"This Man Of Steele: More Clark Kent Than Superman!"

It's time to Break It Down!

Michael Steele, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman, has zigged once again, while his Party zagged. Steele who ascended to the top position in the RNC just a few days after President Obama was inaugurated, has treaded lightly along a fine line almost from the outset.

In what was one of his first public comments, Chairman Steele placed himself squarely in the cross-hairs of Rush Limbaugh by labeling the conservative talk show host, "just an entertainer; not a Party leader." Almost immediately Mr. Limbaugh chided the new Chairman, and a host of GOP Party regulars followed suit. Having been sufficiently sanctioned, Steele apologized and re-tooled his rhetoric to align with Mr. Limbaugh and the apparent GOP heavy-weights.

In a subsequent brush with clear thinking, Mr. Steele recently suggested to Tea Party members, “Can’t We Just Get Along,” in an effort to heal the division in the Republican Party; a schism he characterizes as overrated. In summary Mr. Steele contends that Republicans across the spectrum have more in common than differences.

It sounds good. The problem, apparently, is whenever the Chairman appears to make an effort to moderate the tenor of the clamor, those with bona fide Party religion pounce on him for his heretical views. Not surprisingly, the source of the most recent deepening of the chasm between Mr. Steele and his Party is a book, and related book tour. Yes, you guessed it; Mr. Steele is promoting a new book, Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda. I guess it is also not surprising that the President’s name is prominently featured in the book’s title.

As I noted back in January, in a sense, President Obama reinvented both Parties. In what was an unintended, unpredicted, but clearly related consequence of the President’s election, Mr. Steele saw his chances for catapulting to RNC Chairmanship spike. Before one could say, “Change We Believe In," The President and Mr. Steele were joined at the historical hip; Mr. President and Mr. Chairman.

There is no doubt we have not heard the last of this book. The current media news cycle SNAFU associated with Mr. Steele has to do with his prediction that the GOP would not regain the House in the 2010 Mid-term election, and his further suggestion the (GOP) Party may not be ready. The National Congressional Campaign Committee (the campaign arm of the House Republican Conference) slammed Mr. Steele for his less than rosy prediction. This all started on Monday night’s Sean Hannity radio show. In responding to questions from Mr. Hannity, Mr. Steele said:

• I can’t give a number (of seats the GOP will win) yet, because like I
said,
we’re just now beginning to look at races, Steele said. Asked if
Republicans will take back the House, he confessed: “Not this year”
• "I don't know all the candidates yet," Steele added. "We still have some
vacancies that need to get filled, but then the question we need to ask
ourselves is: 'If we do that, are we ready?”

Steele seemed to imply is that there is a necessary vetting process to discover potential candidates that meet the Litmus Test for genuine Republican canon. In other words, his reluctance is based on trying to facilitate alignment of acceptable candidates and GOP Party values. By embracing this view, he is saying it is more important to identify and select the “right” (no pun intended) candidate, and in the process, eradicate the ideological schism that has plagued the Party.

Interestingly, Mr. Steele’s detractors, who frequently reflect the group most interested in “Party Purity” seem to be willing to overlook the subtlety of that finer point. As we have come to expect, Mr. Steele amended his position to fall in line with, or at least be less antagonistic to the individuals and groups who lambasted him for his prediction. Yesterday he told CNN’s Wolfe Blitzer, he is simply not ready to make a prediction, and that the GOP is putting in place good candidates to win “as if we will take the House in the fall.”

In the event that currently pressing matter is resolved, there are sure to be other nuggets of wisdom that will inspire the ire of the “Real Republicans,” guardians of Party integrity. For example, in explaining why the GOP frequently lost touch with typical Americans since the Reagan era, Mr. Steele admits, “We screwed up.”

He goes on to add that, "we" is inclusive of, "the last two Republican presidents and the most recent Republican candidate for president.”

So what have we learned? First, it is clear, “This Man of Steele: More Clark Kent Than Superman!” Second, look for more recants and retractions. I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/05/us/politics/AP-US-Steele-Book.html

http://biggovernment.com/2010/01/04/exclusive-book-excerpt-right-now-a-twelve-step-program-to-defeating-the-obama-agenda/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/05/nrcc-pushes-back-against_n_411624.html

http://www.bing.com/videos/?FORM=MFEVID&publ=2BE19A43-506C-4905-B386-894988BC18EB&crea=STND_MFEVID_core_HuffPo_CustomVidLink_1x1&q=Steele+2010&docid=1603785982500#

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31163.html

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.fan.rush-limbaugh/browse_thread/thread/ce46685b317daefd/079c2ec3912e5aee?lnk=raot&fwc=1

http://www.politico.com/arena/

http://theundergroundconservative.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/a-weak-man-of-steele/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Limbaugh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests