After Saying Snowe Is ‘Welcome’ In The GOP, Steele Suggests He’ll ‘Come After’ Her For Supporting Stimulus
After Saying Snowe Is ‘Welcome’ In The GOP, Steele Suggests He’ll ‘Come After’ Her For Supporting Stimulus
This week on MSNBC, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) — who endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York’s 23rd congressional district run-off on Tuesday — refused to say whether or not he’s “glad” that moderate Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) — who voted for President Obama’s stimulus package — is in the Republican Party.
The next day on MSNBC, RNC Chair Michael Steele was asked if there was room for Snowe in the GOP. “Absolutely,” Steele said:
STEELE: Welcome! Welcome! Because–you know why that’s important? Because every footprint of this party is different from region to region, from county to county. I can’t win in the northeast with someone who’d be a better candidate suited in the south….So the reality of it is I’m looking to find my candidates where they are. And I want to lift them up beause they represent those districts. So like New England, Olympia Snowe works there for her. She may not translate in South Carolina. She works in Maine.
But today on ABC’s TopLine, Steele appeared to have a change of heart. When asked if he’s comfortable with GOP candidates who supported the stimulus, Steele said there’s “no justification” for that support, adding, “we’ll come after you”:
STEELE: So candidates who live in moderate to slightly liberal districts have got to walk a little bit carefully here, because you do not want to put yourself in a position where you’re crossing that line on conservative principles, fiscal principles, because we’ll come after you. [...]
You’re gonna find yourself in a very tough hole if you’re arguing for the president’s stimulus plan or Nancy Pelosi’s health plan. There’s no justification for growing the size of government the way this administration and this Congress wants to do it.
While Steele didn’t mention any names, clearly Snowe and fellow Republican Senator from Maine Susan Collins — who both supported the stimulus — may soon be in the RNC’s crosshairs.
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circular firing squad…..commence firing.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:31 pmI had never noticed till now how lopsided Mr. Steele’s head is along the vertical axis.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:35 pmAh the ol’ soft shoe from Steele. That’s how he rolls, say one thing one day and contradict it tomorrow. All part of his master plan. The jedi master has us all reeling from his superior intellect and cunning political skills. What a joke, although perfectly apt for the GOP.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pmHe can’t even stay on message in the same week…
I wonder who button-holed him after the MSNBC appearance?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pmIs it just me or does Micheal Steele look like a muppet? I know he has the brains of one. Isn’t he hosting the telethon today? I would love to hear some of the pearls of wisdom coming out of his mouth. He can’t go 12 minutes without saying something dumber than the last statement he made. How will he go 12 hours?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pmHe was for her, before he was against her. Or vice versa. But never fear… give it 10 minutes and he’ll be for/against her again.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pmThese people are just plain willy-nilly. I don’t know why she just doesn’t make the switch. Of course, we don’t need any more blue dogs.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pmThe other day I was reading a Gallup poll.. and it had a section for ‘Black Democrats’.. and no section for ‘Black Republicans’ – with the disclaimer that there aren’t a sufficient number of them to adequately poll.. I believe they should have just divided the sections up as ‘white republicans’ and ‘michael steele’
November 5th, 2009 at 2:38 pmBoth Snowe and Collins are very popular in Maine. So popular in fact, they could run as an independent or Democrat and still win reelection.
Will there come a point in which both of these Senators say “enough of this radical crap” and tell the Repugs to stick it?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:38 pmThis is too easy. When he isn’t posing for Mika and Joe, he is contradicting himself all over MSM.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:38 pmMaybe Steele can send Doug Hoffman to Maine to run against Snowe. Worked so well last time and he doesn’t live there either. I see no downside.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:38 pmToken Steele is the gift that keeps giving.
You be Da Man, Token Steele. You be Da Man!
November 5th, 2009 at 2:40 pmHey Mikey, What up? Still eatin that apple pie i see..
November 5th, 2009 at 2:43 pmpale@11, Can you imagine? If every Moderate Repug is pitted against a fanatic like Hoffman, The GOP will be toast.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:43 pmSo the plan is to push as many people out of the Republican party as possible and then go out and win elections?
That’s pretzel logic.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:44 pmSteele: “There’s no justification for growing the size of government the way this administration and this Congress wants to do it.”
– - GEEZE, I’m spittin’ nickels here! THE GOP forced the massive and truly crippling Medicare prescriptions drug benefit through the Congress, backed two hugely expensive wars, refused to raise any taxes, and presided over an unprecedented rise in domestic discretionary spending.
