THE WASHINGTON POST By: Felicia Sonmez
A top Republican Party strategist had some harsh words for beleaguered Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Sunday.
Ed Rollins, who served as national campaign director for Ronald Reagan‘s 1984 bid and as a former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said that Steele has “obviously been a disaster.”
“Michael Steele has failed miserably to do the things you’re supposed to do: raise money, basically go out and articulate a message,” Rollins said.
He added that “what (Steele) says or does in the next 11 weeks is not going to matter” on Election Day, because other party leaders have “picked up the mantle and are raising the resources that we need.”
Recent months have seen continued turbulence at the RNC, including reports of millions of dollars in previously unreported debt. Steele also drew criticism in July for remarks in which he suggested that the war in Afghanistan might not be winnable.
[Editor's Commentary: I have been following this story for months and so Michael Steele's very disappointing reign as RNC Chairman has not been too distressing to observe, because, like Ed Rollins, I have also seen the reports on the impressive fundraising successes of Haley Barbour, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachman and Sen. Jim DeMint, whose coffers are flush with funds.
That's the strength of having a team that knows how to pick up the slack for another team member that is having a bad season. I had hoped for better from Michael Steele, he's a talented guy in many areas, but the RNC gig hasn't worked out for him. ~~John Cronin~~]
