Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has come under fire after the Washington Post reported yesterday that he hosted friends and lawmakers at ranch that featured a rock inscribed with the word “Niggerhead” on it. Perry’s camp has sought to discredit the story, but in an interview with Time Magazine today, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who is African American, said the revelation is “very troubling on some many levels, for so many reasons.” “So, I’m sorry – my attitude is just remove the rock,” Steele added, “Just get rid of the rock.”

Steele appeared on MSNBC this afternoon where he elaborated on his criticism of Perry:

STEELE: We cannot be lackadaisical about these issues. We cannot be insensitive in that regard and say well just paint over it, because it still is a reminder of what’s beneath the paint. And I think again that’s what irks a lot of African Americans and a lot of minorities when it comes to how the Republican Party and sometimes its individual candidates respond to these types of things.

Watch it:

African-American GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain also criticized Perry, telling ABC News yesterday that the ranch name is “just plain insensitive towards a lot of black people in this country.”

National Democrats have been quick to distance themselves from disgraced Rep. Anthony Wiener (D-NY) in the wake of his Twitter sex scandal, with the party’s top leaders in both chambers publicly chastising him. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (D-NY) called for an ethics investigation, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine called on Weiner to resign, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) coldly said he would urge Weiner to “call somebody else” if the Congressman asked for advice. Other Democrats have returned campaign contributions from Weiner.

Meanwhile, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has vocally called for Weiner’s resignation. But this has led many to questions if Priebus is exploiting the scandal for political gain by holding Weiner to a standard the GOP didn’t apply to their own members embroiled in scandal, especially Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) who admitted in 2007 to patronizing a prostitution ring. Vitter remains in the Senate to this day and easily won reelection in 2010. Fox News host Greta Van Susteren asked Priebus about this double standard last night, but Priebus refused to address it and Van Susteren, not surprisingly, allowed him to evade the question:

VAN SUSTEREN: Is there a difference with Senator David Vitter, I mean, with the whole — with his whole little prostitution — he’s on a prostitution client list. Is that different?

PRIEBUS: Well, I don’t know if it’s different.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, nobody called –

PRIEBUS: Frankly, I’m not relitigating the David Vitter situation.

But even Priebus’s predecessor, former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, sees some “inconsistency” in Priebus’ acrimony, as he told MSNBC’s Rachael Maddow last night:

STEELE: It doesn’t matter if your name is Vitter or Weiner…[t]he consequences of breaking that trust should be equally applied. I heard what the chairman said today and thought it was a little bit not right. You can’t look at one case and say that this behavior warrants dismissal or you should quit, or look at another one that may be a degree or two more egregious and not see that same that requirement of removing yourself from office.

Watch a compilation of Priebus and Steele:

Priebus has explicitly insisted that DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) should call on Weiner to resign. But how did Priebus’s predecessors handle the Vitter scandal? Neither Duncan Hunter nor former Sen. Mel Martinez — who co-headed the RNC in 2007 — called on Vitter to resign. In fact, according to a Nexis search, it appears neither even addressed the scandal publicly.

Unlike Pelosi, Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) did not call for a ethics investigation into Vitter, and remained largely silent on the scandal.

Vitter did, however, receive public support from fellow Louisiana Republicans. Realizing that the state’s Democratic governor would likely appoint a Democrat if Vitter resigned, the state GOP launched “a concerted push…to offer some support” for the embattled senator, the The New Oreleans Times Picyune reported at the time. Then-Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), who was in the midst of a successful bid for governor, issued a statement saying, “While we are disappointed by Senator Vitter’s actions…[t]his is a matter for the Senator to address, and it is our hope that this is not used by others for their own political gain.” Louisiana GOP Reps. Richard Baker and Charles Boustany issued their own “supportive statements,” with Baker saying Vitter’s illegal use of prostitution “does not define the whole of the man and it is not irredeemable.” He even urged to the news media to exercise “some restraint” when writing about the scandal.

