RNC Floundering Continues

[babylonsister]

:evilgrin:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_04/023212.php

RNC FLOUNDERING CONTINUES.... After a humiliating week last week, the Republican National Committee hoped to get back on track quickly. It had already fired one staffer, "Young Eagles" events had been scrapped, and the RNC managed to go the whole weekend without any new scandals emerging.

Late yesterday, however, we saw the latest evidence of a party in total disarray.

The Republican National Committee's chief of staff resigned under pressure Monday, which Chairman Michael S. Steele described as an effort to reassure wavering donors in the wake of a controversy over its most recent expense accounting.

The resignation of Ken McKay, Steele's highest-ranking aide, is the most drastic in a series of attempts at damage control by the RNC after it was revealed March 29 that the committee had spent $1,900 to entertain young donors at a risque West Hollywood nightclub. The staff member who authorized the expenditure was fired last week, and the RNC has implemented new spending accountability procedures.

Forcing McKay's ouster was apparently intended to prove that Steele was taking charge and cleaning house. Republicans are angry about donor money being spent at "a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex"? The beleaguered chairman wants to show he's putting things right.

The move may have actually made things worse. With McKay sacked, a major GOP consulting firm with long-standing ties to Steele announced it is severing all ties to the national party. Worse, McKay will be replaced by Steele loyalist Mike Leavitt. ABC News reported that this "could spell even more trouble for the RNC," since Leavitt's overbearing style has already led four RNC staffers to quit since February.

Complicating matters further, former Ambassador Sam Fox, one of the Republican National Committee's biggest and most important fundraisers, announced yesterday that he, too, is severing his ties to the national party, in large part because he had "lost confidence" in the RNC chairman. Steele, in turn, elevated fundraiser Neil Alpert -- who has a record of using his employer's money to pay his "night club bills."

Any chance the internal turmoil will calm the nerves of RNC donors? It seems unlikely.

—Steve Benen

[Captain Hilts]

1. They are beyond 'floundering', they're foundering. nt

[Lint Head]

3. Steele? Foundering? Ha Ha!

:evilgrin:

[Captain Hilts]

4. I hadn't thought of the pun....We should call 'Steele', 'Stalin'. nt

[Kber]

10. Stalin was a lot more effective

but a lot less funny

[goclark]

11. Lil Mikie Stealin'

[Wapsie B]

2. Problem is there's more than one head on this serpent of angry conservatism.

If not the RNC there will be other means to fund candidates. Finding another Ronnie however is not a problem they can simply throw money at to resolve.

[zipplewrath]

5. Back to the birchers

Their real problem, it would seem, is that they are back to where they were in about the '50s when the John Birch Society seemed to dominate their party. It took folks like Buckley and the like to run out the birchers. Even then, Goldwater was a disaster for them in many ways. "Conservatism" is going to take on a character like "liberal" did if they aren't careful, more connected with an active and angry fringe than any serious and thoughtful force of governing. (Although I always point out to them that despite all their claims, the party has never governed "conservatively" when in power. Oh, they'll cut income taxes, but they won't seriously cut spending, and the love to raise "other" taxes, mostly consumption/regressive ones.)

[Jennicut]

8. You are exactly correct. Steele is actually less crazy then the worst part of the Rethug party.

But he has definitely been bullied to not speak out against the crazies, especially the teabaggers. He is also a walking PR disaster.

[Kdillard]

6. They really need to get rid of Steele before the damage gets worse.

[Jade Fox]

7. I bet they don't....

The GOP seems to have a policy of sticking by their scumbags, no matter what.

About 5 years ago I was predicting the GOP would turn on Bush, if his polls got low enough, for the good of the Party. If that had happened the Republicans would be in much better shape now, looking like a Party willing to clean their own house for the good of the country.

Instead the Republicans have adopted this "united front no-matter-what" policy (born, I believe, out of the idea that the GOP turned on Nixon when his presidency might have been salvaged). This united front policy has served them in some ways, but is damaging them in the long run.

[Hekate]

12. Cheney et al. worked for Nixon and have remained bitter to this day about him leaving...

When that bunch came on board Baby Caligula's administration in 2001 I knew I knew those names from somewhere... It was only after I got to DU in 2002 that I was reminded that they were Nixon alumni, and had never gotten over him being driven out of office. In their guts they wanted repudiation and probably revenge.

At this point I don't think any amount of intervention from saner heads will avail the Party. They're dangerous and they've brought the batshit crazies on board with them. I hope they break apart into little bitty pieces in internecine warfare until they find saner leaders.

As for Michael Steele -- :rofl: -- I hope he stays on until the bitter end. He's no Nixon, and the sheer entertainment value is incredible. :evilgrin:

Hekate

[Jade Fox]

13. It is interesting that by jettisoning Nixon....

and focusing on the future, the GOP managed to recover with a vengeance only six years later, ushering in the Reagan era in 1980.

On the other hand, the decades-long sulkfest of Rove and Cheney imposed on the post-Reagan GOP has given their party fewer and fewer constructive options, and made the party dependent on the wingnut portion of their base.

If Rove and Cheney hadn't done so much damage to our country, we could almost be grateful to them.

[fatbuckel]

9. I hear less and less jaw-flapping from my Rebub comrads...

[Arugula Latte]

14. The RNC is a seething pit of arrogance, hubris, and delusion.

[backscatter712]

15. I hope that Michael Steele kicks and fights for his job all the way through November.

:popcorn: