Has the Republican party left conservatives? Update: Steele sorry

March 2, 2009 | Steve McGough | |

For me, the party made enough of a change two years ago that I stopped all contributions. When there is a pretty solid difference between my core political beliefs and the party that I belong to, what else should I do?

See the updated Steele comments below.

And quite honestly, for the new Republican National Committee chairman to call Rush Limbaugh’s show as incendiary, ugly entertainment you’re nailing the door shut buddy.

I guess my reaction was to close my wallet and start Conservative247 and join up with Vicevich.

We have no conservative elected leadership, and I’m not sure any of good recruits would want to step forward into the role. Why bother? You can be a pundit, talking head, radio show host, small business owner, company manager, executive or blogger and avoid all of the hassle.

Hinderaker at Power Line Blog calls it the most disheartening story of the day, but I don’t think John has it right. How can you throw Rush under the bus when you – DNC chairman Michael Steele – really has no power among conservatives?

Limbaugh rightly stood up for himself today on his broadcast. Malkin is also on it. Maybe Steele thought nobody was watching CNN at 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday night.

I know I wasn’t that desperate, so here’s the video for readers from the DL Hugley show on CNN.

Steele Sorry
Hat tip to Allah over at Hot Air, with text from Politico…

“My intent was not to go after Rush – I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh,” Steele said in a telephone interview. “I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. … There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership.” …

“I went back at that tape and I realized words that I said weren’t what I was thinking,” Steele said. “It was one of those things where I thinking I was saying one thing, and it came out differently. What I was trying to say was a lot of people … want to make Rush the scapegoat, the bogeyman, and he’s not.”

“I’m not going to engage these guys and sit back and provide them the popcorn for a fight between me and Rush Limbaugh,” Steele added. “No such thing is going to happen. … I wasn’t trying to slam him or anything.”

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

11 Comments

  1. Darlene on March 2, 2009 at 11:01 am

    "The brand does need help" and "the brand does need work" as Michael Steele plainly states.  I too stopped contributing to the RNC in 2006 but began contributing again in 2008.  The fact remains that we do need a leader for conservative values and ideals.  Is that Rush Limbaugh?  Is that Jim Vicevich?  Is there a group or individual leader running fundraisers with the intent to take that lead? 



  2. Dimsdale on March 2, 2009 at 11:52 am

    Steele is in no position to cast anyone aside, least of all one of the most popular voices in the country.  This is the same crap that got us where we are: adopting the policies and opinions of the socialist Democrats. 

    If Steele isn't at least listening to what Rush said at CPAC, he is a poor choice for leader of the RNC.  I can just hear the wallets snapping shut now…..



  3. Anne-EH on March 2, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    I for one is not happy by what Micheal Steele has said. As head of the RNC, he cannot at this time abuse the goodwill of those who are conservative, such as Rush. He may have blown an opportunity to win back the conservative base.



  4. rush on March 2, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    Dims,

    You hit the bulls eye every time.



  5. rush on March 2, 2009 at 2:56 pm

    Who does Steele think he is.Rush is the leader of the conservative party.



  6. davis on March 3, 2009 at 1:55 am

    Well guess what: Steele listened the next day at the berating by Rush and folded. Good luck on finding a leader. And the last leader hand-picked by Rush, did not do too well.



  7. Dimsdale on March 3, 2009 at 5:16 am

    Oddly enough, Rush does not (or didn't anyway) endorse any candidates (he might have backed Romney), nor does he "hand pick" any.  That is why he doesn't give endorsements.  You may not like Bush, but Gore and Kerry are cartoons, half assed poseurs with egos that transcend any real accomplishments.

    Steele was wrong, and sounded like the typical Democrat that criticizes Rush without actually having had listened to him.  He deserved berating, and should go on Limbaugh's program and apologize personally, righting a wrong, not kissing a ring.



  8. Erik Blazynski on March 3, 2009 at 9:27 am

    He is 100% correct when he says that Rush is an entertainer and that is show is incendiary and Rush would be the first to agree with him.  If this is what you guys have to argue about then you are really in trouble. 

    -Erik



  9. rush on March 3, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Dims,

    There is so much wisdom flowing out of you I wonder

    if somehow your related to the great one.Keep it up.



  10. Dimsdale on March 3, 2009 at 1:06 pm

    Rush is an entertaining commentator.  There is nothing more incendiary than using someone's own words against them.

    If he were only a pretender, or an entertainer or whatever, he would have followed the path of Err America.



    • rush on March 5, 2009 at 3:36 pm

      Dims,

      Using someones's own words against them is incendiary.

      I think Thomas Jefferson said that.



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