Priebus is right to call for a high ethical standard for political leaders, but his indignation would ring less hollow if he applied the same standard to those in his own party as well.

Nearly overnight, potential presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has become a virtual persona non grata in the conservative movement for dismissing the GOP plan to end Medicare Sunday as “right-wing social engineering.” Everyone from House Republicans, to conservative media outlets like the Wall Street Journal, to a conservative voter in Iowa have publicly condemned Gingrich. And today, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), whose state will play a critical role in the 2012 GOP primary, hammered Gingrich’s “absolutely unfortunate” comments. Potential presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty also “explicitly declined to support” Ryan’s Roadmap.

But an increasingly isolated Gingrich has at least one defender on the right: former RNC Chairman Michael Steele. Appearing on CSPAN’s Washington Journal this morning, Steele said he “likes” Gingrich “very much” and defended the former House Speaker’s comments about Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) Medicare plan. Steele even suggested that some of Gingrich’s critics may be hypocritical, as many of them haven’t always supported the plan:

HOST: A lot of House Republicans and others in the party are sort of unhappy with him, what are your thoughts on that?

STEELE: Well, I think, I watched Newt respond to that since that interview. … And, you know, you could quibble with the words or whatever and I understand that, but what I think Newt was trying to say is that there are a broad range of budget plans and neither the right nor the left in extreme measures will be able to move with the American people in a new direction. That’s part of the debate. [...]

And keep in mind about the Ryan budget, a lot of the people that are sort of running around and trying to stir up a little cock fight about what Newt Gingrich said, a year a go were saying that the Ryan plan was not their plan. That it was Paul Ryan’s plan, not their plan. … What people don’t endorse today, they’ll endorse tomorrow.

Later in the program, a man called into the show asking why Steele, who is African American, was defending Gingrich after he recently made several racially-tinged comments. Steele again defended Gingrich, suggesting the comment in question was taken out of context. Watch it:

Indeed, before Ryan’s plan was the GOP budget, when it was his “Roadmap,” only 13 House Republicans signed on. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Majority Leader Cantor (R-VA) “and others [in the GOP caucus] are not showing much eagerness to take up the roadmap’s specifics,” the National Review reported in January. Cantor, “like the others, is not championing the roadmap as the House GOP budget strategy.” Of course, the roadmap became the basis of the GOP budget strategy. This morning, Cantor said in a radio interview that Gingrich’s criticism of the Ryan Plan is wrong and that he is guilty of “tremendous misspeak.” Potential presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty also “explicitly declined to support” Roadmap.

Perhaps Steele is returning a favor. Gingrich came to Steele’s defense at a critical time early in Steele’s tenure at the RNC in 2009, when he was being criticized by some within the party. A year later, Gingrich again defended Steele, warning against “inside-the-party cannibalism.” Gingrich also said that Steele’s race made some “old-time Republicans very nervous.” Just a few months before that, Steele had defended Gingrich on charges of racism. In 2008, it was widely rumored that the race for RNC chairman would come down to a runoff between Gingrich and Steele, though Gingrich eventually withdrew.

While the prospect of a government shutdown has been averted for the moment, Republicans have been trying to convince Americans that “there’s been no talk about shutting the government down on our side” — despite the fact that plenty of prominent GOPers have said the exact opposite. Asked about this doublespeak today on ABC News’ Topline, former RNC Chairman Michael Steele said, “There’s nothing wrong with a government shutdown.” He even noted that he’s been “an advocate for it for six, seven months now”:

HOST: What’s your take on this? Is this something that Republicans should really fear? … What’s wrong with a government shutdown?

STEELE: Well I think there’s — I personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with a government shutdown. I’ve been an advocate for it for six, seven months now. For the simple reason that it is the shocker. It is the reality check that the spenders need to have, that those who are trying to chart a different course need to have.

