Steele Defiant on His Tenure
The Washington Post reports:
In a contentious roundtable with reporters three days after his party's historic midterm win, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele pushed back forcefully against criticism of his leadership at the committee over the past two years and hinted that he may be running for another two-year term.
"My hope is that folks still believe I still have something to contribute," Steele told reporters at the committee's headquarters in Washington. "And that's a decision that I have to make first, and when I do, I'll let you know."
Steele's remarks came during a question-and-answer session after a lengthy presentation in which the chairman and GOP pollster Frank Luntz argued that the RNC played a key role in shaping the party's wins on Tuesday.
Steele has been sharply criticized by those both inside and outside the GOP establishment. Critics say the RNC has misspent millions of dollars and failed to properly report its debt; they also point to numerous controversies that have rocked the committee under Steele, including an incident earlier this year in which $2,000 in RNC money was spent at a bondage-themed strip club in California. (Steele has also drawn fire for his propensity for gaffes, including his suggestion over the summer that the war in Afghanistan might not be winnable.)
Asked Friday whether he views his tenure as a success, Steele acknowledged that there may have been some bumps in the beginning
"Everybody has a learning curve, and clearly, I had mine," Steele said. "Going from coming in and being in a position publicly to look at the party, look at politics and look at the trend lines in the country and analyze them is one thing, but then being chairman of the party and having to maybe not express so vocally your views on some of these issues is another. You learn that."
