The arm of the Republican national committee tasked with winning congressional elections today released a statement from its chairman backing up Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who remains locked in a media-driven fight for party preeminence with right-wing talker Rush Limbaugh.
Pete Sessions of Texas said:
Each of us in House Republican leadership appreciate Chairman Steele's early contribution to our effort to fight our way back to the majority. But even more than this generous donation, we appreciate his total commitment to winning the special election in New York's 20th Congressional District. He is deeply committed to rebuilding the Party in blue states, and he's putting action behind his words. Not only has Chairman Steele personally been on the ground in New York twice, his staff is fully engaged and helping to make sure we have a superior grassroots turnout operation. Having worked with Michael before, I look forward to partnering with him again as we work to expand our party.
As I said the other day, President Obama's political advisors are just tickled to watch the Republican circular firing squad at work. Yesterday Obama campaign manager David Plouffe wrote in the Washington Post:
Limbaugh, of course, told his radio listeners that he's rooting for President Obama to fail -- and hoping the president's ideas for bolstering our economy fail with him. For many Americans, hungry for leadership and cooperation, this sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard.
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Thus far, Republican leaders have let their strategy be guided by their most conservative base, capturing perhaps a third of the nation's voters. For Republican candidates seeking the support of right-wing activists in Iowa, who will exercise outsize influence in the presidential selection process in four years, that strategy -- while not entirely defensible in the midst of an economic crisis -- is understandable.
