Posted on 07/26/2006 5:37:30 AM PDT by seanmerc
Steele Admits He Criticized GOP in Interview Unnamed Candidate Said Being Republican Was Like Wearing 'Scarlet Letter'
Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's Senate campaign acknowledged yesterday that he was the anonymous candidate quoted by a Washington Post political reporter as saying that being a Republican was like wearing a "scarlet letter" and that he did not want President Bush to campaign for him this fall.
The campaign made the disclosure after a day of speculation in the blogosphere and among political reporters about which Republican Senate candidate had made the disparaging remarks reported by Dana Milbank in the Washington Sketch column in yesterday's Post.
Democrats in Maryland and Washington pounced on the comments to portray Steele as either a chameleon or a hypocrite.
"He realizes that he can't win being a conservative Republican in Maryland in 2006," said Maryland Democratic Party spokesman Arthur Harris. "He's out of touch with the majority of Marylanders."
State Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lierman pointed out in a statement that Steele has held fundraisers with the president, Vice President Cheney, Bush adviser Karl Rove and National Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman.
"He has taken millions from Bush and his top aides and even endorsed Bush in a prime-time Republican National Convention speech in August 2004," Lierman said.
During a luncheon with reporters at which he agreed to be quoted only as a Republican Senate candidate, Steele criticized the Iraq war effort and Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina and said congressional Republicans have "lost our way," according to Milbank's report.
Asked whether he would invite Bush to campaign for him, he replied, considering Bush's low approval rating in Maryland, "to be honest with you, probably not."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I think this guy just may be toast. I really liked him too.
Good for him!! It is time for conservatives to break with Bush.
just DAMN,he had the support of the gop party,estimated to have at min 20-25% black vote,just DAMN when will they ever learn NEVER TRUST THE MSM now that hideous cardin will win or worse Kwesis will start the race baiting and is comments will be see I told you so; Steele really is a honest moral man, just listened to the wrong advisors on this one; should have stay true to his convictions and be damn what appearenaces look like
At least you can be a little more appreciative of the people that brought you to the dance.
Well, if you're a Republican candidate and want to break with Bush, I wouldn't think foreign policy and the GWOT would be the place to make the break.
Talk spending, talk border enforcement and amnesty, talk stem cell research if you want...but not foreign policy.
As far as I'm concerned, this hypocrite is dead in the party.
Well at least it's a Democratic seat he's running for so it wouldn't be a net loss. I expect the White House and the RNC will stand behind him despite the statements. He's too good a candidate in that state to give up on despite his disloyalty. However, the Dems are going to have a field day with his comments.
I can just see a 90-10 Senate in Democrat favor when that happens. The House 400-53. Yep that works for the Democrats for sure.
Where do we sign up to join the "Conservative" party and just who is their lead spokesman? Never mind, I think the Libertarians would love to have me. Calling Boortz now.
:)
Pretty lame, PR-wise, to insist on anonymity and leave so many obvious clues. He should have just gone on record. Hard to imagine a republican winning in MD without putting at least some distance between himself and Bush. As to the substance of his remarks: he wants to stay in Iraq, although he thinks it's been bungled; he thinks Bush should have gone to the gulf coast sooner after Katrina, certainly defensible claims, hardly disqualifying for a republican or a conservative.
As to congress:
'"We've lost our way, we've gone to the well and we drank the water, and we shouldn't have," he said of congressional Republicans. "You don't go to Congress to become the party that you've been fighting for 40 years." Lamenting "the spending, the finger-pointing, not getting the bills passed," he counseled: "Just shut up and get something done."'
Hard to argue with that.
I'm sad to say this, but I've always suspected he wasn't that bright. Was desperately trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Hurricane Kat is a political issue in Maryland? Really got to wonder who this guy is spending his time with.
I'm sure it is for Blacks in MD, who may be choosing between Steele and Mfume.
It's not that Steele dissed the president or the GOP. I have vehemently criticized them both. Instead Steele fails to enunciate conservative principles to show where Bush has failed. Instead he b*tches about the Iraq war (liberal talking points), or b*tches about GOP congressional failures in general. Not one constructive criticism that would have educated people about conservative principles.
Then Steele should tell the truth about Katrina, instead of pandering.
Yep, that's the way it is in Maryland all right.
And you're never going to get the stupid vote. The WashPost is going to drive as many stupid people of either party away from you as they can.
I'm not arguing with his message, just his method of getting the message out. For some reason I think GWB would have taken his call.
There may be a couple of things you don't like about your mate, toothpaste cap, leaving clothes lying around, etc but you sure don't tell people with a "promise" from them that they won't tell your mate.
Part of the truth about Katrina is that the Bush admin made a significant PR blunder, which allowed the media to frame the story in a way that was unfairly critical of their substantive efforts. They shouldn't have left themselves open that way.
Agreed. I'm sure there were lots of republican talking points offered during the course of that dinner, but the reporters knew what they were looking for, and that's all they reported, knowing that he wouldn't be able to set the record straight without being "on" it. Hopefully a valuable lesson learned.
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