MC Steele’s new book is out today, which means he’s bustin’ out some new fresh takes.
Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele offers a simple explanation for why the GOP all too often lost touch with typical Americans since the Ronald Reagan era: ”We screwed up,” he claims in a new book offering a blueprint for the party’s resurgence.
That ”we” includes the last two Republican presidents and the most recent Republican candidate for president.
And how did they do that, MC?
- President George H.W. Bush for raising taxes two years after President Ronald Reagan left office, though Steele ignores the fact that Reagan raised taxes too.
- President George W. Bush for not vetoing any spending bills during his first five years in office. He calls Bush and other Republicans ”enablers for big government” and derides the Bush administration’s Troubled Asset Relief Program as ”a massive government slush fund.”
Now I haven’t checked the exit polls of the 2006 and 2008 elections recently, but I’m pretty sure that taxes and spending were not among the biggest reasons the GOP got their asses bounced out of power. Weren’t the Bush tax cuts the biggest tax cuts evah?
No, I think the Republicans lost because of a series of epic disasters like failed wars and historic financial crashes and you know, most Americans’ lives getting shittier under GOP policies. Could be wrong.
MC, the GOP didn’t “screw up” because they weren’t true to their principles — they screwed the country up because they were slavish to them (see tax cuts while launching unnecessary wars, deregulation uber alles, massive deficits due to tax breaks for billionaires, terra terra terra, Terri Schiavo).
Finally, it’s kind of odd that Newt wrote the introduction to this book.
Wasn’t the “Republican Revolution” 6 years after St. Ronnie of California left office?



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Frist!
Bill?
This will no doubt be echoed by the DNC chair next year saying, “We lost because we screwed up by veering too far to the left.”
‘afternoon, all.
Greatest Twits.
Sheesh, where to start.
Newt will do anything for money, he must be getting a percentage.
Nice to have Michael do our work for us. He is such a disaster for the Rs. Go, Steele!
6 years after RWR left office was long enough to show that he was a one-off, and to create the basic case for his sainthood (h/t Grover). The two are, of course related – his image overcame inconsistencies between his policies/image and the Republican core values of hawks, conservative Christian(ists), and small government types (e.g., getting elected as a fiscal conservative who would balance the budget, the tax increases noted in the post, being the first divorce President).
He still achieved enough for his base(s) to earn their adulation (Morning in America may have done enough by itself), not to mention changing the course of U.S. political and economic history.
W was a pale imitation, who makes RWR look MUCH better by comparison – try to imagine W pursuing nuclear arms reduction as aggressively as Reagan did with Gorbachev. (And no, I’m not a RWR apologist – I didn’t believe he could be elected in 1980, and voted against him in both 1980 and 1984.
Correct me if I’m wrong but weren’t those spending bills from Congress in Dubya’s first five years in office coming from Republican congresses for the most part? Seems rather disingenuous of him to leave that fact out and blame ONLY Dubya for that piece.
Oh that’s right; this is MC Steele and all his (not so) glory.
Why focus on the past if your a GOPer Jobs should be their issue next election. Not that I mind the GOP losing focus and focussing on the past.
Steele is an idiot, but he is practically our idiot. Carry on, Michael.
“Wasn’t the “Republican Revolution” 6 years after St. Ronnie of California left office?”
they have a new “revolution” every couple years. its one of their recurring massive PR stunts. to dump a lot of money into the usuall media front organizations for the GOP and go on tv and hoot and holler and promise everyone that their going to cut taxes.
Sometimes just how much of an idiot Steele is still surprises me.
it does boggle the mind
Out of the mouth of Steele:
Sadly, the Dems ability to completely fuck things up when they have power may well result in a total thrashing this November for which Steele will claim complete credit.
More fucking lies, these asses always play to the least denominator and you only benifit from any tax cuts if you are already a gazillioner!! The rest of us get bent over as usual get it in the ass…
The Rs don’t even pretend to tell the truth anymore. They just make shit up.
These points are some I’ve heard frequently from conservatives (Bush spent too much, etc.)
They failed the Party, the Party cannot fail. Same old shit. And the book makes a nice vehicle for Newtie’s intro.
Does the GOP even like Mike? Why does he still have a job?
And why not? It works, no one refutes the garbage they spew.
Because they’ll need a scapegoat for ongoing failures.
Yep.
Maybe Steele can take over Wayne Brady’s “Makin’ &*it Up” gig at the Venetian here.
Or lobbyist. Which pays more?
Just got an email from Schumer. He “strongly supports exchanges” on HCR.
Steele, maybe a little Fried Chicken would make things all better.
LOL. Probably the latter. Not that Wayne is missin’ any meals (despite getting kicked to the curb by the Venetian recently).
So they scapegoat Bush then they plan to scapegoat Steele why plan for defeat this up coming election? Unemployment could give them the next election but the GOP is blaming themselves for past screw ups?
Rawk on, Steele, rawk on…! ;-)
The GOP always screws up something. Good to have a deep bench of scapegoats.
They do plan well for defeat good thing they can outspend us and steal close elections.
When people at Daily Kos called this site racist, I thought they were just trying to ignore the substance of Jane’s criticisms. Now I wonder.
As “GOP Humorist” PJ O’Rourke once observed:
“Republicans run for office on the grounds that government is incompetent. Then they get elected to prove it.”
