Last updated on August 10th, 2014 at 05:44 pm
Here is a little test. One of your most senior senators just left your party. Do you A). Wish him well. B). Try to explain this away as a state level issue, or C). Call the senator a radical leftist, then try to use his departure as a fund raising tool. If you picked C, then you are qualified to run the Republican National Committee.
RNC chair Michael Steele sent out a fundraising email that whipped up the fear, “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.”
Steele said that, “The Democrats are now virtually unstoppable, His defection to the Democrat Party puts the Democrats in an almost unstoppable position to pass Obama’s destructive agenda of income redistribution, health care nationalization, and a massive expansion of entitlements.”
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
He then urged Republicans, not to come up with ideas, but to give money, “You and I have a choice. Some will use Specter’s defection as an excuse to fold the tent and give up. I believe that you are not one of those people. When Benedict Arnold defected to the British, George Washington didn’t fold the tent and give up either. He grit his teeth more determined than ever to succeed. That’s what I’m asking you to do today. Join me in this fight by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 right now.”
If Obama is unstoppable, what will donating money to the RNC accomplish? Wouldn’t that be like rewarding Steele and the Republican Party for costing the party a chance to filibuster legislation? Why should donors reward bad behavior? I understand that when life hands you lemons, you have to try and make lemonade, but this is ridiculous. Michael Steele is literally using his own ineptitude as a selling point.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
