Michael Steele

“Obama Derangement Syndome” And The Republican Party

Ronald 1 Comment

The Republican party has a disease which is spreading widely, and making them look totally ridiculous to anyone who has any brains or common sense!

That disease is “Obama Derangement Syndrome”, which is a condition that blames President Obama for EVERYTHING that goes wrong, even when the President has NOTHING to do with what went wrong!

So it is Obama’s fault that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie failed to win $400 billion in federal aid for the state education system in the competition for federal funds, because the state failed to provide necessary information! It apparently is Obama’s job to make sure every state competing for the grants has filled out the forms correctly! 🙁

It is Obama’s fault that we entered into the Afghanistan War in 2001, according to Republican National Chairman Michael Steele, even though Obama was a state senator in Illinois at the time and George W. Bush was President!

It is Obama’s fault that a mosque will be built at Ground Zero despite the fact the New York City Planning Commission approved the project, and another mosque is already there for many years, two blocks from the site of the new project!

It is Obama’s fault that British Petroleum failed to follow basic rules and regulations, resulting in the oil spill, even though the government reacted quickly to start dealing with the crisis, which BP could not figure out rapidly to resolve satisfactorily!

It is Obama’s fault that his father was born in Kenya and was a Muslim, even though his dad left early and his mother’s white family was Christian!

It is Obama’s fault that the economy has not turned around “on a dime”, rapidly overcoming the mistakes of eight years of the Bush Administration!

We could go on and on and on, but the point is that Obama is being blamed for everything, including original sin, by the opposition–more than any President has been blamed after only 19 months in office, and really even in a complete term of office!

The fact that the Republican party has not come up with one original idea on any government policy, and expects the American people to put them back in control, simply by employing “Obama Derangement Syndrome”, shows exactly why they SHOULD NOT be given back power, as they drove our country “into the ditch”, and now want the keys to take over the country again, a description Obama gave himself as a joke at several public appearances!

The real disease of America is not “Obama Derangement Syndrome”, but instead “Republican Derangement Syndrome”, as they are themselves dividing and fighting in an internal civil war between right wing and far right wing within their party!

Witness the refusal of the losers in Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and Alaska to endorse their opponents, and the loony people such as Michele Bachmann who raved after the Washington Mall rally of Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin that there had been one million people there, while CBS News estimated the crowd at about 87,000! 🙁

The Republican party is bitterly divided on the far right, and delusional about who should take responsibility for mistakes or failures, and even on basic facts such as size of crowds! 🙁

Is this the group that the American people want to take us into the future? Certainly, we can hope that they have more common sense than that, but we shall see in two months! 🙁

A Conservative Schism Developing Over Afghanistan: An Opening For Obama To Change Policy!

Ronald 1 Comment

Amazingly, Republican National Chairman Michael Steele’s comment last week, that Afghanistan was an unwinnable war, and that history tells us it is a place that was the graveyard for many military forces in the past, has led to an open conservative schism over support of President Obama’s Afghan War strategy!

This offers the President the option to reconsider policy, and change it over the next year, as now we have people on the Right, as well as the Left, who are openly opposed to escalation of the war in Afghanistan!

Among those who criticized Steele were Republican Senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney; and Bill Kristol, publisher of The Weekly Standard, and Fox News contributor and commentator; and even Independent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut!

But at the same time, Ann Coulter, the conservative ideologue, has condemned the war and agreed with Steele! Also, George Will (commentator on ABC News This Week and syndicated columnist); Joe Scarborough (former Florida Congressman and host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe); Pat Buchanan (MSNBC commentator and two time candidate for the GOP Presidential nomination); Tony Blankley (former spokesman for House Speaker Newt Gingrich and commentator); Ron Paul (Texas Congressman, libertarian, and candidate for the GOP Presidential nomination in 2008); and his son, Rand Paul (GOP and Tea Party Movement nominee for Kentucky Senator this fall) all have denounced the war as “Obama’s War” as Michael Steele has done!