Steele said this himself when asked how the Republicans could attract black Americans. Nice try Obamabot.
Rs in Congress are declining to run in 2010 in fairly large numbers – I think it’s 14 now and they may have a very difficult time in even getting close to taking over the House.
it is a despicable comment, surprised he didn’t throw in a slice of watermelon.
His words, not mine.
http://thedailyvoice.com/voice/2009/07/republican-chairman-michael-st-002106.php
I think it should have been entitled….”Tool” Steele.
thanks for the clarification, wish you would have added that originally.
I said that over 10 years ago. I should have taken out a copyright.
As fair as labeling DK an idiot site on the basis of a single comment.
From the NYT piece it sounds like Steele is towing the new/old GOP line: “tax cuts, be afraid of terrorists, big Government bad!” to win back the teabaggers and so-called independents. You can bet he ain’t going to criticize Rush anymore. Even Newt’s getting back in the act. Hell, he’ll probably be the first to take the GOP purity pledge he’s so anxious to be the one to lead the Rs on their rescue mission to “take back America.”
They want to take back America alright. Take it back to the 19th Century.
Then you wouldn’t have shown your true colors with comment #36.
Well put.
We are not doing to well either but the GOP is making mistakes as big if not bigger than Rahm is doing.
Elliot and Beese have demonstrated they are mere dilentantes. The Lake demands more.
Back off you made a comment that without the information that Steele said that comment himself anybody could take the wrong way.
thank you kindly.
It’s not just the comment. It’s the comment being made on a post that, of all the many ways possible to ridicule Steele, chose to ridicule him by likening him to a black entertainer.
If Jane’s apology for the “blackface” incident was as sincere as I thought it was, she ought to be going out of her way to avoid shit like this.
As for the “Obamabot” business: wow, did you pick the wrong insult. :-)
One corporatist party, two marketing departments. In other words, the GOP, Rahm, Obama, Lieberman, etc. are all on the same side (and it ain’t ours).
pardon? only amplifying what I took your comment to mean.
No Alan1tx should have expected that not everybody would get the fried chicken reference as it pertains to Steele.
They’re are just goofy. The SC Rs are censuring Graham because he has taken some positions (too liberal, I guess) they don’t like. These people are strange.
I did not refer to you as an Obamabot. You appear to have difficulty distinguishing between individual commenters.
I do actually agree to some extent re: your criticism of the accompanying graphic.
OK, well, this thread is corkscrewing into the ground.
What is wrong with Black entertainers?
Mahalo for your concern trolling…! What ever would we do without it…? ;-)
Kismet update.
The head of the Florida GOP just left too. The Tea Baggers seem to want to primary the GOP and run even more unelectable candidates.
We want to primary our side and run candidates who are more electable than the Blue Dogs. The Left seems to be the most sane group in this coming election.
Thanks. 17 is getting up there. Hope she recovers & has several good ones ahead though.
If we do say so ourselves. *g*
Best wishes to Kismet.
Speaking of Steele & racial epithets.
God Bless, SD…! *g*
Ceiling Cat Bless, SD ;)
The reichwing here is really behind Rubio. Greer is big buds with Crist so the wingers want him gone. There’ve been some pieces in the local rag that have shed some light on Rubio’s past legislative actions vs what he’s spouting now. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people. This is going to be an interesting election year here. Can’t wait.
Well….Yeah at the Lake we have agonized over Obama and Rahm for months but with 10% unemployment neither party is talking about jobs. Or the things that people with no jobs need National Healthcare now, people are losing their homes nobody is doing squat about that.
Instead Steele wants to blame Bush. Jobs, Healthcare and Homes could give either party a win this year but so far both parties are running from the issues.
Keeping my fingers crossed for Kismet. (It makes it hard to skritch kittehs behind the ears, though…)
Neither party wants to talk about jobs because there aren’t any and they’re not about to start a 21st century WPA. Corporations couldn’t have been handed a better excuse for laying people off than the recession soon to be depression. If and when the real economy picks up the corporations aren’t going to hire more workers; they don’t have to, they just place larger orders with the overseas manufacturers.
I agree with Michael Steele. The bushes ruined the republican party. The clintons ruined the dem. party. Let’s start a third party. A BIG TENT PARTY. One that appreciates labor and works for the public good. Kinda’ like the old democratic party but more progressive in some ways.
I’ve noticed more liberals used to tolerate Pat Buchanan because he was for the working man. Against the Iraq war. He seems to have become unhinged with Obama as president.
The guys a PUTZ.
The Bushes just finished off what Reagan started.
You know, the Bushes know people in high places, and Cheney was W’s co-president, so this might come back to haunt Steele.
Oh darn…
You haven’t noticed that Steele’s style and presentation is that of an entertainer?
You haven’t noticed that the man is an African-American?
Michael Steele gets a little easier to understand when you find out who’s coaching him:
http://bit.ly/3ppyiu
(satire)
I guess Steele and the clownservatives in general are having a tough time explaining the rather devastating news: ZERO job growth in the last ten years…
Bluetexan,
you are quite apparently a bigot. Thinking that black republicans are no more than dancing minstrels and uncle toms. Rosa Parks and Eazy-E would not be amused…..
The inherent racism on the left is appalling….you are quick to attribute it to the right, but people generally are quick to attribute their own faults to others.