The GOP shows some Steele
A new chairman who signals "change"
The GOP shows some Steele
Dick Polman, Inquirer National Political Columnist
By electing Michael Steele as its new national chairman late this afternoon, the Republican party did well for itself. Steele is an African-American from blue-state Maryland who has worked with moderates, assailed the GOP's recent failures, and stressed the party's need to reach out beyond its conservative base. He'll raise the morale of those Republicans who have been yearning for a sharp break with the past, although it remains to be seen whether he is fully embraced by the party's vocal religious-right constituency (among other things, Steele has opposed writing a gay marriage ban into the U.S. Constitution).
Steele, who plays well on TV (although now, presumably, he'll need to give up his gig as a Fox News contributor), will face daunting challenges; for starters, he has to bring the party up to speed on technology, and demonstrate that he can raise serious money for the key '09 races (gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia) and the 2010 congressional races. But, for now at least, his ascendence signals that the party isn't wedded to the status quo.
As one morale barometer, here is former GOP congressman/academician/author Mickey Edwards, writing late today on Politico:
"It has been hard to be enthused about the Republican Party - anti-intellectual, nativist, narrow, reactive rather than creative, unconcerned about constitutional violations. Those who claim the party has become the private fiefdom of Rush Limbaugh and other brain-dead airheads have certainly had policies and pronouncements to support their arguments (although, to be fair, the case is somewhat exaggerated). But now there is reason for long-time Republicans (count me in that category) to have hope. Michael Steele is bright, enthusiastic, thoughtful, inclusive. His election as party chairman signals that maybe, just maybe, the party leaders 'get it'; that they understand why the nation turned against them, and that they are willing to become creative partners in the task of national problem-solving. Simply put, this is the best I've felt about the Republican Party - my party - in years."
Republicans believe in states' rights--that is, except for anything that hurts the rich or big business, like state emission-control laws, state health-care mandates, state court tort laws, etc. Anything that oppresses the worker, like right-to-work laws, are examples of the kind of states' rights that they like.— liberal- Michael Steele won't be fooled for all these calls for "bipartisanship"... liberal translation, agree w/ me or I'll call you a name, partisan or bigot. I enjoy 'Yoda's' "another 40 years in the wilderness"... OH... now you've got me scared... quick, I'll vote for this 'porkulis'/stimulis bill and now the liberals will love me! NOT!!! The Conservatives need to continue to humiliate the Democrats by REALLY showing America what "stimulus" means to liberals... buying snow makers for the people in Minnesota, abortions and sprinkle in some money for the illegal aliens. Stay on the offense Michael Steele and the House GOP... cable news is reporting that BOTH Democratic and Republican Senators oppose HUGE portions of this 'pork' plan to socialize our country... GOOD!— JGD84
- Djoko - Cutting taxes to spur economic growth is not a talking point, it's a known economic fact. Even Democrats and Obama himself and have said the same thing. Obama has publically stated he may keep Pres. Bush's tax cuts because it's better for the economy. Think about it, we're a market driven economy not government driven, the more money people in the market place have to spend the better the economy is going to be.— Phillysub
- Djoko Pritza, Conservative Republicans usually pay their taxes. But I do have an idea if one of your liberal buddies runs into tax problems w/ the IRS. Run for Congress as a Democrat or get Obama to nominate you for a cabinet postion... ALL WILL BE FORGIVEN THEN!!!— JGD84
- He's not a moderate he's another supply-side clown like all right wingers.Anyone who models themselves after Ray-Gun is also an idiot. The demise of our country started with the advent of reaganomics and ............ here we are. You brain dead Rush loving buffoons will never get it. Milton Friedman is dead along with his "economic" orthodoxy. Good bye and good riddance.— No Ids
- liberal - The reason Republicans are against states setting their own emission standards is it would be a nightmare for businesses such as the auto industry, who would possibly have to build cars for specific states. Besides this, it doesn't make much sense due to CO2 levels being practically the same for the entire continent, individual states wouldn't be able to set their own atmospheric CO2 levels.— Phillysub
- Michael Steele rocks! And he's a conservative. The GOP is on the ascent; the Democrats, on the descent.— PennGuy86
- The Dems are not moderate— rgreen72
- Congratulations to the GOP bigwigs for having the cajones to elect a black, moderate from the Mid-Atlantic to head their party. Someone who doesn't make those vital Swing Independents cringe (like Palin did). The GOP has done a great job allowing the oh-so-few party minorities rise to the top, but they better figure out a way to be inclusive to more folks in the center --- whatever color they are.— yobill626
- Yoda: I HOWLED when I read your "LimpBlimp" tag for Rush Limbaugh. Right on target with that one.— yobill626
- I like Steele. I think of the guys in the running, he was probably the better choice. Now, for the latest from Obama administration..the most ethical in the history of this great nation. Tom Daschle just recently disclosed that he filed amended tax returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007 to report income from consulting, use of a car service, and reduced charitable deductions. Total taxes owed....over $128,000 PLUS over $11,000 in interest. So we now have a tax cheat running treasury, a tax cheat running the HHS and acting as our health care czar, and a tax cheat as chairman of the House Way and Means committee. Also, Daschle filed the amended taxes AFTER he was nominated for his cabinet position by Obama...who probably knew about the issue but said nothing and nominated him anyway. Yep, like people say....thank goodness the adults are back running things in teh White House and Washington. No wonder liberals want to raise taxes....they have to make up for the ones they do not pay.— tjhaol
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- PennGuy, you've gotta lay off that stuff, whatever you're sniffin'.— Djoko Pritza
- Comment removed.
Cited by the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the nation's top political reporters, and lauded by the ABC News political website as "one of the finest political journalists of his generation," Dick Polman is a national political columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. He is on the full-time faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, as "writer in residence." Dick has been a frequent guest on C-Span, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and the BBC. He covered the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential campaigns.
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