But Politico’s Jonathan Martin reports that Francis’ abrupt departure was not by choice, quoting two Republican strategists who say that Francis was “pushed out” because Steele “didn’t feel he was getting enough credit for the GOP’s electoral success earlier this month.” Steele apparently attributes this to a communications failure by Francis.

Francis is being replaced by Alex Castellanos, a CNN contributor who fashions himself as the “father of the modern attack ad.” Castellanos is no stranger to the RNC, having received four payments totaling $434,336 from them for media work since July. Castellanos has also been a key player in the effort to stop health care reform:

– His political consulting firm, National Media, was the ad buyer for the insurance industry group America’s Health Insurance Plan’s (AHIP) recent ad blitz attacking Democratic health reform plans.

– In July, he wrote a memo for the GOP leadership on how to kill health reform that emphasized the use of buzzwords to characterize Democratic plans — like “risky” and “experiment” — but most importantly defined the ultimate goal: “If we slow this sausage-making process down, we can defeat it.”

– He has repeatedly used his pundit perch on CNN to attack President Obama’s health care reform effort, calling it “a big gamble” and an “expensive trillion-dollar experiment.”

Before the health care debate, Castellanos was best known as the creator of the racially-charged “Hands” advertisement, which ran on behalf of former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC). In May 2008, Castellanos defended sexism during the 2008 campaign by saying that sometimes it’s “accurate” to describe a woman as a “bitch.”

Immediately after the vote, the White House put out a statement saying, “The President is gratified that the Senate has acted to begin consideration of health insurance reform legislation.” RNC Chairman Michael Steele complained that “a number of moderate Democrats sacrificed their principles to give Harry Reid a victory that brings America dangerously closer to having a government-run health care system.” Igor Volsky has been following tonight’s debate over on the Wonk Room.

Federal Election Commission Records show the RNC purchases its insurance from Cigna. Two sales agents for the company said that the RNC’s policy covers elective abortion.

Informed of the coverage, RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho told POLITICO that the policy pre-dates the tenure of current RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

“The current policy has been in effect since 1991, and we are taking steps to address the issue,” Gitcho said. [...]

According to several Cigna employees, the insurer offers its customers the opportunity to opt out of abortion coverage — and the RNC did not choose to opt out.

Recently it was also revealed that the health insurance plan used by the right-wing, anti-choice organization Focus on the Family also covered “abortion services.”

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.

STEELE: If you don’t live in the district, don’t vote there, your opinion really doesn’t matter much.

Later this afternoon, CNN host Wolf Blitzer asked Steele specifically about outsiders like Palin and Limbaugh, who loudly pushed the nominated Republican Scozzafava out of the race. Steele affirmed that he “hopes” those right-wing voices do not continue to meddle in Republican primaries:

BLITZER: Are you worried Mr. Chairman that Sarah Palin for example, or Rush Limbaugh or others in the conservative movement are going to go into some of these contests and go after the more moderate Republicans who might actually have a better chance at winning in the general election.

STEELE: Well, I hope not. [...] So I’m hoping not, and that’s not in their nature.

Watch it:

Of course, right-wing leaders are actually emboldened by their successful purging of Scozzafava, even despite the results of the election yesterday. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is actively backing Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, a friend of the anti-Obama tea party movement, against more moderate Carly Fiorina in the California Senate race. DeMint explained that DeVore will “stand against his own party leaders” and that conservatives need to continue to “shake up the Republican Party.”

In his video announcement, Pence said that he and his House colleagues “will present an interactive broadcast marathon on the Democrats’ plans to launch a government takeover of health care. We’ll take your calls, answer your tweets, and talk to people on the street.” Watch it:

Maybe they’ll explain why they’re in favor of allowing insurers to deny people coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Of course, the GOP’s favored candidate, Doug Hoffman of the Conservative Party, lost the special congressional election in New York’s 23rd district, despite attracting heavy conservative endorsements from the likes of Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty, Sean Hannity, and eventually the RNC and Newt Gingrich. The district now has a Democratic congressman for the first time since the mid-19th century. Watch Steele’s two morning segments here:

“If Chris Christie doesn’t win under these circumstances in New Jersey, should the Republican Party just fold in that state?” NBC’s Chuck Todd asked, getting a laugh out of Steele. Todd likened the Republicans to a Charlie Brown character. “It’s like Lucy and the football — Lucy is about to pull the football away again.”

Steele accepted the premise. “You’re absolutely right, Chuck,” Steele said, countering with his own pop culture metaphor:

Have you seen those commercials the NFL is running with the referee who is tripping up the players and getting into the game? Well, I’m that referee getting into the game. And we’re doing everything we can to keep that football in place for Chris Christie to kick that extra point, if you will.

Of course, referees are supposed to be unbiased observers who have authority to enforce the rules of a contest — hardly the proper analogy for the head of a political party wading into a political race to help his favored candidate.

Moreover, Steele’s more appropriate role as a “referee” in another political race is sure to anger the right-wing base of his party. When asked who he was supporting in the New York 23rd congressional race, Steele sided against the tea party activists’ favored candidate, Doug Hoffman. “I support the Republican nominee, as a Republican Party chairman,” Steele said. “And that’s the way to go, right?” Watch it:

National Republican leaders don’t agree that endorsing Republican candidate DeDe Scozzafava is “the way to go.” In supporting Hoffman, Sarah Palin said her endorsement would be a message to party leaders of “no more politics as usual.” Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) said that “we cannot send more politicians to Washington who wear the Republican jersey on the campaign trail but then vote like Democrats in Congress.”

Steele and former Speaker Newt Gingrich are increasingly standing alone in their support of the Republican candidate. Roll Call reports that on Tuesday, “former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) spurned the leadership by endorsing Doug Hoffman’s third-party campaign in the New York special election, following the lead of Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.).”

RAMOS: For instance, when you hear commentators like Glenn Beck saying that for him President Barack Obama is a racist, with a deep seeded hatred for white people, how do you react?

STEELE: That’s one man’s opinion.

RAMOS: Yes, but…

STEELE: That’s one man’s opinion.

RAMOS: But should you defend Barack Obama against these types of comments? I don’t know, it’s just a question.

STEELE: No, no, look the reality of it is when I ran for the United States’ Senate and I was called an Uncle Tom by leading Democrats in the country, when I was called a slave by Steny Hoyer who is now the majority leader in the House no one came running to my defense and no one seemed to think that that was racists at the time.

Watch it (en español):

Following Beck’s racist attack on Obama, ColorOfChange.org initiated a successful campaign to convince advertisers to drop Beck’s show. Approximately 80 companies have since deserted the right-wing television entertainer.

STEELE: Number two, I think as I found with a lot of Hispanics, particularly those who have been her for several generations, they understand and respect the rule of law that is so important as a foundational principle of this country…I can sum it up for you this way, the party as I said is always the party, its been the party of assimilation and that is something that we believe in very firmly and basically what we should be saying is that there are rules that you need to get into the country, go the right door, fill out the right form, have some apple pie, hum a few bars of the star spangle banner and get to work, God bless you, and I think that that begins to set us on the right road to dealing with this issue.

(HT: TPM LiveWire)

He didn’t just cross a border, he crossed a galaxy! He’s got his green card, but it’s from another planet! Sure to get some laughs, the Illegal Alien Adult Costume includes an orange prison-style jumpsuit with “Illegal Alien” printed on the front, an alien mask and a “green card.”

After receiving complaints about the costume, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles wrote a letter to retailers asking them to stop selling the item. Executive director Angelica Salas called it “distasteful, mean-spirited, and ignorant of social stigmas and current debate on immigration reform.” Target has complied and apologized, saying, “This was never intended to be part of our assortment. We are moving as quickly as possible to remove it from our Web site.” The costume is also no longer on the Toys R Us website.

This morning, however, the hosts of Fox and Friends couldn’t get enough of the costume. Steve Doocy exclaimed, “It’s a joke! Where’s your sense of humor America?” Brian Kilmeade called it “fantastic,” adding, “If you’re here illegally, go to your local police station and tell them how outraged you arebecause you’re an illegal alien and this costume offends you!” Watch it:

Yesterday on Univision, RNC Chairman Michael Steele defended the use of the term “illegal alien,” saying although you can “dress it up any way you want,” undocumented immigrants are still “here illegally”:

RAMOS: Why do you refer to undocumented immigrants as illegal aliens? I’ve spoken with John McCain and Barack Obama, to give you two examples, and they don’t use those terms they call them undocumented immigrants. Why do you call them illegal aliens?

