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WASHINGTON --Reince Priebus was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee on Friday after Michael Steeledropped his bid to stay atop the party for another two years. Priebus clinched the victory after seven rounds, securing 97 votes, more than the 85 required to win. Steele dropped out of the race after four rounds. "At this time, I will step aside for others to lead," Steele told the168 RNC committee members at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor, Md. "But in so doing, I hope y'all appreciate the legacy we leave. Despite the noise -- because lord know we had a...

It seems fair to ask, when one uses standard liberal catch-phrasing, volunteers for an organization like the NAACP, becomes party to an eminent domain lawsuit to take property from a small business on behalf of the government and is linked to the solicitation of government stimulus funding, just how conservative is said individual? Given that the individual in question is Reince Priebus, currently seeking the RNC Chairmanship and talking like a conservative, how is it that he seems to have so walked the walk of a typical liberal over the years? This was only ten years ago, after all. Certainly,...

Mike Steele, the troubled RNC chair, stepped down from the RNC in the fourth round of the voting on Friday. Reince Priebus won the RNC chairmanship in the seventh round after being the leader all day. Both [TheHill.com] and [Washingtontimes.com] have the details. Check out our previous post on RINO Steele. Check back for more blog update coverage.

..very early.......

From Tritter: Michael Steele drops out of RNC chair race, saying: "It's very clear that the party wants to do something different." - NBC Story developing....

NOTE: Candidate must receive absolute majority (85) to win. The 2011 Republican National Committee Winter Meeting is under way! I will be live blogging the RNC Chairmanship election throughout the day. (12:28 PM) The declared candidates for Chairman: Michael Steele of Maryland. Saul Anuzis of Michigan. Maria Cino of New York. Reince Priebus of Wisconsin. Ann Wager of Missouri. (12:30 PM) Nominations should begin in fifteen minutes; actual voting in seventy-five. (12:50 PM) Ann Wagner has been Nominated by National Committeeman John Ryder. (12:55 pm) Reince Priebus has been Nominated by National Committeeman Steve King.

As National Republicans head into this morning's bi-annual Chairmanship election, we can all agree on one thing: Michael Steele, our current Chairman, must be replaced today. His gaffes (abortion, Afghanistan, southern strategy) insulted core constituencies, and his horrible fiscal management skills (record low contributions; record high debt) has cost the RNC millions of dollars. But as to who we support? That has divided Republicans sharply. Maria Cino is a former Bush Administration official who worked in both the Commerce and Transportation departments. She is also a former Deputy RNC Chairman who has worked closely with pro-abortion Republican organizations in the...

Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus led after the first ballot in the race for chairman of the Republican National Committee. Needing 85 votes among the 168 members to win, Priebus took 45 votes in the first round. Trailing Priebus after one round is Chairman Michael Steele with 44 votes, former RNC official Maria Cino with 32 votes, Michigan Committeeman Saul Anuzis with 24 votes, and former Missouri GOP Chairwoman Ann Wagner with 23 votes. Several more ballots are expected before someone reaches the 85-vote threshold. Steele won the 2009 race after six rounds, defeating a five-candidate field that included...

Michael Steele unintentionally said it best himself at a debate for chairman of the Republican National Committee: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," he said, incorrectly attributing the line to "War and Peace," which he called his favorite book. (It's from "A Tale of Two Cities.") Today, at a sprawling resort just outside Washington, Steele delivering a speech -- in his capacity as RNC chairman -- was essentially his last pitch to members before today's vote of the 168 committee members who, will determine his fate this afternoon. "You shocked the world," he told...

Hundreds of major donors have abandoned the Republican National Committee, leaving it $20 million in debt and threatening its future as a central player in the 2012 presidential election. The RNC raised just $7 million from major donors for the midterm elections, one sixth as much as it brought in for the previous midterms, in 2006. By contrast, the Democratic National Committee raised $38 million from large donors for last fall's midterms, three times as much as for the 2006 elections, according to a Washington Post analysis of donor records. On Friday, when RNC members gather at National Harbor to...

