Sunday, March 7, 2010
RNC Chairman Steele Praises Harold Ford Jr., Renounces 'Fear-Gate' Fundraising Appeal
Posted by Jackson Baker on Sun, Mar 7, 2010 at 11:42 AM
- JB
- RNC chairman Michael Steele
Reminded that, on his accession to his party’s chairmanship in early 2009 he had been treated as persona non grata by an ultra-conservative fringe of the GOP, Steele was asked how he viewed the intensely negative reaction some New York Democrats had bestowed on former Memphis congressman Harold Ford Jr. during Ford’s recent trial run as a U.S. Senate candidate from New York.
Steele and Ford, who abandoned his projected Senate bid from New York last week, have long been acquainted and recently appeared together at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as part of a Black History Month observance.
The RNC chairman responded as follows:
“I’m a huge fan and friend of Harold ford. I’ve known Harold for over 10 years, from his days back in Washington. I have a great deal of respect for him. He and I would call each other from time to time on the campaign in 2006 with us both running for the Senate, and, after we both lost, I remember telling him, I said, ‘Look, we had this all wrong. You should have run for the Senate from Maryland, and I should have run from Tennessee. We’d both be in the United States Senate right now.’
“And I think his efforts to consider running for the U.S. Senate from new York really exposed a lot, and caused some consternation among the, you know, the establishment of the Democratic party. But Harold is his own man, and he’s going to find the time and the way when he’s, you know, really prepared to jump into this thing if he wants to be in office again to do it. And when he does, I think the people of New York will pay a great deal more attention to him than his party did.”
Steele was also asked to respond to the controversy that rose up this past week over a power-point presentation delivered in February by RNC finance director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida.
The presentation, also elaborated as a 72-page document, was leaked to Politico.com, which published its essentials, including a cartoon likeness of President Obama as The Joker and similar unflattering caricatures of other leading Democrats and a stated emphasis on inspiring “fear”of Democrats among likely voters and donors.
Acknowledging that the presentation had met with a largely negative public reaction — “rightly so” —Steele dissociated himself from it as something “given to ten people in a private meeting” and renounced it as “not the kind of presentation that I want to see made at the RNC.”
Steele said, “I don’t’ need to scare, we don’t need to scare anybody into contributing to the RNC. I’ve sent the word out, ‘Don’t even think you’re gong to get away with that kind of behavior.’
Promising that the matter would be dealt with “internally” at the RNC, Steele said, “I was not happy to see it. I have been the victim of that kind of stupidity. Some of my friends have…And we saw it last year in the presidential race. It’s just not what people want to see.”
Comments (12)
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"....a widely discussed RNC fundraising presentation some have dubbed “Fear-Gate.” .." Who dubbed it "Fear-Gate?" C'mon. Name them. Typical leftist slanting propaganda, masquerading as journalism.
This quote from Mr. Steele however, is very telling: "...both running for the Senate, and, after we both lost, I remember telling him, I said, ‘Look, we had this all wrong. You should have run for the Senate from Maryland, and I should have run from Tennessee. We’d both be in the United State Senate right now.’ Forget admirable career goals of public service and of statesmanship. New Yorkers, some of the most savvy consumers in the country, quickly recognized a self-serving sales pitch for an untested product. (Ford, Jr.) In addition to numerous other hurdles, Young Ford ran without the blessing of Chuckie Schumer, aka, "god of the goodies," to his voters.
Mr. Steele represents the reason why Republicans may lose the next Presidential election that should be a cake-walk for any opposition party. Where is the passion that moves voters to the ballot box? Steele is as bland a personality as I've seen in a party leader. This is why I believe he is temporary in this position. When he is replaced, I'm certain he will not have a clue of the reasons.
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Well, Zebra, old boy, your slant is easy enough to see, since you clearly regard Michael Steele himself, the RNC head, as -- what? -- "typical leftist slanting propagandist, masquerading as Republican chairman?" I can't help wondering: Who, short of somebody like ol' Rushbo himself, would you accept as RNC spokesperson?