STEELE: Well, if they are here illegally I got a call it what it is. I mean if you can be undocumented — look you can dress it up any way you want the reality of it is the status is the key feature here, and if the status is such that you did not come through the regular process, that you did not present yourself properly, to be documented then you are here illegally.

“Illegal alien” is a pejorative term that dehumanizes people. The National Hispanic Journalists Association has urged media organizations to stop using the phrase:

Many find the term offensive and dehumanizing because it criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering or residing in the United States. The term does not give an accurate description of a person’s conditional U.S. status, but rather demeans an individual by describing them as an alien. At the 1994 Unity convention, the four minority journalism groups – NAHJ, Asian American Journalists Association, Native American Journalists Association and National Association of Black Journalists – issued the following statement on this term: “Except in direct quotations, do not use the phrase illegal alien or the word alien, in copy or in headlines, to refer to citizens of a foreign country who have come to the U.S. with no documents to show that they are legally entitled to visit, work or live here. Such terms are considered pejorative not only by those to whom they are applied but by many people of the same ethnic and national backgrounds who are in the U.S. legally.“

Another offensive “Illegal Alien” costume on HalloweenExpress.com has an “Almond eyed” latex mask with a “large black mustache and baseball cap attached.”

Transcript:

CARLSON: This year’s Halloween costume controversy! Have you seen this one? Do you have your costume yet? Well, you might want to check out this. As you can see, it’s going to create quite a firestorm because it is an immigrant — an illegal immigrant — doesn’t it say that across the orange jumpsuit?

DOOCY: It’s a space alien!

CARLSON: Yeah, but it says “Illegal Immigrant” on the orange jumper and then it has a space alien head.

DOOCY: Yeah, but Gretchen, he didn’t just cross a border, he crossed a galaxy. That’s part of the promotional material. As you can see, wearing an orange jumpsuit, he’s got a green card.

CARLSON: He’s holding a green card? Oh my God.

KILMEADE: I think it’s fantastic but you just don’t even say “alien” anymore. You’re suppose to say “illegal alien” — uh I think “legally challenged”? What do we call them? “Snuck in?”

DOOCY: Angelica Salas for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles thinks that this is over the line and she has asked Target, the big retailer, to remove it from their website, and Target has said yes. Unfortunately, it sold, for her, it sold at all sorts of locations in the Internet and elsewhere. But do you really thing there’s anything the matter with that?

KILMEADE: Not really. I mean, illegal alien, they sneak in the country illegally.

DOOCY: It’s a joke! Where’s your sense of humor America?

KILMEADE: If you don’t like that you could also just buy the Madoff mask and keep the jumpsuit and just get rid of the “Illegal Alien.”

CARLSON: Do you remember how many people dressed up as Sarah Palin last year?

DOOCY: No.

KILMEADE: No.

CARLSON: Tons.

KILMEADE: Was that really?

CARLSON: Yeah it was making fun of somebody.

KILMEADE: Oh okay.

CARLSON: That was the number one costume, I bet you a gazillion dollars, last year that people did it because that was the top conversation. [...]

KILMEADE: If you’re here illegally, go to your local police station and tell them how outraged you are because you’re an illegal alien and this costume offends you!

But with Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME) supporting the passage of the Senate Finance Committee health bill — and with news that Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) may be willing to break from GOP ranks to support legislation — the Fox News host asked Steele whether the health care “train” had left the station without Republicans on board. Steele then compared himself to a cow:

HOST: Very quickly, Chairman Steele. The feeling in some circles is that this health care train has left the station with President at the wheel, and Republicans better jump on board.

STEELE: Well, I’m the cow on the tracks, and you’re going to have to stop that train to get this cow off the tracks and move forward.

Later during an interview with Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), another Fox News host laughed about Steele’s analogy, pointing out, “If you look at that analogy, the cow is not much of a match for that train.” Watch it:

Of course, trains often run over cows. If the cow is able to derail the train, a lot of people may get hurt as a trade-off — a fitting metaphor for what will happen if Republicans block health care reform.

Also during the interview, Steele blasted Democrats’ lack of “bipartisanship” and insisted that he isn’t trying to be an “obstructionist.” “To the contrary, I’m saying, can we all get in a room and have a Rodney King moment and work toward something that addresses the common-sense bottom-up approach voters and certainly the voters of our country — you, me, and others — want to be done,” he added. TPM points out that he appeared to be referring to “King’s famous ‘Can we all get along?‘ line following the 1992 Los Angeles race riots sparked by the acquittal of the police officers who beat King.”