This split may seem to be unbelievable, and the author does not wish to try to connect himself to any of these people directly! 🙂 LOL BUT it clearly offers the President the opportunity to say that he tried the “Neoconservative” strategy, and now has come to the conclusion that the conservative opponents of the “neocons” are correct, along with many liberals, and that he has decided to cut our losses, save billions upon billions of dollars in the process, and spend money on the restoration of the American economy and the reinforcement of American security internally against terrorism!

Were he to announce this, with the reality that a majority of Americans are opposed to the Afghanistan war effort as it is, he would restore faith in his administration and improve his odds of being reelected in 2012!

And as far as the “neocons” are concerned, they have had too much dominance under George W. Bush, and it is time to “send them packing”, something that should have been done before they ever had the detrimental impact and influence that they have had over the past decade!

This would be a final repudiation of Dick Cheney as well, and none too soon! 🙁

Delusions Of Grandeur: Michael Steele And Sarah Palin! :(

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Two of the best known faces in the Republican party are Michael Steele, the controversial and embattled Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the GOP Vice Presidential nominee in 2008!

Michael Steele has been under constant scrutiny for his outrageous and controversial statements as RNC Chair, including his most recent comment which called Afghanistan “Obama”s War”, said it was unwinnable, and that history was the guide of why the war was a lost cause! For that comment, Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Liz Cheney (daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney), and Bill Kristol (publisher of The Weekly Standard), called for his resignation, even though the last two points Steele made were absolutely correct!

Despite all the controversy surrounding Steele, he has ignored requests to resign, and will apparently survive to finish his two year term to next winter. But now the rumors are that he plans to utilize the news coverage he has gained as RNC Chairman to seek the GOP Presidential nomination in 2012! Is this not delusions of grandeur? It is argued that he has charisma, but the question is does he have the intelligence, the capabilities, to run for President?

Sure, Steele was Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and ran a losing race for Senator from that state. But what makes this man think he is qualified to be what some have said is the “Republican Barack Obama”?

At the same time, there are rumors flying that Sarah Palin may seek to become RNC Chair to succeed Steele! But why would she want to do this?

Supposedly, it would give her more publicity (as if she needed it), having received plenty of such, plus an estimated $12 million for her memoirs and speeches. But IF she was RNC Chair, she would not have the freedom to make the kind of income she has made, and she would not be free, in the way she is now, to use Twitter freely and back and campaign for selected candidates, and on specific issues!

More importantly, how could she become RNC Chair in the beginning of 2011 and also be able, if she desired, to be a GOP candidate for President of the United States in 2012?

Beyond all this, Palin has the tendency to be controversial, even more so than Steele! Is this what the Republican Party needs: Palin as RNC Chair, and Steele as a candidate for President?

Would either development advance the GOP cause for 2012? To the author, that seems highly doubtful! 🙁

Michael Steele Shocks His Party And The Nation On Afghanistan War!

Ronald 1 Comment

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele has been a very controversial leader of his party, constantly stirring the pot with his statements against the Obama Administration, and also embarrassing himself and others with his commentary on all kinds of issues!

But now, he has really SHOCKED the party and the nation with his statement that the Afghanistan War cannot be won; that it was a war of choice on the part of President Obama; and that history tells us that no one has been able to conquer Afghanistan over the long haul of history!

All of the above are points that the author absolutely agrees with, and has been making the case for, on this blog! Steele is, for once, absolutely correct!

It is nice to see Michael Steele making such a statement, but it already seems clear that he may be somewhat backtracking on it, but possibly too late, as conservative Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard and Fox News Channel has called for his resignation as RNC chair!

But the fact that Steele has gone ahead and made this statement should lead to a reassessment of the historical realities that he so well presents! We lost more soldiers last month than any other in the nine year war, and foreign allies in NATO are also losing more heavily, and with little progress to show for the sacrifices!

There are other ways to fight terrorism than committing our young men and women to an interminable war with no substantial possibility of success over the next few years, if not decades!

Barack Obama is an intelligent, insightful man! It will take courage and principle for him to fight for the end of US involvement on the ground in Afghanistan, but it is an excellent way to cut down the deficit, which so monopolizes political debate in this country, and to address the domestic needs we face!

