The RNC's Bizarre Foreign Outreach

Why did the RNC try to set up meetings between Chairman Steele and foreign ambassadors. And even more puzzling: how did the email messages get released?

Politico reported last evening that the Republican National Committee tried to set up meetings between Chairman Michael Steele and foreign ambassadors:

The Republican National Committee is trying to set up meetings between Chairman Michael Steele and foreign ambassadors to the United States… An RNC intern sent a message late last month to at least one ambassador on behalf of Neil Alpert, a senior finance aide, with little explanation.

But why? Foreign nationals can’t vote or donate funds – something the RNC is increasingly short on – and the whole episode has again portrayed the institution as less than organized. The idea that an RNC Finance intern would send an email (which misspelled the Chairman’s name) to an embassy’s general inquiry inbox is puzzling.

Even more puzzling – how did this email get released?  Why were so many Republican officials so ready to offer negative comment upon what may have been just a misaddressed mass mailing?

Even if one can get beyond the idea of why the RNC would want to set up such meetings, one wonders why they chose to reach out via the staff of finance aide, Neil Alpert. This is especially perplexing given that Chairman Steele’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Government Affairs, Scott Kamins, was a former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the State Department, and would have been well-qualified to set up high-level meetings with foreign ambassadors.

The news has had the effect of generating some level of bafflement among those with familiarity of these sorts of meetings. A former State Department official familiar with protocol for political meetings told FrumForum:

Certainly, foreign diplomats sometimes seek out meetings with U.S. political leaders, especially in presidential election years, but I have never heard of a U.S. political party chairman proactively reaching out to foreign diplomats, particularly from their Finance department… I'm not sure what purpose such a meeting would serve.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Doug Heye declined to comment further, except to point back to his comments to Politico:

RNC spokesman Doug Heye declined to comment on why Steele would want to set up individual meetings with the foreign diplomats, whether he’s had any meetings with them, and if he would continue to pursue such get-togethers.

‘In his role as RNC Chairman, he meets with leaders in Washington and throughout the country,’ said Heye.

Even with its gaffes and missteps, Chairman Steele remains secure at the Republican National Committee. Yesterday, Norm Coleman cancelled his planned visit to the RNC summer meeting, which takes place in Kansas City this week. This is sure to cool speculation of a Coleman bid for Steele’s job – at least for now.