(HT: DailyKos)

Transcript:

STEELE: This has now been turned over to Harry Reid, and Harry Reid is going to draft the bill that’s going, in my view, go counter to everything that certainly we’ve been arguing for with Republicans for the last six or seven months, putting in place real reform in terms of portability, the ability to get small business pools in place, tort reform — all those things that are not part of really turning this thing around. I think what we’ve seen here is a vote yesterday for higher taxes, more government spending, higher premiums, and more government control, and I just don’t think that’s where the American people are.

So, you know, everyone can do their little victory lap and talk about bipartisanship, John, I’m not trying to be an obstructionist here. To the contrary, I’m saying, can we all get in a room and have a Rodney King moment and work toward something that addresses the common-sense bottom-up approach voters and certainly the voters of our country — you, me, and others — want to be done. [...]

HOST: Very quickly, Chairman Steele. The feeling in some circles is that this health care train has left the station with President at the wheel, and Republicans better jump on board.

STEELE: Well, I’m the cow on the tracks, and you’re going to have to stop that train to get this cow off the tracks and move forward. They told us in June that there would be a health care bill on the President’s desk on Aug. 1. I think our efforts helped change that dynamic, and our efforts this fall will continue to change that dynamic so we can get to real health care reform instead of government-run health care. [...]

HOST: Senator, just 30 seconds left, but I do want to ask you — Michael Steele, the RNC chair, was on a few minutes ago with my co-anchor, John, and John said, “It seems the health care reform train has left the station. The President’s at the wheel,” and Michael Steele said, “Well, I’m on the cow on the tracks.” (LAUGHTER) If you look at that analogy, the cow is not much of a match for that train.

After facing a day of ridicule, the RNC has quietly switched the name of the blog to “Change the Game.” It also ditched the floating Steele figure that would start walking and talking onto your screen. Robinson, however, is still listed as a Republican, and there are still no GOP accomplishments listed after 2004. Despite yesterday’s missteps, Steele said that he was happy about yesterday’s roll-out — especially when the site crashed and no one could access it. “This thing has exploded off the blocks,” Steele insisted. “It’s a good thing when you get another email from [RNC New Media Director Todd Herman] saying, ‘It’s down again.’” Hot Air’s Allahpundit disagreed, however, noting the universal ridicule the site engendered yesterday: “Way to score an own goal, pal, completely needlessly and amateurishly.”

The RNC press release announcing the site highlighted its widgets, tie-ins to other social media networks, and open platform. But here are the real highlights of the site (which is being widely mocked):

– Michael Steele’s Blog Called ‘What Up?’: In his first post, titled “Let me ask you,” Steele talks about how he finds the Internet an “amazing platform” for “life.”

– No Future Leaders: The new RNC site dedicates a section to “Future Leaders” of the GOP, but after it launched, the page was still empty. It has now been updated asking people to submit the names of possible future leaders.

– Misnaming Jackie Robinson A GOP ‘Hero’: The RNC tries to portray the party as diverse on its GOP ‘Heroes’ page (even though there is currently only one non-Hispanic minority serving as a Republican in the House and the Senate and only two percent of blacks identify as Republican), with people of color making up almost half the list. However, one of the people listed as a “great Republican” is baseball legend Jackie Robinson, who actually identified himself as an independent. In fact, Robinson spoke out about the “hatred” he saw at the 1964 GOP convention, where Barry Goldwater won the nomination. He called it “one of the most unforgettable and frightening experiences of my life.”

– Lists The ‘Iraw’ War As A Republican Accomplishment: The GOP takes ownership of Operation Iraqi Freedom at its ‘Accomplishments’ page, writing, “Five months later, in March 2003 President Bush ordered 250,000 U.S. troops into Iraw.” (View a screenshot here.)

According to GOP new media strategist Mindy Finn, the RNC vetted all the pictures of diverse faces at the top of the site to make sure they’re all Republicans.

The new site is even being ridiculed by conservatives, with Jillian Bandes writing at Townhall.com, “Is Michael Steele’s New RNC Blog Really Called ‘What Up?’ Yes. Yes it is. ::head hits keyboard::.”