<p>Some supporters of Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele are privately urging him to consider a graceful exit strategy, sources told The Washington Times, as RNC members prepare for Friday's showdown vote on who will lead the party for the next two years.</p>

On January 14, this Friday, the leadership of the Republican National Committee will vote on who will be the new chairman. Michael Steele has been one of the most ineffective and damaging chairmen that the Republican party has allowed to lead its chief fundraising organization in recent history. His chairmanship includes: baffling statements on race and culture (lampooned quite well by the Daily Show below)USAToday's own request for his change of parties due to his own conflicted beliefs and history[RINOList.org]two different sex club scandals [Dailycaller.com] & [TheDailyBeast.com]factually inaccurate public statements on the War in Afghanistan [Talkingpointsmemo.com]massive debt in the Republican...

Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus remains the front-runner for the Republican National Committee chairmanship, which some observers predicted could spell trouble for his bid. Priebus leads the field with 36 RNC members publicly backing him, according to a count by National Review Online.

Based upon talking to multiple sources over a period of weeks, I've been able to confirm that a deal struck between the Barbours, Henry and Haley, and Reince Priebus, is set to put Nick Ayers in at the RNC as political director to pave the way for Barbour's 2012 Presidential bid. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is trying to get his southern claws around the RNC as one of his cronies, Nick Ayers, the 28 year old Republican Governors Association Director, is being pumped up to challenge an already embattled Michael Steele. Incoming Republican Governor Association Chairman, Texas Gov. Rick Perry,...

Why are people getting all excited or concerned about who's the next bureaucrat to run the RNC? Who cares? They have proven time and time again that giving them money is irresponsible to the conservative movement in this country. They will never support a conservative candidate, and the RINOS they end up backing will consistently undermine our most principled candidate. I say drain the swamp, if you want to give someone power in Washington make it Jim Demint and support his fund. http://senateconservatives.com/ Not sure if Bachmann has one for the House if she does support her fund. By giving...

All five RNC candidates said they think Palin can win a general election. #RNCdebate 3 hours ago via Twitter for BlackBerry® Favorite Retweet Reply

Michael Steele to debate challengers for RNC chair today Matthew SheffieldJanuary 3, 2010 Later today at 1pm ET, Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele will be facing off against several challengers at a debate. Under fire for months for spending too much and injecting himself into the public eye, Steele faces an uphill battle. Earlier today, Politico reported that over half of the 168 RNC members it surveyed said they would not vote to re-elect him.Joining Steele at the debate will be lobbyist and former deputy RNC chairwoman Maria Cino; Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus; Saul Anuzis, an opponent...

The next chairman of the Republican National Committee will face a money-raising challenge of historic proportions. The unreleased official budget of the RNC reveals that the Republican Party's national governing body and premier fundraising apparatus begins the 2011-12 presidential election cycle more than $20 million in the hole. "A record for any year in the past 30 years," Maria Cino, a candidate for the RNC chairmanship and a former deputy transportation secretary, told The Washington Times. The budget was approved by RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele's Budget Committee. The document also reveals that the RNC will enter the 2012 presidential...

The Republican National Committee will raise and spend in excess of $400 million over the next 2 years. Normally the procedure of picking an RNC Chairman to lead the Republican Party is a closed process. The 168 members of the RNC vote to choose the new chairman in early January 2011. On December 1st FreedomWorks was given unique involvement in the chairman selection process. For the first time in history Americans were involved in the process of vetting candidates for the position. Tea Party organizers and real Americans could view and ask questions while watching online. FreedomWorks and the Republican...

GOP Chair Candidate Cino Explains Helping Pro-Abortion Group Washington, DC - Republican Party chairman candidate Maria Cino became the final candidate for the national party chairman position to interview with the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political group. http://www.lifenews.com/2010/12/31/gop-chair-candidate-cino-explains-helping-pro-abortion-group/