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February 13, 2012
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Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
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Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
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Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
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January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
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January 12, 2012
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Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 7, 2010 / 23 Nissan 5770
Go Quietly, Michael Steele
By
Mona Charen
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
How to put this politely? Michael Steele is a man of considerable talent it's just that he conspicuously lacks those required for his present position. He's energetic, personable, and articulate. But those are not the qualities most required of a party chairman. The job demands an administrator, a behind-the-scenes schmoozer, and a tactician. Showboating is a hindrance. It's a job that requires the talents of a stage manager, whereas Steele likes to be the star.
At a time when the Republican Party is the indispensable vehicle for thwarting the disastrous policies of the Obamaites, Steele is a costly distraction in more ways than one.
Let's stipulate that the chairman was not in attendance when RNC staffers accompanied prospective young donors to the "lesbian bondage" nightclub called Voyeur in West Hollywood, Calif., and that he only recently learned, along with the rest of us, that the RNC picked up the nearly $2,000 tab. Fine. But that establishes only that Steele is not a total fool (which cannot be said of the now-terminated RNC staffer). It hardly absolves him of managerial responsibility.
This was not a first offense. Since his election as RNC chairman, Steele has indulged an appetite for luxury hotels, chartered airplanes, expensive restaurants, and a lavish redecoration of his offices. Roll Call reported that Steele spent $18,500 to redecorate his dark-paneled office. "This is gonna sound weird," he explained, but "it's way too male for me." Actually, more than anything, it sounds vain and self-indulgent. Among the new accoutrements a Bowflex machine.
The Daily Caller (which broke the story of the Voyeur outing) also reported that the RNC spent $17,514 in the month of February alone for chartered airplanes, and that Steele had looked into the possibility of buying a private plane for the chairman's use. When he travels, Steele stays at luxury hotels like the Beverly Hills Hotel and the Four Seasons. While raising decent amounts of cash, the Republican Party under Steele has also burned through it quickly. Between July 2009 and February 2010, the GOP raised $63 million but spent $78 million, leaving the party without a solid cushion heading into the 2010 contests and behaving all too much like the federal government.
A party chairman does need to get around. But until now, it has usually been in the service of the GOP. Though he may not have charged donors for expenses on speaking gigs, Steele has been delivering speeches for his own enrichment, reportedly charging fees of up to $20,000.
In a year when Americans, particularly Republicans and independents, are apoplectic about Washington's promiscuous spending, this doesn't exactly send the right signal.
Well, if management isn't his strong suit, he must compensate with inspiring leadership, right? Not quite. He debuted with an utterly gratuitous swipe at Rush Limbaugh as "incendiary" and "ugly," and followed that with an unhelpful reference to abortion as an "individual choice" (though Steele is pro-life). Asked in January whether the Republicans would win the House of Representatives in 2010, Steele said, "Not this year." Not helpful and possibly not even true.
Now, with Voyeur making all the comedians' monologues, Steele is suggesting that he, like President Obama, is held to higher standards because he is black. It's possible that some people are more judgmental about him because he's black, but it's undeniable that many people are inhibited from voicing their dissatisfaction with him for the same reason.
Political parties are not college seminars, and leaders needn't be saints. But the Republican Party is just clawing back to respectability after the irresponsible spending of the Republican congressional majorities, the Foley scandal, and the perceived weaknesses of the Bush presidency. More importantly, the country is faced with a profound challenge from the left. If the (social) Democrats under Obama/Pelosi/Reid are not stopped, if the Republican Party is unable to attract the energy and passion of the tea party movement, the country will be irreversibly changed for the worse.
At this moment, the Republican Party needs more than ever to present a sober, serious, and ethical face to the public. Voyeur was the last straw. It would be an unselfish gesture for Steele to step aside.
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Mona Charen Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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