Well, Limbaugh certainly wants to act like he is a leader of the Party. Just a few moments later, NBC’s Jamie Gangel told Limbaugh that he has a propensity to “scare Republican politicians,” particularly RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who backtracked earlier this year after calling Rush an “entertainer.” Limbaugh responded by instructing the GOP chairman on what he should be doing:

GANGEL: GOP Party Chairman Michael Steele, at his peril, he criticized you. He said you were just an entertainer. And he said you were “incendiary” and “divisive.”

LIMBAUGH: That’s right.

GANGEL: You went after him. I’ve never seen anyone apologize quite so quickly.

LIMBAUGH: Well, you’d have to ask him why he apologized. But, the reason I went after him is not because he said those things about me. It’s because he’s off-message! Michael Steele should be out there raising money and planning more ways to get people to vote for Republicans.

Watch it:

Also in the interview, Limbaugh is asked whether he was moved in any way by the election of the first black President. “Yeah, but I got over it pretty quickly,” said Limbaugh, who declared his desire to see Obama “fail” even before he was inaugurated. Limbaugh said he predicted Obama’s election would “exacerbate racial problems — and it has.” Indeed, Rush has done his part to make sure of that.

Roberts followed up by asking Steele if he agreed with Tom Friedman’s column this morning, in which he wrote that “Criticism from the far right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination.” “Where do these nut jobs come from? I mean, come on, stop this,” replied Steele. He then said that America didn’t have “this kind of conversation” when people were “complaining and protesting” about President Bush.

“Not to say that it’s about the color of his skin or his background, ethnic background or whatever, but threats against this president are at a level 400 percent higher than they were against former President Bush,” replied Roberts. “What explains that?” Steele was skeptical of Roberts’ numbers, saying “how do we know that?” When Roberts said it came from the Secret Service, Steele largely dismissed the concern:

STEELE: Well, I don’t — I don’t know — I don’t know that because I don’t have a report to compare that to. The Secret Service has it. I haven’t seen that publicly put out there statistically to show that.

But even if it is, this is my point. You know, I think that we need to be very smart and very careful about jumping, making these leaps on race and connecting dots that may or may not exist there. We are engaged as a country right now in a very important public policy debate, whether it’s the war in Afghanistan or health care cap and trade or what happens to be. There are passions that run deep and long on both sides of the aisle.

Don’t necessarily jump to the conclusion that, because someone says something vitriolic or hot that that’s necessarily from the right or necessarily from the left. It’s reflecting deep-seeded frustrations that people have. We don’t excuse it but I just — I want us to be very careful because I just — I see ugly things happening down the road if we’re not smart approaching these types of issues.

Watch it:

Roberts’ 400 percent statistic comes from Newsmax correspondent Ronald Kessler’s book, In the President’s Secret Service, for which he had unprecedented access to the agency. “A lot of those threats are racially based,” Kessler told the New York Daily News. “So there is a real basis for concern.”

Transcript:

ROBERTS: And Mr. Chairman, I want to ask you a little bit about anger in America. It was really driven home over the weekend by this incredibly tasteless Facebook poll that asked whether or not President Obama should be killed. You know, the choices were yes, maybe, if he cuts my health care, no.

We talked to Boyce Watkins from Syracuse University yesterday, who said that he thought this was emblematic of a larger problem of racism in this country. What are your thoughts on that? Do you agree? Was this spawned by racism?

STEELE: Well, you know — no, I don’t think. I’m always very careful about going down that road, you know, so blindly and so quickly. First off, let’s deal with the question that’s on Facebook, how stupid is that? Why would you even put something like that on Facebook? You know, it takes us to a place where we don’t need to be, quite frankly in the debate of any public policy issue, number one.

Number two, I think more to the point is, we’ve always had underlying everything we’ve done in this country, whether it’s, you know, the happiest times or the worst of times, race is a factor because all boats don’t rise equally. Everyone is affected differently, and their perceptions are driven by what people may tell them or what they know, in fact.

And I think cooler heads — I applaud the president on this front. He’s been out there saying look, let’s separate all of this into the appropriate pockets and not go down this road unnecessarily. And I think the Facebook is a bad example of — a good example of a bad practice, actually.