Watch it:

Indeed, Steele has been unafraid to call for shutting down the government for some time.

But he’s very wrong in saying “there’s noting wrong” with a shutdown. During a shutdown, many health care, veterans, passport, and other services cease to function, while law enforcement work can be hampered, and people may have trouble receiving Social Security and Medicare benefits. Moreover, the 1995 and 1996 government shutdowns, proudly started by former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, ended up costing American taxpayers over $800 million in lost productivity and “rattled the confidence of international investors in U.S. government bonds.” Even if Steele doesn’t care about veterans services being cut off, the fiscal conservative should see something “wrong” in needlessly wasting hundreds of millions of dollars.

Under the mismanagement of former chairman Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee racked up a staggering $23 million debt thanks to lavish spending and poor fundraising. But new chairman Reince Priebus has a brilliant idea to save his ailing party: sell the Gipper. Capitalizing on the 100th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth, the RNC launched a website that looks like it was designed in the Great Communicator’s era, which offers red-blooded conservatives a chance to fork over $400 for a framed photo of Reagan’s inauguration, $25 for a Reagan bobble head, or $25 for some jelly beans. The website allows visitors to sign a birthday card for Reagan (no word on how it will be delivered) and suggests visitors may want to donate:

February 6, 2011 marks the 100th anniversary of President Reagan’s birth in Tampico, Illinois. Please take a moment to sign President Reagan’s 100th birthday card! After signing, please consider a contribution to the RNC to help the party elect conservative candidates committed to the ideals of President Reagan.

And as USA Today reports, “Priebus and the committee sent out a fundraising letter highlighting the new website, along with a pitch for suggested donations of $25, $50, $100 or more.” “Only with your generous support will the RNC have the resources to recruit and train the next generation of Reagan Republicans for the 2011-2012 elections,” the letter reads.

As RNC chair, Michael Steele made it clear that his election strategy for the 2010 midterms was to elect Republicans that would repeal the new health care law. “We will work night and day to elect congressmen and senators to undo it, because this is not what America needs right now,” he said. And Steele specifically praised states’ efforts to challenge the provision in the new law requiring Americans to purchase health insurance, calling it a “gross overreach of the federal government.”

During an interview with Steele last night on CNN, host Eliot Spitzer noted that New York Times conservative columnist Ross Douthat had recently acknowledged the real purpose of the mandate and eventually got Steele to admit that the “logic” of it is correct:

SPITZER: What this system does is says they — these 30 million people — will contribute and therefore everybody else not only saves money because their taxes and premiums can go down, but more important, the care of this 30 million receives will be rationally delivered. … Why is that logic wrong?

STEELE: Well, I’m not saying the logic is wrong. But the logic can be right, but the cost can be a real pain in the you-know-what. … You didn’t show. You drew a circle. You’re not showing me how you save any money. Where is the savings? Where is the savings? I see no savings. I see a circle with an arrow.

SPITZER: Michael, you acknowledge the logic was pretty compelling. Let me just say this.

STEELE: Look, I’m all for logic. I want to know how much it’s going to cost me and my family and my business.

SPITZER: All right. All right. We’ve reached a big — [...] This is a good news interview because we agreed that we both like logic.

Watch it:

So Steele is “all for” the logic of the health insurance mandate, but his main concern seems to be the cost. While it’s unclear what cost Steele is referring to, the CBO said the fees levied from the insurance requirement would bring in nearly $70 billion over 10 years and that repealing the entire law itself — what Steele wants to do — would actually cost the federal government $230 billion over the same time frame. But if Steele is referring to the individual cost of insurance, then that is part of the “logic” behind the mandate that he agrees with: bringing more people into the insurance pool in order to bring costs down.

Spitzer is pretty good at getting conservatives who are against the mandate to admit that the “logic” of it is sound. Earlier this month, he pushed new Tea Party-backed Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on whether the mandate “makes sense.” “Yes, I understand the logic of it,” Lee finally admitted.

