Proving again his irrelevance to any process or party, RNC chair Michael Steele railed to CNN today about being left out of the loop regarding PA Senator Arlen Specter's decision to flee the Republican Party.
Get the new PD toolbar!Steele also sent a petulant email to the faithful (and me) this evening:
Dear Denise,
I hope Arlen Specter's party change outrages you. It should for two reasons:
First--Specter claimed it was philosophical--and pointed his finger of blame at Republicans all over America for his defection to the Democrats. He told us all to go jump in the lake today.
I'm sorry, but I don't believe a word he said.
Arlen Specter committed a purely political and self-serving act today. He simply believes he has a better chance of saving his political hide and his job as a Democrat. He loves the title of Senator more than he loves the party--and the principles--that elected him and nurtured him.
Second--and more importantly--Arlen Specter handed Barack Obama and his band of radical leftists nearly absolute power in the United States Senate. In leaving the Republican Party--and joining the Democrats--he absolutely undercut Republicans' efforts to slow down Obama's radical agenda through the threat of filibuster...
As Dylan and Ethan stated yesterday, Steele can't hold himself harmless, either. Threatening to cut off party funds due to the stimulus package votes by Specter, Snowe and Collins surely made the decision a little easier. The final blow would be the loss of Maine's Snowe and Collins. As nasty a blow that Specter was, that could be really devastating to what's left of the party.
It would have been common courtesy. But that would be too much to expect from Snarlin' Arlen. No sense in whining about it, just be glad he's Harry Reid's problem child now.
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dwilliams
12:49PM Apr 29th 2009
Hey, Dave! I don't think Arlen (along with many others) has much respect for the brown RNC placeholder. And yup, Harry will have his hands full. I don't see Specter becoming and tax and spender flaming socialist overnight. That takes time and re-education :-)
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YoMa
1:22PM Apr 29th 2009
Sorry Steele, but your not into titles after 29 years of public service. At that point it becomes your lifes work. When your outed by your own party, the RNC and the GOP's "Club for Growth", you move on to continue your public service.
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sandsnnydz
3:28PM Apr 29th 2009
Specter was a Republican since 1966 I think he should have called the Chairman as professional but I'm glad he is gone
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Beverly_Anne
8:17PM Apr 29th 2009
After 43 years of being a Republican I would hardly think that the GOP "nurtured" him or his political ambitions. They helped him out in 2004 but that was not altruism on the part of the party. Michael Steele is an absolute disaster for a faltering GOP. You're right, Denise, that letter and his interview tonight on NPR were petulant and he fails horribly at the task of being a spokesperson, especially during these turbulent times.