ROBERTS: Tom — Tom Friedman, of course, noted columnist with The New York Times, author of many best selling books, had something interesting to say on all of this anger surrounding the president and from the opposition. He said, Criticism from the far right has begun tipping over into delegitimation and creating the same kind of climate here that existed in Israel on the eve of the Rabin assassination.

Do you agree with that? I mean, we’re going down a road where there’s potential violence?

STEELE: Where do these nut jobs come from? I mean, come on, stop this. I mean, wait a minute.

ROBERTS: Wait a minute, Tom Friedman is a nut job?

STEELE: Well, I’m just saying to make those kinds of equations, you know, examples, and put that out there that way, to me is just crazy. And yes, I’m sorry, but if you’re going to approach this discussion, approach it from a rational position, you’re saying because you disagree with the president on policy, that all of a sudden we’re going to make this leap into, you know, assassinations and all this other stuff.

I mean, at the height of all this stuff on Bush and people complaining and protesting, and jumping up and down, you didn’t have this kind of conversation. Now all of a sudden you’re going to color it because of a public policy debate in terms of, because the president is black.

ROBERTS: But Mr. Chairman…

STEELE: And I just don’t — I just don’t think that’s necessarily where you need to go.

ROBERTS: Not to say that it’s about the color of his skin or his background, ethnic background or whatever, but threats against this president are at a level 400 percent higher than they were against former President Bush. What explains that?

STEELE: I mean, how do we know that? No one’s ever reported on what the threat levels were with President Bush or any other president.

ROBERTS: Secret Service has indicated that the threat levels against this president are 400 percent higher than they were against President Bush.

STEELE: Well, I don’t — I don’t know — I don’t know that because I don’t have a report to compare that to. The Secret Service has it. I haven’t seen that publicly put out there statistically to show that.

But even if it is, this is my point. You know, I think that we need to be very smart and very careful about jumping, making these leaps on race and connecting dots that may or may not exist there. We are engaged as a country right now in a very important public policy debate, whether it’s the war in Afghanistan or health care cap and trade or what happens to be. There are passions that run deep and long on both sides of the aisle.

Don’t necessarily jump to the conclusion that, because someone says something vitriolic or hot that that’s necessarily from the right or necessarily from the left. It’s reflecting deep-seeded frustrations that people have. We don’t excuse it but I just — I want us to be very careful because I just — I see ugly things happening down the road if we’re not smart approaching these types of issues.

QUESTION: Your response to Chairman Steele’s criticism about the President going to Copenhagen?

GIBBS:  Who’s he rooting for?  (Laughter.)  Is he hoping to hop a plane to Brazil and catch the Olympics in Rio?  (Laughter.)  Maybe it’s Madrid.

Watch it:

Obama is taking only 18 hours out of his schedule to travel to Copenhagen to make a pitch for an event that could generate $22.5 billion in economic activity and the equivalent of 315,000 new full-time jobs in America. Regardless of how explicitly Obama is acting in America’s best interests, Republicans are anxious to take a political shot at him.

Steele basically tried to argue that the country couldn’t move forward with Obama in Copenhagen, saying that Obama should tell the public if he wants the country to make the Olympics “the priority” as his job-creation program:

STEELE: If the priority is the Olympics in seven years, okay, then tell the nation that’s the priority and that’s what we should be focused on because we’ll create jobs then and we won’t worry about it between now and 2016. But if the goal is to create jobs here in America today, then let’s do that.

After the RNC chairman bashed Obama over the Olympics for several minutes, Baltimore Sun reporter Paul West asked Steele, “So are you saying that it’s a mistake for him to go to Copenhagen?” Steele tried to dodge the question (eliciting an audible sigh from West), and eventually tersely cut off West when he tried to follow-up:

PAUL WEST, BALTIMORE SUN: Hi, I just wanted to follow-up on that last question: So are you saying that it’s a mistake for him to go to Copenhagen?

STEELE: You know, a mistake is in the eye of the beholder. I just don’t think it’s necessary. I mean, I don’t know the judgment behind the President going. [...]

WEST: Okay, but I’m still not clear. Is it a mistake in your eyes?

STEELE: My eyes don’t — What do you mean, my eyes?

WEST: Well, you said a mistake is in the eyes of the beholder. I’m wondering if you think it’s a mistake?

STEELE: I gave you my answer, Paul.

