G.O.P. Squirms as Spotlight Focuses on Its Leader

[babylonsister]

G.O.P. Squirms as Spotlight Focuses on Its Leader
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: April 6, 2010

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In the best of circumstances, the head of a party out of power is the voice of the loyal opposition; at worse, the chairman is an irrelevance barely known outside party headquarters, hustling for time on the afternoon cable news shows. But Mr. Steele, who did not respond to a request for comment, has become something else: a remarkably public presence that even some Republicans say is distracting his party at a moment of high opportunity.

That concern spiked as Mr. Steele fired his chief of staff, Ken McKay — a popular figure who, Republicans said, learned of his dismissal when his wife saw the report on MSNBC — implicitly blaming him for spending abuses, including the strip club, that Mr. Steele said he had only learned about by reading his committee’s report to the Federal Election Commission.

The concern is evident in the extent to which big donors are writing checks to other Republican committees and how some prominent Republicans are voicing concerns about him.

“Right now it is crucial for the R.N.C. to get off the front pages of the newspapers,” said Katon Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Committee chairman who ran against Mr. Steele. “Get back to the mission of winning elections.”

Mr. Dawson, who did not rule out challenging Mr. Steele when his term is up, suggested that Mr. Steele did not appreciate the fact that not all publicity is good publicity, even for a chairman whose role includes keeping his party (and himself) in the spotlight.

“Lee Harvey Oswald had 100 percent name ID and none of it was any good,” Mr. Dawson said. “The bad press hurts us on the ground. One donor called me up and said, ‘I’m not going to give those guys any money.’ “

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/us/politics/07memo.html?hpw

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Bet they wish they had me back. Smirk." -xCommander AWOL (R)

"My fellow Republicon chickenhawks really miss the dignitude I brought to the pArtY pArtY pArty. Smirk."

- xCommander AWOL

[SpiralHawk]

2. "True. We were all about dignitude & torture and stuff." - Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney

"What republicon chickenhawk doesn't like dignitude and torture and war profiteering? Faux Lesbian Bondage and Diaper Sex with hookers, other republicon Family Values favs, just don't come close in, um, appeal. Sneer."

- Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney (R)

[Kolesar]

3. This is like the bush-days when stupid stories distracted us from issues of peace, justice,...

...and sustainability. The ignoble triad, CNN, Fox, and MSNBC, are going to keep running this stupid story.

Meanwhile, no progress is made to educate the public about energy policy.