Steele In
Michael S. Steele, who served one term as lt. gov. of MD and now heads GOPAC, has launched his bid for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
"The Republican Party must present a vision for the future of America that relies on our conservative values and core principles," Steele said in a statement. "It is wrong to believe the voters have suddenly become liberal. They have just lost any sense of confidence that the Republican Party holds the answers to their problems. We must face the fact that our party has failed in recent years to live up to our own principles -- we have failed to be ‘solutions oriented’ in addressing the concerns of all Americans.”
Steele is one of several Republicans interested in the job, including SC GOP Chairman Katon Dawson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and IA Rep. Jim Nussle. And there's a burgeoning push in the blogosphere for Fred Thompson to join the hunt.
Here's the American Spectator's J.P. Freire:
After speaking with people involved with the RNC Chairman race, it's becoming clear that the contours of the race have to do with two things: Is the candidate a conservative, and is the candidate willing to do the work. But there's also a third point: Is the candidate a committeeman in the RNC?
Michael Steele has problems here. For one thing, he's not a committeeman. Another, he didn't even want to run as a real Republican in his Maryland race. And lastly, his work at GOPAC has been lackluster (as Quin has said).
According to my sources (and I'll be updating this post continually as I get more) Fred Thompson is in talks with Chuck Yob, a party veteran. Thompson would play the role of General Chair (the role that typically serves as figurehead), and Yob would be the RNC Chair, taking on the administrative tasks and the day-to-day operations of recruiting candidates.
Thompson plays well in the south, and would get a lot of support from what would otherwise be South Carolina RNC chair Katon Dawson's backyard. It would also allow a better-known voice to speak for the party.
And Michael Turk writes for The Next Right:
It's no surprise that I am a big believer in Fred Thompson. I was making the case for Fred several months before getting involved with his campaign. He is a stalwart supporter of the principles of the party - small government, personal responsibility, Federalism, and traditional values.
In looking at the race for RNC Chair, count me among the many voices who have made the argument that Fred should be our guy. As General Chairman of the party, he would be fantastic. He is solid on principles, good on camera and able to articulate our party's message in a way that resonates with real people, and firmly committed to electing solid conservatives.
(JENNIFER SKALKA)
The Creative Minority Report's Matthew Archbold expresses concern about Steele's pledge on Meet the Press during his 2006 Senate bid in left-leaning MD not to work to overturn Roe v. Wade:
Is Michael Steele pro-life? I fear the answer might be no.
I've long liked and respected Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and considered him a great candidate to Chair the RNC. I've seen many pro-life bloggers even endorse him but yesterday a commenter named Darcy pointed me to Steele's appearance on Meet The Press on October 29, 2006. The transcript is here.
According to his own statements, Steele is against overturning Roe V. Wade. He is also against a Constitutional Amendment banning abortion. He also rather disingenuously calls abortion an issue that should be handled by the states even though the states can't really restrict abortion in any meaningful way until Roe is overturned.
And for many in the pro-life movement, Steele's comments could disqualify him from receiving their support.
And Hot Air's Allahpundit weighs in on the choices:
Whether (Thompson)’s really considering this or whether it’s his fans trying to draft him by building buzz — not unlike how he ended up running for president — I leave for you to judge. One’s preference for him, Steele, or Gingrich depends on what one thinks the GOP most desperately needs: A return to traditional conservatism, an expansion of the party’s base, or an infusion of new policy ideas, whether those ideas are especially sound or not. (Notably absent: An emphasis on managerial competence.) That’s not to suggest that any of the three couldn’t pull off more than one of the above, but we’re talking symbolism and priorities here. One possible strike against Fred: The party’s now so identified with the south that RNC members might actually consider it a liability to reinforce that impression with a chairman as overtly southern as Thompson. One possible strike for Fred: Turns out Michael Steele’s in no hurry to overturn Roe v. Wade, per his 2006 appearance on Meet the Press.