So this controversy should be seen as an opportunity for a renewed debate about the future of our foreign policy, which is causing a massive debt problem that will burden our children and grandchildren, without any likelihood of any substantial progress!

Michael Steele’s Negative Effect On The Republican Party Fortunes

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Republican National Chairman Michael Steele has been a lightning rod, due to his comments and actions. He has become an albatross around the Republican Party’s neck, but despite discontent by many, he is unlikely to be removed as head of the RNC before his two year term ends in January, 2011. It seems obvious, however, that he will not have an opportunity to serve another two year term, simply because of his ability to blunder in major ways!

Fund raising has not been going well under his leadership, and he has become the center of controversy by the fact that money was authorized to be paid to an aide who went to a lesbian bondage nightclub in Los Angeles, and also by his publication of a book without any notice to party leaders, and seemingly making bad judgments on a regular basis beyond these examples.

Instead of promoting the party, he has become a problem, and this has led religious conservatives to move away from supporting the party financially. Also, such Republican campaign operatives as Alex Castellanos, Ed Rollins, and David Frum have called for his resignation, as a necessity so as not to harm the party message, and its opportunity to gain the maximum number of seats in Congress and the governorships in the upcoming elections of 2010.

But Michael Steele clearly will not budge, and the fact he is African American makes it difficult for the mainstream of the GOP to call for his ouster. So Michael Steele will be a major factor, probably bad, for Republican fortunes this fall!

One cannot recall any national chairman becoming the center of such controversy as Steele has become, with maybe the exception of Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont, who was Democratic National Chairman in the second Bush term. While he sometimes said what should have been left unsaid, he was very successful in raising funds and electing Democrats nationally, so can be forgiven for his verbal slippages. Will the same be said about Michael Steele after the midterm elections? We shall see, but highly doubtful!

Smart Move At Republican National Committee Meeting In Hawaii, But Michael Steele Remains A Burden!

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The Republican party showed some realism and common sense this weekend by refusing to adopt a conservative litmus test, a “purity test”, on GOP candidates for office this coming November.

By so doing, they have improved their chances of appealing to the mainstream voters of this country, but it would also help if candidates like Charlie Crist in Florida and John McCain in Arizona accomplish victories in their Senate races over Marco Rubio and J. D. Hayworth, who are appealing to ideological conservatives and Freedom Works/ Tea Party activists.

The Republican party, at least officially, is trying to steer clear of control by or obedience to the above named fringe groups, as alliance with them too directly would be likely to be the death knell for the Republicans as a party that can appeal to some Democrats, independents, and centrists.

However, it is still reality that RNC Chairman Michael Steele remains a burden on the party structure with his loose mouth and confrontational attitude toward the news media. It would be hard to fire him, however, as that would make the party look bad dismissing its African American leader, but he certainly is not likely to attract any minority support to the party because he does not represent more than a miniscule percentage of the African American community.

Michael Steele: A Major Disaster For The GOP! Sign Of The Possible Implosion Coming!

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Republican National Chairman Michael Steele is becoming a major handicap for his party, and it seems unlikely that he will last much longer in his position.

Coming out publicly with doubts that the GOP can win a large victory in 2010, including the possibility of a takeover of Congress, has really angered the party base, and the feeling is that Steele is simply trying to sell his new book and advance himself at the expense of his party.

The Republican party, being still so bitterly divided as to how far right it should go, seems ready to implode. This is good news for Democrats, who despite their many problems, still have a strong possibility of keeping their expected losses in Congress this coming fall at a minimum.

The point is that the Democrats and Barack Obama are taking action and have prevented the Great Recession from becoming the Great Depression. They have also begun to take action to modify the failures of the previous administration in our homeland security which allowed the possibility of the Christmas Day Bombing attempt.

The Democrats have been the party of action, while the Republicans have been the party of no action, partisanship, division, and attacking the concept of government itself by flirting with the Freedom Works/ Tea Party anarchists! The American people will come to realize this as the year wears on to the midterm elections!

