Steele for RNC Chair Update

Release:

Michael Steele appeared on the November 16th edition of Fox News Sunday. During his extensive interview with host Chris Wallace, Steele articulated his vision to improve the GOP’s fortunes and discussed a number of other issues, as well. Below are some excerpts:

ON COMMUNICATING AN EFFECTIVE MESSAGE

“I think the other thing that I’ve found that’s been lacking over the last four years, especially the last two cycles--’06 and ’08—we don’t know how to talk to people. We’ve absolutely forgotten how to communicate a message … to espouse those principles in the context of people’s everyday lives. … Our party needs to have a voice, it needs to have a relevant voice that people can identify with.”

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ON AN ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE AND THE LAME DUCK SESSION

“We put $700 billion on the table that we didn’t have. We’re now trying to carve out an extra $300 billion to put on the table. My question is, when does it stop? You don’t want to keep feeding this trough here that people on the Hill seem to want to be at.



“[And] to the Republicans in the House and in the Senate, over this lame duck session you can be against a whole lot of things but you better start to be about something and for something, as well. Out party can’t just be in a position where we’re sitting back going ‘no to this, no to that, no to that’ without any explanation, number one, and without some alternative proposal to put on the table.”

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ON THE EXPERIENCE HE WILL BRING TO THE RNC

“I bring a different experience to the table. I was a grassroots guy from day one. I started out here in my hometown of DC working the streets and knocking on doors. I then worked the central committee in Maryland, Prince George’s County. Became chairman of the party there for six years. State chairman. An elected official and lieutenant governor of the State of Maryland. Now I’m chairing GOPAC, a national grassroots organization that’s geared toward training and electing Republican candidates. So I think I bring a host of different perspectives to the table. … I want to make our party relevant and I think the experience I bring to the table will help us do that. I’m tired of us sitting with our heads in the sand complaining and finger pointing. Let’s get up, pick ourselves up, go out here and engage the fight. I want to be the loyal opposition to this incoming administration.”