Thanks For All The Gaffes! Michael Steele's Two Years At The RNC

The Logic of Michael Steele
This was Michael Steele’s plan along. All those seeming gaffes and goofs and awkward promises about hip-hoppifying the G.O.P., those were just ways for him to know who his friends were. That, anyway, is what he told CNN’s Don Lemon, after he got guff within the party for attacking Rush Limbaugh’s Rhetoric as “incendiary” and “ugly.” Anyone who thought that it was a mistake on Steele’s part clearly does not understand Steele. “I do something, ...

Michael Steele loses bid for re-election as RNC chair
Michael Steele is out as RNC chairman. Reince Priebus, former chairman of the Wisconsin GOP, unseated Steele in Friday's vote among GOP memebers and will be taking over the number one spot on the Republican National Committee. Steele withdrew his name from consideration after the fourth round of voting after he realized he had little chance of winning another term. Priebus has aligned himself with the Tea Party movement, which Republicans credit with their recent takeover of the House of Represe...

A Michael Steele thought experiment
A Michael Steele THOUGHT EXPERIMENT.... In June, in an electoral fluke, a man named Alvin Greene somehow managed to win the Democratic primary in South Carolina's U.S. Senate race. When state and national Dems balked, leading far-right voices -- Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, and others -- insisted it was because the Democratic Party doesn't like African-American Candidates. Five months later, House Democrats were choosing the leadership for the next Congress, and Steny Hoyer, who is white, le...

Michael Steele's many blunders led to defeat in RNC chair reelection campaign
Republicans emerged from a 2008 electoral drubbing not only lacking a telegenic spokesman for the party but virtually any major officials who were not white, a major void after the election of the nation's first black president. Michael Steele seemed like the right man at the right time: an African-American Republican who loved going on television. This Story GOP picks Reince Priebus to lead as it regroups New RNC chairman ran as the anti-Steele Michael Steele's many blunders led to defeat in...

Reince Priebus: Thoughts on the Election of the New RNC Chair
Some observations on the election of Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus to be RNC Chairman Friday: No big surprises. Priebus went into the balloting as the favorite, consistently gained votes in each round, and then won on the seventh and final ballot. The only real surprise is that it took him as long as it did to put the race away. But because none of his competitors started off with an embarrassingly low number of votes, there was little incentive for them to Drop Out in the ...

Ann Coulter calls the results of the RNC Chairman election a big mistake (Daily Caller)
Read more stories from The Daily Caller Ann Coulter calls the results of the RNC Chairman election a 'big mistake' Chris Matthews calls Obama critics 'crackers' Rush Limbaugh: I didn't know about Tucson billboard featuring decorative bullet holes Brooklyn College Professor and NY Times writer Helen Rubinstein stole Internet for years — but she may have to pay big-time now Golden Globes: Flashback to Hollywood's Golden Age [SLIDESHOW] Ann Coulter has something to say about Friday’s Repu...

Reince Preibus New is RNC Chair Michael Steele: Now I Exit Stage Right.
In the end, it has all worked out beautifully for the Republican National Committee.   The personally-likable but Scandal-dogged Michael Steele bowed out gracefully during voting.  Replacing him will be someone who was kind and loyal to Steele, but who also served as the listening post for GOP Conservatives who were restive for regime change. Reince Preibus is from Wisconsin, which staged the most amazing blue-to-red transformation of any state this year.  ON WISCONSIN! ...

Priebus steps into the spotlight
Reince Priebus, the new low-key chairman of the Republican National Committee, helped lead Michael Steele’s successful 2009 campaign for RNC chairman. He ran Steele’s transition and became General Counsel of the RNC. Then the two had a falling out. On Friday night, in a move few could have foreseen two years ago, the 38-year-old diminutive chairman of the Wisconsin Republicans vanquished Steele to himself become national chairman. Continue Reading Text Size - + reset It was the re...

GOP rejects Steele
The republican party has finally driven chairman Michael Steele from his post. After the republican made huge gains in the mid-term Elections, many in the party, especially those endorsed by the Tea Party, questioned if the results were a slap in the face to Steele. He had been criticized by many Tea Party supporters who felt he wasn't conservative enough for them.  The party has instead turned to Reince Priebus, a former top lieutenant for Michael Steele, and current chairman of the Wiscon...

Michael Steele's tarnished tenure | James Antle
Michael Steele won the RNC chairmanship with his talent for crowdpleasing work on the stump, but lost the confidence of his party by failing to secure Donors despite a favourable climate for the GOP. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Republican party's noble experiment with Michael Steele has come to an end. After a tumultuous single term, Steele was denied re-election as chairman of the Republican national committee (RNC). The RNC turned, instead, to former Steele lieutenant Rei...

Who is Reince Priebus?
After winning the RNC election to replace Michael Steele, Reince Priebus doesn't exactly have big shoes to fill. But he does have experience leading Republicans to big gains, at least in Wisconsin, where he was the chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party during the 2010 Elections. Priebus, a 38-year-old lawyer who resides in Kenosha, Wisc., helped his party's Candidate, Ron Johnson, defeat longtime Senator Russ Feingold for a Senate seat in November, grabbed the Governor's house for Republi...