THE GOP took a surplus and gave us back a recession and a trillion dollar deficit.
THE GOP believed that the executive branch had total authority to ignore the laws on torture, and possessed war-powers within the United States with respect to American citizens captured without due process.
But THE GOP is now intent on restraining runaway spending and government expansion?
The great thing about shamelessness is that in an amnesiac culture, it works.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:44 pmWhile Steele didn’t mention any names, clearly Snowe and fellow Republican Senator from Maine Susan Collins — who both supported the stimulus — may soon be in the RNC’s crosshairs.
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What’s Steele planning to do? Snowe isn’t up for re-election until 2012; Collins is next up in 2014.
The best the RNC could do is to find some extreme wingnut to challenge Snowe for the GOP nomination in 2012 — and if they were successful, the Democrat would win.
I think Steele believes that the success of the anti-gay marriage measure in Maine has colored that state bright red. And he’s wrong. There’s a reason why Snowe and Collins are liked and get elected in Maine.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:44 pmnoseeum says:
I had never noticed till now how lopsided Mr. Steele’s head is along the vertical axis.
That’s his look of permanent and total confusion about all things rational.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:45 pmThis is known as “cutting off your nose to spite your face.” In fact, that never made much sense to me–until I started watching the Republicans in the last few years.
Actually, in a lot of ways this reminds me of the New Left back in the 60s, when groups would purge members deemed “insufficiently” committed to the cause. Eventually, they’d end up with two Maoists eyeballing one another suspiciously.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:47 pmI think Mikey should give up wearing baseball style caps as he can’t seem to decide which way to wear the bill. He should just get one of those bill-less caps – you know, the ones with the propellor – to wear. He spins when he rolls.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:48 pmThis Repugs are under the notion that the Country ‘Center Right’. That is not true. But let them believe it. They win two Govenorships and they think it’s a Mandate. When WE know they were off year elections. MSM is feeding them what they want to hear. That’s fine with me.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:48 pmOT, Is he wearing a pink collared shirt with a striped tie?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:49 pmFunny. The Heisman Trophy isn’t supposed to look dumbfounded.
Granted, some of us could be thinking the same from some of the Blue Dog Democrats, but frankly there’s none of this “Welcome to the Party! Now Conform or Else!” stuff coming from the DNC head, right?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:49 pmchrislvb says
November 5th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Is it just me or does Micheal Steele look like a muppet?
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Come to think of it, he DOES look a little like the “ma-nah-ma-nah” guy. But you’d think that if there was a hand somewhere within controlling his speech and movements, he wouldn’t come across as a fool so often.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pmTalk about political purity tests.
Of course, the NY 23rd just had a political purity tests, with the promise of more in future elections.
How’d that work for ya ?
November 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pmHarold Melvin says:
OT, Is he wearing a pink collared shirt with a striped tie?
Perhaps we need a model comparison to see if it’s just the picture.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:51 pmUh oh. Scary Black Man alert!
November 5th, 2009 at 2:52 pmChris, Molly, haven’t you guys been watching the Daily Show? He IS a muppet.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:55 pmOh, missmolly, that’s too funny!!
November 5th, 2009 at 2:55 pmAnd who was in charge when our government grew the most?
And who was in charge when our government took on the biggest debt?
Steele, you guys aren’t exactly what you say you are…fiscal conservatives, my as$.
Which way you wearing your hat today, butthead.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:59 pmSomewhere up in Maine/on Capitol Hill, Snowe (and Collins) are brushing off the threat. Laughing.
Neither one is remotely in danger of being voted out. The only thing these threats will do is push them towards following the lead of Jim Jeffords: abandoning a batshit insane GOP bent on ideological purity.
Go ahead, Mikey.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:00 pmThink someone should point out to Mikey that if they toss Snowe and Collins out of the party, odds are they would either join the Democratic Party or go independent? And if they did, odds are they would caucus with the party that didn’t throw them out?
Judging from their records, I don’t know why either hasn’t left the Repubs voluntarily in disgust.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:00 pmI doubt if Snowe or Collins are worried that the Republicans will target them. They have a base of support in Maine that is not beholden to the party and will support the senators, no matter what label they have. If the Republicans put up a primary challenge, it may be enough for these senators to move to independent. They will win without any Republican help and I would suspect that the Maine Republicans will desert the party. So Mr. Steele bring on the teabaggers and when they get trounced in enough places, the Republicans will be looking to bring back Snowe and Collins into the party, but it may be too late by then.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:02 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
Has Mr. Steele explained how he’s getting minority G(no)P elected to Federal Offices yet?