Reince Priebus just became the 65th Chairman of the RNC by garnering 97 votes in the seventh round of voting. After the fourth vote, Michael Steele dropped out of the running and said, “It’s very clear that the party wants to do something different.” Saul Anuzis obtained 43 votes and Maria Cino 28 votes. Here is what you need to know about the new RNC chairman:

– Priebus’s law firm sought funds from Obama’s stimulus package: Connecticut GOP chairman Chris Healy noted that Priebus’s Wisconsin law firm helped its clients obtain federal stimulus funds, citing the fact that Priebus’s name was attached to the “Stimulus and Economic Recovery Group.” Priebus immediately responded to the story, claiming he had never worked with his firm’s “Stimulus and Economic Recovery” group.

– His law firm says the recently passed health care bill is constitutional: Priebus’s law firm not only says the law is constitutional, but has touted its benefits to clients.

– Implicated in voter caging: While Priebus was chair of the Wisconsin GOP, the state party engaged fomented voter fraud conspiracies and hatched a voter caging plot with well-funded right-wing allies to suppress minority votes. One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross said, “When voter suppression allegations have surfaced in Wisconsin for the past decade, the name Reince Priebus isn’t far behind.”

– He has the backing of many of the Barbour clan: Henry Barbour, a committeeman from Mississippi and the nephew of Gov. Hale Barbour (R-MS), enticed Priebus into running for the RNC chair. Also, Nick Ayers, a close Barbour associate and executive director of the Republican Governors Association, reportedly gave behind-the-scenes support to Priebus, leading many to believe Priebus would favor Barbour for president in 2012. Priebus responded by saying, “I’m not Haley’s choice, I don’t think that Haley has any horse in the race, and he’s made that pretty clear on the record.”

– Priebus had close ties to former chairman Michael Steele, then stabbed him in the back: Priebus was Steele’s general counsel and frequently served as Steele’s top liaison to committee members. In a memo sent to RNC members, Connecticut Party chairman Chris Healy said that Priebus is partly responsible for the RNC’s poor performance. Commenting on Priebus’ run, Steele recently said, “It’s disappointing, you would hope that the bonds of loyalty were thicker than they apparently were.”

– Priebus mistakenly called for Obama’s execution: In a media conference call about Osama Bin Laden, Priebus slipped and accidentally called for the “execution” of Obama three separate times. “My guess is he would believe that Obama should be executed and he oughta be treated as a war criminal,” Priebus explained.

Priebus has said that he is dissatisfied with the 20 million dollar debt ran up by Steele, but as has been shown, Priebus worked closely with Steele during his tenure. So there’s a new face, but it’s still the same old party.

– Paul Breer

This afternoon, following Michael Steele’s shaky tenure as head of the Republican National Committee (RNC), the group gathered in National Harbor, Maryland to decide whether or not to grant Steele a second term or elect a new leader. Four other candidates “have been campaigning to win over RNC members,” and many observers aren’t expecting Steele to win re-election, given his controversial tenure and the organization’s financial troubles. Indeed, hostility towards Steele is running so high that when Steele’s name was officially nominated, a member yelled “No!” from the audience of RNC officials:

NOMINATOR: I would like to ask you at this time to join me in re-electing Michael Steele so that we can together defeat Barack Obama in 2012. Thank you!

UNIDENTIFIED RNC MEMBER: No!

Watch it:

Steele’s decision to seek a second term took many RNC members by surprise. Under Steele’s watch, the RNC has been hampered by anemic fundraising and profligate spending, leaving the committee with $15 million of debt — including $7 million they attempted to hide from the FEC — and less than $2 million in the bank, despite a banner year for Republicans and conservative fundraising. Money woes directly impacted the RNC’s ability to do its job, forcing the party to dramatically cut back on key voter turnout programs. For more on the embarrassing scandals and gross financial mismanagement that plagued Steele’s first term, click here.