Listen here:

The whole trip will take approximately 18 hours. The New York Times reported:

Moreover, aides noted that it would be a relatively small time investment. Mr. Obama will leave Thursday evening and fly overnight, arriving in Copenhagen just in time to join Chicago’s final presentation Friday morning, when he and the first lady will address the committee. He returns to Washington on Friday afternoon.

So according to Steele, Obama spending 18 hours to promote an event that has the opportunity to increase U.S. prestige, generate $22.5 billion in economic activity, and the equivalent of 315,000 new full-time jobs must mean that he has completely abandoned his entire policy agenda and plans to now spend all his time on this issue. Does this mean that Obama is no longer overexposed?

Transcript:

BETH FOUHY, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Just to clarify — You said that you’re concerned that the President and the Democrats have lost focus, and you did reference the President’s upcoming trip to Copenhagen as an example of perhaps where he’s lost focus. I just want to clarify if indeed that’s the case, if that’s yet another example of him not concentrating on jobs and the economy and health care?

STEELE: I do very much, Beth. I think while it’s a noble idea for the President to want to pitch his home city, Chi-town, for the Olympics — and of course America would be more than honored to host the Olympics in the future — I think at a time of war, at a time of recession, at a time where Americans have expressed rather significantly their concerns and frustrations over the course of the spring and the summer about health care, about the economy, about a host of domestic issues — and even international issues — I think that this trip, while nice, is not necessary for the President. [...]

But the goal is, should be, creating not job opportunities seven years from now, but job opportunities today. [...]

PAUL WEST, BALTIMORE SUN: Hi, I just wanted to follow-up on that last question: So are you saying that it’s a mistake for him to go to Copenhagen?

STEELE: You know, a mistake is in the eye of the beholder. I just don’t think it’s necessary. I mean, I don’t know the judgment behind the President going. [...]

If the priority is the Olympics in seven years, okay, then tell the nation that’s the priority and that’s what we should be focused on because we’ll create jobs then and we won’t worry about it between now and 2016. But if the goal is to create jobs here in America today, then let’s do that.

WEST: Okay, but I’m still not clear. Is it a mistake in your eyes?

STEELE: My eyes don’t — What do you mean, my eyes?

WEST: Well, you said a mistake is in the eyes of the beholder. I’m wondering if you think it’s a mistake?

STEELE: I gave you my answer, Paul.

Kirk has since offered contradictory explanations for his shifting stance. “I voted for [cap-and-trade] because it was in the narrow interests of my congressional district,” he explained recently. But at the time of his vote, Kirk cited “national security” considerations, “arguing that a modest carbon tax would spur development of domestic energy sources and reduce dependence on oil controlled by Saudi sheiks and Venezuelan dictators.”

Now, RNC Chairman Michael Steele is feeling the heat from the right-wing base as well, and is pulling a flip-flop of his own. The Chicago Daily Observer reports that Steele is withdrawing his support from Kirk:

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele has withdrawn his sole endorsement for Mark Kirk for the U. S. Senate, recognizing that the candidacy of Patrick Hughes has drawn major support from Illinois Republicans: thus Steele’s RNC is neutral…a distinct victory for Hughes.

Steele has previously referred to Kirk as a rising star and someone he would support. “I’m so excited about Mark Kirk and his race,” Steele said in a radio interview. “We were all kind of sitting around with bated breath as he was making his decision, a very personal decision, a family decision, to run for the Senate.”

“You have absolutely no reason, none, to trust our word or our actions at this point,” Steele told Glenn Beck in February. This of course remains an ongoing challenge for conservatives.

QUESTION: In all seriousness, I’m curious what you think that Dr. King would think about your party’s current attempts to block universal health care? [applause] …

STEELE: It’s a great myth that we’re doing all this blocking. I wish we had that kind of control with the numbers, but we don’t. … As I’ve said to the president many times, “If that’s the bill you want, vote it up or down.”

Commenting on racism in our society, Steele told the audience, “What your generation will face is very subtle. It’s very quiet. It’s deceiving. But it is there. And you cannot be fooled into believing otherwise.” Watch it:

Dr. King once said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” In a 2006 op-ed in the Charlotte News & Observer, Richard Payne wrote, “Is there any doubt that King would have been on the forefront of arguments for payment of a living wage to the working poor, and that he would have advocated for universal health care?“