Should he have Glen Beck explain “White Culture”?
.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:02 pmLittle Mikey sleeps
November 5th, 2009 at 3:02 pmLeaning on arm of sofa
Slumped over, boneless
Mikey needs to start performing in comedy clubs – he’s a regular laff riot!!!
*snicker*
November 5th, 2009 at 3:04 pmThis is amazing. The AARP AND the AMA both support the Health Care bill. And you have thousands of Jack-asses with Nazi signs and Holacaust images screaming and acting like God-Damned crazies. Michelle and the others Reps should be arrested for trying to incite a riot. Lord knows during the Bush years, you couldn’t even wear an anti-Bush shirt without the police busting youe ass.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:07 pmmissmolly says:
Come to think of it, he DOES look a little like the “ma-nah-ma-nah” guy. But you’d think that if there was a hand somewhere within controlling his speech and movements, he wouldn’t come across as a fool so often.
Missmolly, Thank you. I could not remember which one he looked like, but you hit the nail on the head. lol Thank you for that. It was bothering me. As for the hand controlling the speaking, I think the hand belongs to Chenney or Rove,
November 5th, 2009 at 3:07 pmand we saw how good their puppeteering skills were with puppet boy Bush.
Off Topic.. 19 people shot at Fort Hood, Texas.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:10 pmBreaking… Climate Bill passes Senate.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:12 pmFort Hood…. 7 dead. 12 injured. 1 suspect in custody. 1 suspect on the loose.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pmP.D.
Got a link? I’d like to read about it
November 5th, 2009 at 3:18 pmTexas… Suspects are in military uniforms.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:18 pmEnn42, I’m watching MSBC news.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:19 pmhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33678801/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
November 5th, 2009 at 3:21 pmHere is a link to the fort hood story
Texas… Schools in Lock Down. They suspect Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The police are at the PX.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:22 pm45. Chris,
Thank ya.
This is truly horrifying.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:24 pmCue the trolls in 3…2…1… “If those guys at Fort Hood had been able to have guns, this never would have happened!”
It’s a knee-jerk thing with them; it don’t have to actually make sense…
November 5th, 2009 at 3:27 pmI had never noticed till now how lopsided Mr. Steele’s head is along the vertical axis
In addition, he has a very small forehead. I think he is borderline microcephalic. That would explain a lot.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:29 pmThe Dogfather says:
Cue the trolls in 3…2…1… “If those guys at Fort Hood had been able to have guns, this never would have happened!”
It’s a knee-jerk thing with them; it don’t have to actually make sense…
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Fort Hood is a Military base. They do have guns there.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:30 pmchrislvg -
The Dogfather says:
It’s a knee-jerk thing with them; it don’t have to actually make sense…
November 5th, 2009 at 3:38 pmMike must go through a lot of Preparation H from talking out his ass all the time.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:38 pmThanks, Mary — I thought the sarcasm was self-apparent, but I appreciate your explaining it more clearly…
November 5th, 2009 at 3:46 pmSteele sometimes reminds me of Scott McClellan. It seems like he doesn’t even believe the things that he has to say for the Republicans.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pmAnytime Dogfather – Chris must be new here.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pmMary/Dogfather,
I got the sarcasm. I was killing the troll response before it could be thrown out. I am sorry if it seemed like a shot at dogfather. I should have been more specific.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:57 pmIt would unnerve any average student of history to find himself or herself in the same shoes as Mr. Steele – Doing the dirty work spinning the depraved and psychopathic ideals of a ultra-zealous gang of jack-booted extremist thugs into something “normal” & “business as usual”.
First its “moderates” and that seems to be OK with Mr. Steele. Who’s next Mr. Steele?
Who’s next to be “purified?”
November 5th, 2009 at 4:01 pmSnowe and Collins are RINO’s.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:11 pmHi conservative guy.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:02 pmAny chance we can get your list of nonRhinos or have you already run away?
Hey were did that h come from?
November 5th, 2009 at 5:02 pmI’m trying to get together a ranking of who is worse than who in the republican scale of things. The idea is that they would purge the worst 1st, the next worst, the 3rd from worst, etc.
Only thing is that using this logic, moderates are worst than Log Cabin Repubs.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:16 pmConservaTROLL
YOU are a moron. Stupid beyond human comprehension
November 6th, 2009 at 5:30 am