]

Elk are not nor have they been "top predators" for many hundreds of thousands of years.

If you can get yourself close to a herd ~ (there are numerous techniques for this) ~ you just walk up and grab a cow by the antlers and she will stand there and let you do anything you want.

[sauropod]

Now, why didn’t I think to throw Oreos at 0bama when he was in town? *SMIRK*

Because it would have been prosecuted as a "hate crime?"

Selective prosecution is the other side's stock in trade. Just ask Henry Waxman.