The Republican National Committee, Michael Steele And Abortion

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Isn’t it interesting that the Republican National Committee has, as part of its health care plan with Cigna, allowed its employees to have abortions since 1991, and now, suddenly, are aware of this anomaly and are announcing, through Chairman Michael Steele, that abortion will no longer be covered?

So a legal right to abortion, which has existed since 1973, and was covered for RNC employeees despite GOP platform language at national conventions ever since, now will come to a halt, although back in 1991, it was put in without controversy and debate.

What does this tell women in this country? It makes clear that you had better not get pregnant and have a health problem, as you are not entitled to an abortion no matter what the reason or the age of the female. It is catering to the religious right, so concerned that every fetus be born, but of course unwilling to believe in assistance to poor women and poor children in any form by government, because then it is “socialistic”!

There are women who are against abortion, and that is their prerogative. But it is clear a majority of women want the privilege to control their own reproductive rights, and see what the Republicans are now making very public, as really a declaration of war on their constitutional rights!

So the Republican party continues to show its lack of concern about Latinos, African Americans, women, young people, veterans who need government support and concern, state governments in turmoil, poor people, moderates, environmentalists, civil libertarians, and immigrants.

This party is alienating itself further every day from the majority of the American people, and seems only concerned about religious extremists who wish to impose their values on the whole nation. Is there any hope that the GOP someday will regain its senses and become a party separated from the control and dominance of the talk show hosts, FOX News, and religious right wingers?

Barack Obama And His Critics: The Challenge Of The Nobel Peace Prize

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Now that President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, the weight on him to perform and fulfill what the Peace Prize represents, creates a greater challenge than any President has had since John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The challenges of Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, Venezuela and numerous other issues complicate the goals of promoting world peace and ultimate nuclear disarmament.

Obama has the world behind him with the exception of the terrorists represented by Al Qaeda and the Taliban, who have denounced the awarding of the Peace Prize to him. Of course there is one more major critic: the right wing talk shows hosts, Fox, and of course, the bulk of the Republican party opposition.

It was very statesmanlike for Senator John McCain to congratulate President Obama, and to see the award as good news for the nation. But of course, Michael Steele, the GOP National Chairman, had to, again, prove how disgraceful and useless he is, by his statements critical of Obama, rather than rejoice in the honor of the moment. And Rush Limbaugh was his usual, predictably obnoxious self, denouncing the world and evoking super American nationalism’s attitude of condemning Europe and the United Nations.

Imagine cynical young and older people coming up with a conspiracy theory that the award was fixed, and even arranged by the President himself–this following his obvious inability to “fix” the Olympic Games location for 2016 in his home city of Chicago.

When we reach the point that many people in our country can condemn an honor bestowed on our President, which he made clear was an honor for the nation, then we have reached a dangerously poisonous atmosphere that is highly disturbing.

The President is pursuing a series of goals to improve the world scene, and he is graciously, appropriately, arranging for the $1.4 million prize to be donated to charity.

Despite the criticism and hypocrisy that is emerging, the nation should be rightfully proud of our President, who is emerging as a statesman!

Thomas Friedman Vs. Michael Steele: Who Is The “Nut Job”?

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Thomas Friedman, the esteemed columnist of the New York Times, wrote a column yesterday backing up my fear of death threats against President Obama multiplying because of the poisonous rhetoric spewing forth to deny the legitimacy of our President. and promote racist propaganda. He compared it to the atmosphere in Israel in 1995 before the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a right wing whacko.

In response to this respectable columnist, Michael Steele, the African American GOP National Chairman, called Friedman a “nut job”, again displaying what a burden he is on his party and on normal political discussion and discourse.

Besides the extremist talk show hosts and irresponsible members of the Republican Party in Congress, we also have to deal with a person who is truly the “nut job” that he calls Friedman.

Steele seems unwilling to recognize how he promotes an evil that needs to be eradicated, and he should be roundly condemned for his divisive, insulting behavior, which is not unique to this comment on Friedman, but is a common theme that causes any rational human being to feel that he loses all credibility as a political leader to be taken seriously.