Steele Defends Himself
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele pushed back on his critics this week in a memo to RNC members that highlights the committee's accomplishments this cycle.
The memo, obtained by Hotline On Call, appears to be a direct response to the letter RNC political director Gentry Collins sent to Steele earlier this week announcing his resignation and roundly criticizing Steele's fundraising efforts.
Check out the memo.
The memo is the clearest sign yet, however, that Steele isn't backing away from a fight and is very seriously considering a run for a second term.
"I wanted to highlight two great RNC success stories--fundraising and get-out-the-vote operations," Steele wrote in the memo, which was sent to RNC members on Thursday. "Also, with respect to our record turnout operations, I wanted [to] provide further background on how the RNC helped achieve what was, by far, the greatest turnout by any party in any midterm election in U.S. history by translating the energy of grass roots conservatives into record turnout for GOP candidates."
Steele goes on to note RNC fundraising accomplishments -- the area that Collins roundly criticized in his resignation letter earlier this week. Collins argued that there were 21 House races across the country where Republicans came up short because of the RNC's fundraising problems.
Steele pushed back on that argument. The memo states that the RNC "raised and spent more money in this cycle on behalf of Republican candidates -- by far-- than any other entity" and the RNC "smashed the record" for most money collected in a midterm cycle "by any political committee whose party did not control Congress or the White House." He goes on to say that the RNC raised more than $179 million this cycle, 37 percent more than the Democratic National Committee raised in 2006, when Democrats were in the minority and a Republican lived in the White House.
While those numbers are hard to verify before the most up to date disclosure reports are filed, Republicans will likely take issue with the claim that it spent more than any other Republican entity on Republican candidates this year. The RNC made far fewer transfers to state party committees than it has in previous cycles, and other Republican groups -- such as American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS -- spent far more on TV ads for congressional candidates. And, as of Oct. 13, the RNC was $4.5 million in debt.
One committee member, Saul Anuzis of Michigan, has already said he will challenge Steele for the chairmanship. There are several others who are reportedly considering a bid, including former RNC Chair Mike Duncan, former RNC co-chair Ann Wagner, Connecticut GOP chair Chris Healy, Wisconsin GOP chief Reince Priebus and former South Carolina chair Katon Dawson. Collins is also reportedly considering a run.
Other prominent Republicans, like Minnesota Gov. and potential 2012 contender Tim Pawlenty (R), Republican Governors Association Chair Haley Barbour (R-Miss.) and incoming RGA Chair Rick Perry (R-Texas) have voiced concerns about whether Steele deserves a second term as party chair.
In the memo, Steele also touts the RNC's get out the vote operation, arguing that approximately 8.5 million more Republican voters turned out in 2010 than in the last midterms in 2006 as a result of their efforts. In particular, he says the RNC successfully reached out to Tea Party supporters.
"These new voters did not materialize out of the ether," Steele says. "For Republicans to succeed, we needed to pull off the highly difficult task of encouraging them to become active politically, and to do so through -- rather than in opposition to -- the Republican party. The RNC led the way in ensuring that Tea Party activists and other grass roots conservatives supported Republicans, and not splinter into a third party movement."
Join the Discussion
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus