RNC Chair calls end to GOP “era of apologizing”
Michael Steele
WASHINGTON — Michael Steele, the new GOP national chairman, this afternoon laid down some serious-sounding markers for the future of the Republican Party.
Steele acknowledged President Barack Obama’s ongoing popularity, but said in a speech to Republican state chairs meeting in suburban Washington that a GOP led by him intends to aggressively take on the president and show all that “we have the courage of our convictions.”
Borrowing a line from the actor Mr. T with regard to Obama’s appeal, Steele said: “Pity the fool who paid for a poll to figure that out. Folks like him. He’s got an easy demeanor. He’s a great orator … He’s cool. He’s hip. He’s got a good looking family. What’s not to like? …
“There’s only one problem. He’s taking us in the wrong direction and bankrupting our country. We’re it not for that little detail, I’d be a big fan too.”
Steele went on to say that some have characterized Republicans as being unpatriotic for not supporting Obama during a time of economic peril.
“Well, I’ve got news for them. We aren’t going to be silent. We are going to speak up and we are going to show that we have the courage of our convictions …”
More from Steele:
“People are sick of politicians and political parties who never own up to their mistakes. We have done so. We lost our way on spending and we owned up to that. We came to Washington and, in some ways, we let Washington change us, and we owned up to that. We’ve taken some important steps to recover our values and our senses, and we can say we see the world with a clearer head and a sharper vision.”
And …
“The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over. It’s done. The time for for trying to fix or focus on the past has ended. The era of Republican navel-gazing is over. We have turned the corner on regret, recrimination, self-pity and self-doubt. Now is the hour to focus all of our energies on winning the future.
“The Republican Party is again going to emerge as the party of new ideas. It will take some time, for sure, but it is beginning now.”
Steele’s GOP manifesto is getting a lot of attention in the blogosphere and in broadcast air.
What do you think? Is he on to something?
With the over abundance of admittedly laughable, pitiful, mediocre leaders in the Republican Party; Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, John Boener, Joe the Plumber, Mitch McConnell, and all; the only way Michael Steel can show that he’s in charge is to give a rousing, forward thinking, progressive, knock them dead speech to re-establish himself as the legitimate leader of the Party.
Republicans are still waiting for one.
When libs like knuckler and others think Limbaugh and Hannity are party leaders, they are clearly worried…
About friggin time
Have you seen the Presidential Debate when Mr. T does the voice over to Obama and Gary Busey plays Mccain? It’s so funny. It comes from a place called Navtones that has these guys as real celebrity voices for GPS. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JuDpF_-6ko&feature=channel_page
I wonder if this is why Steele quoted Mr. T.
Mr. Steele’s timing is bad…
He asks Republicans to stop apologizing for their ineptness the same day PBS Frontline airs a one hour documentary about how the Bush Republicans scandalized Wall-Street, corrupted the banking industry, and victimized our pension plans.
Oh well, let’s not focus on the past.