New RNC Chairman elected: Reince Priebus
When Incumbent Michael Steele dropped out after four rounds of voting for the RNC chairmanship, it was pretty much Reince Priebus all the way. Politico.com has the counts for the seven rounds of voting that were required. Priebus has a law degree , and interned for the NAACP legal defense fund. He lost a 2004 bid for a seat in the Wisconsin Senate, but went on to become Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party. He has been serving as General Counsel to the national RNC under Steele. Examiner.c...

Michael Steele out as Republican Party chair; Reince Priebus elected
Reince Priebus was elected Friday to lead the Republican National Committee. Chairman of the Wisconsin Republican Party, Priebus replaces the Controversial Michael Steele....

Reince Priebus: "We Can Defeat Barack Obama in 2012"
The new elected RNC Chairman Reince Priebus holds up a gavel after winning the post, Jan. 14, 2011 in Oxon Hill, MD. (Credit: (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)) The Republican Party will face significant challenges in the 2012 election cycle: A geared-up Democratic electorate excited to see President Obama back on the ballot, a rowdy and somewhat unpredictable Tea Party base, funds flowing through multiple outside organizations. On top of all that, the Republican National Committee must dea...

Steele out as head of GOP, Wisconsin chief in
WASHINGTON - Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus was elected chair of the Republican National Committee on Friday, defeating four other Candidates — including Incumbent Michael Steele — in the seventh round of voting. Priebus never trailed in the voting, slowly building on his tally until he surpassed a majority of the 168 voting members. State party chair since 2007, Priebus helped Wisconsin Republicans win back the Governor's office after eight years, unseat t...

Down Goes Michael Steele
Michael Steele has been defeated in his quest for a Second Term as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. It’s tough to know whether to cheer or groan at this news. Steele certainly was a clownish buffoon (and I say that lovingly) prone to numerous gaffes. Among these include calling the stimulus package “bling bling,” suggesting the GOP needs a “hip-hop makeover,” and sending some “slum love” to Louisiana Governor and Indian-American Bobby ...

Michael Steele out, Reince Priebus in as new head of the RNC
  Today the Republicans voted for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee and at long last Michael Steele is no longer the chairman, being replaced by Reince Priebus.   A sharply divided Republican Committee finally confirmed Preibus as Committee Chairman on the seventh ballot, while Michael Steele dropped his re-election bid after the fourth ballot. In my opinion, this was a long time in the making as I questioned whether Michael Steele should resign back in March o...

CRP Chairman Ron Nehring loses RNC treasurer bid
California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring today lost a bid to become treasurer of the Republican National Committee. Nehring was defeated by Tony Parker, a Republican National Committeeman for Washington, D.C., in a run-off ballot at the RNC's winter meeting in Maryland. Nehring, who has headed the California GOP since 2007, is wrapping up his final months as state party chair. Reince Priebus, who heads the Wisconsin Republican Party, was elected party chairman. He replaces Incumbent...

Republican National Committee elects Wisconsin GOP leader as chair
WASHINGTON — Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus was elected chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) on Friday after surviving seven contentious rounds of balloting to succeed Michael Steele, who dropped out after the fourth round, as party officials expressed a desire for new leadership to prepare for the 2012 Presidential Election. Priebus (Rinz PREE-bus) never trailed in the voting, slowly building on his tally until he surpassed a majority of the 168 voting me...

Meet The New RNC Chair
Arkansas Democrats weren’t the only ones to lose a chairman today.  The RNC booted gaffe prone Michael Steele and, low and behold, the dirt is already coming out on their new chairman, Reince Priebus. So, what skeletons are coming out of Mr. Priebus’s closet?  Well, for starter’s, there’s some stuff that’s going to make the Republican messaging a little more difficult.  Apparently, Mr. Priebus’s Law Firm both sought federal stimulus funds from t...

GOP picks Reince Priebus to lead as it regroups
Source: Washington Post GOP leaders began a weekend of repositioning and soul-searching Friday, as the Republican National Committee voted out its Controversial chairman, Michael Steele, in favor of Reince Priebus, the Wisconsin Republican Party chairman, and House members plotted their future at a party retreat in Baltimore. Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20... He doesn't have a Wikipedia page Reince Priebus is a partner in our Litigation Practice Group, Co-Ch...

Election results not enough to save RNC chair
Former chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) Michael Steele stepped down today when it became clear he would not win re-election to his position after successive rounds of voting.  The tenure of Mr. Steele, former Lieutenant Governor of MD and the first black man to hold the position of RNC chair, was marked with Controversy even amid Republican electoral successes.  Ironically, Mr. Steele leaves a national committee that is deeply in the red and struggling for Donors, ev...

The Reince Priebus era begins at the RNC
THE Reince Priebus ERA BEGINS AT THE RNC.... It took seven ballots, but Republican National Committee members chose a new chairman late yesterday afternoon, replacing Michael Steele with Reince Priebus. The 38-year-old Wisconsinite takes over at a difficult time for the RNC -- the committee is $21 million in Debt, is struggling to pay its bills, and is burdened by two years of widespread mismanagement. Priebus, a former Steele ally, appears to have been chosen for the job precisely because he ...

Michael Steele's Greatest Hits
He may have been ousted from the RNC, but these moments will stay with us forever. From comparing health-care reform to armageddon to claiming he was appointed chairman by God, watch six of Michael Steele's most cringe-worthy moments....

Best Michael Steele Quotes
He's been ousted as RNC Chairman, but it's worth revisiting why Michael Steele's term was so memorable. He was definitely "the gift that keeps on giving." ...