But, let's see, let's take Zebra's challenge seriously. The term "Fear-gate," in relation to the now infamous power-point, has been used by the likes of Washngton Monthly, Newsvine, and countless others, but it originated in that bastion of conservatism masquerading as journalism, Politico.com.
For the record, Politico.com is an online outlet headed by Frederick J. Ryan Jr., the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and about whom Glenn Greenwald (a liberal pundit, to be sure) wrote an essay entitled, “The Right-Wing Politico Cesspool.”
And since the republican establishment will not acknowledge the Right, they will continue to lose.
Marsha Blackburn Voted FOR:
Omnibus Appropriations, Special Education, Global AIDS Initiative, Job Training, Unemployment Benefits, Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, Agriculture Appropriations, U.S.-Singapore Trade, U.S.-Chile Trade, Supplemental Spending for Iraq & Afghanistan, Prescription Drug Benefit, Child Nutrition Programs, Surface Transportation, Job Training and Worker Services, Agriculture Appropriations, Foreign Aid, Vocational/Technical Training, Supplemental Appropriations, UN “Reforms.” Patriot Act Reauthorization, CAFTA, Katrina Hurricane-relief Appropriations, Head Start Funding, Line-item Rescission, Oman Trade Agreement, Military Tribunals, Electronic Surveillance, Head Start Funding, COPS Funding, Funding the REAL ID Act (National ID), Foreign Intelligence Surveillance, Thought Crimes “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, Peru Free Trade Agreement, Economic Stimulus, Farm Bill (Veto Override), Warrantless Searches, Employee Verification Program, Body Imaging Screening.
Marsha Blackburn Voted AGAINST:
Ban on UN Contributions, eliminate Millennium Challenge Account, WTO Withdrawal, UN Dues Decrease, Defunding the NAIS, Iran Military Operations defunding Iraq Troop Withdrawal, congress authorization of Iran Military Operations.
Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
See her unconstitutional votes at :
http://tinyurl.com/qhayna
Mickey
jb. I would expect better. Alas. Typical left wing biased reader, clearly taking pains to elaborately dissect a perfect sentence and turn its' meaning to fit his agenda. Your Quote: "...since you clearly regard Michael Steele himself, the RNC head, as -- what? -- "typical leftist slanting propagandist, masquerading as Republican chairman?
jb. Please extinguish the illegal weed before commenting, and also wait up to 30 days for the thc to exit your system. (depending on the amount of body fat CLEARLY occupying your cranium.) On or about April 7, please revisit my previous post. I do believe that with sobriety your reading comprehension will improve. "The first step is admitting you are a leftist."
Zebe, it ain't me that's dong the inhaling. Gotta be you. And you got burned bad, boy. Hey, lookit, you asked where the term came from, and I told you. End of story.
Zebra, I'll make you a wager. I'll put a hundred dollars on the line. I want you to pick up the phone and call any state or county Republican official of your choice and ask them what they think of Jackson Baker's reporting. I win the bet if they, at any point, use the words "fair" or "balanced." Agreed?
Interesting that zebra responded to someone critiquing his comment with a personal attack.
the term "fear-gate" is annoying, but it tells it like it is. i have seen the ppt, and its purpose is as clear as can be -- to raise the spectre of a "red menace" emanating from the White House. It would make Donald Segretti proud.
What's all white and has a big black asshole?-The Lincoln Day dinner in Memphis.
People, it's all just a bunch of pots and kettles. I'm up to here (hand raised parallel to ground above my head). Their having back scratching contests in private and then they come out in public and try to act like there is actually a battle brewing. What's the difference between Dick Cheney and Harold Ford Jr? Nada. Clinton and Clinton? Nada. George Bush and Obama? Nada. It just comes down to what your favorite position is, missionary or ............
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