Michael Steele: we're not encouraging people to be "nasty, brutish and ugly"

[Enrique]

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/balance_of_power/2009/08/steele-on-protesters-dont-look.html

(...)

“We are not inciting anybody to go out and disrupt anything,” Steele said. But “as citizens, they have a right to express their point of view.”

In Steele’s world, these loud protesters aren’t activists — despite evidence that they’re being encouraged by conservative groups — but ordinary Americans outraged by the Democrats’ health care and climate change proposals and by the alleged failures of the stimulus bill. “The Democrats have, by force of their policies, by force of their votes … set in motion a number of things that they’re going to have to take responsibility for, and are going to take responsibility for,” said Steele.

Still, “we’re not encouraging people to express their concerns by being nasty, brutish and ugly,” Steele said. “There is no upside for the Republican Party for people to do that.”

Clear enough? It wasn’t to most of the reporters on the conference call. “Okay, I’ll speak slowly,” Steele said. “There is legitimacy to the protests. But how they conduct their protests, I have no control over. Some people are going to express themselves more strongly than others.”

Even though he was asked, Steele couldn’t cite anything the Republican Party was doing to discourage the worst of the protests. And that’s unlikely to happen, since top Republicans like House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio are having too much fun pointing to the protests as evidence of the “long, hot summer” of anger over Democratic policies.

Clearly, the strategy of the day is to insist these are homegrown protests. “Instead of acknowledging the widespread anger millions of Americans are feeling this summer toward Democrat-controlled Washington, Washington Democrats are trying to dismiss it as a fabrication,” Boehner said in a statement helpfully e-mailed to reporters during Steele’s conference call. “That isn’t likely to sit well with Americans outside of Washington who are struggling and wondering when their elected leaders are going to wake up and change course.”

Not that there’s any upside to that.

[Canuckistanian]

1. "...but it worked for me"

I hope they don't replace Steele. He's comedy gold!

[BlueIdaho]

2. A nod and a wink...

We've seen it over and over with the birthers and gooper congress people. The republicans have as much blood on their hands as their former elected officials now managing this astroturf poutrage, the brown shirt mobs, and the insurance cartel that's footing the bill.

How do you Michale Steele is lying? His lips are moving.

[Bluerthanblue]

3. being mean, ugly and rude comes naturally- and they're clearly not DIScouraging it-

so, maybe Mr. Steele wants to ....Lead?... his gang.

:hi:

[saltpoint]

4. It kind of makes sense that Steele isn't much of a leader since he's

paid to lead a party that isn't much of a party.