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Michael Steele attacked his critics on ABC radio today (and since those critics would include me), I figured I should post what he had to say:

“I tell them to get a life. That’s old Washington, that’s old ways, and I don’t represent that, and that kills them,” Steele told ABC News Radio in an interview today.

“I’m telling them and I’m looking them in the eye and say I’ve had enough of it. If you don’t want me in the job, fire me. But until then, shut up. Get with the program or get out of the way.”

Meanwhile, Steele also gave himself a "solid B" grade as chairman.

UPDATE: By way of context, Steele was responding to this Washington Times piece about how big donors are refusing to contribute to the RNC because of Steele's paid speeches and book tour that are seen as a distraction.

View all comments (20) | Leave a comment

Pingback| 1.7.10 @ 11:25AM

Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Steele Tells Critics to links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Blog or Web Site. WordPress  Web Sites 1 Shortened Links Linking to the spectator.org page http://bit.ly/67jbzN info   2 tweets tweet The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Steele Tells Critics to "Shut Up" and "Get With the Program" spectator.org/blog/2010/01/07/steele-tells-critics-to-shut-u – view page – cached Michael Steele attacked his critics on ABC radio…

Jim Hlavac| 1.7.10 @ 11:34AM

If Steele wants to lead the Republicans over the cliff -- good -- and join the Democrats -- and thus we shall be rid of them both. They are the Whigs and Know-Nothings of our times. Lead, Mike, right to the end of the Republicans -- as harry, nancy and barry lead the Dems to their death.
And be good riddance to the twain.
Then we can put the country back together again, for the power of the people, incapable of annihilation, will rise up and replace the rotting carcass of our political parties today.

Al Adab| 1.7.10 @ 11:37AM

Dear Mr. Steele:

Sir, you misunderstand the message. NY-23 represented the Old Politics which we abhore. Unless the RNC backs Constitutional candidates against the accomodationist wing of the GOP there is no reason for Americans to support the party. The battle is no longer one of win or lose a seat or count the numbers of majority. No sir, the battle today is over Principle and the future of our Constitutional government. We are on the road to tyranny and that is one the GOP must not travel even at the cost of majority status. History remembers Cato who chose to die rather than submit.

Ken (Old Texican)| 1.7.10 @ 11:56AM

Dear Mr. Steele
We have already fired you.

Did you read that carefully? We have already fired you.
Look at your puny fund raising results.

My Senators, John Cornyn, and Kay Bailey, got this fax from me today.

Senator Cornyn 1-7-10
You guys up there don’t have a clue.
My donations, and those of all my teammates are going directly to good conservative candidates with cajones…Direct!
Tell Mr. Steele the same thing.
We want to see some press conferences on the Capitol steps!!!!!
We expect you to run every dirty trick known to man to defeat this death-care bill.
The link below from The American Spectator tells you where to start.
Kenneth Bean
T.E.A.M. AMERICA www.myteamusa.org
http://spectator.org/archives/.....ealth-care

Sir, you have proven to be a coward and a defeatist.
Why in the hell aren't you in Alaska on your knees asking Sarah what you can do to get her help?

You had better grow a pair, or are you going to let this house-red-man and his congressional helpers make you irrelevant?
No regards so far

Pete| 1.7.10 @ 12:06PM

And that "program" would be? Seriously, just articulate the strategy/program and then we can all judge. Waiting....

Sheila| 1.7.10 @ 12:38PM

My, what powerful words, Mistuh Steele. "Old ways" and "shut up" and "get with the program or get out of the way." Somehow what I hear, ever so faintly, of course, is "Change," "I won," "We want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess." And then, of course, there's that self-awarded grade of a sold "B." But, of course, I'm a racist, so I'm just imagining things, and my sense that black racial solidarity trumps character and principle every time is just a fantasy of my own fevered brain. I'll just continue in my lala land, and the rest of you can enjoy your reality.

Quin| 1.7.10 @ 1:06PM

Michael Steele is the one who needs to shut up, unless he has decided he really likes the taste of his own shoes and feet.

Mary| 1.7.10 @ 1:20PM

The GOP certainly has shut up in the MA senate race...Their abandonment of Scott Brown shows either sheer stupidity or collusion with Big Government takeover by the' Dimocrats'.
The 'Tea Party ' has more relevance today than these morons.

avg jo| 1.7.10 @ 1:40PM

Where's all this tough talk when he deals with demo-rats?

Jeff| 1.7.10 @ 2:47PM

Brown says the RNC is giving him all the support he has asked for ...

How many "Steele sucks" posts do we really need ?

Red on Red fire ... just what Obama ordered ...

Jeff| 1.7.10 @ 2:59PM

How about we fight the DEMOCRATS with the "army we have" instead of the army we all would like to have ...
If the 1st LT is an idiot follow the 1st Sargent's lead but always keep your barrels pointed at the enemy.

Posts like this will get plenty of links in the next WaPo article that talks about the unravelling of the GOP but won't do a darn thing about Obamacare or for Browns race in Mass.

Is that what we need ?

Al Adab| 1.7.10 @ 3:21PM

So how much funding is the RNC putting into the MA race? What they did with NY-23 and last year in AZ-1 (no money to the Rep. candidates) shows the true colors. Winning without Principle is hollow.

canuckistani| 1.7.10 @ 3:01PM

Problem: who would you replace Steele with? I thought he was the house-black brought in to stymie the lefts depiction of the GOP as the Grand Old-White Party? Now what, bring in a white guy?
The money is evaporating because the right has no agenda business can cling to. Bailout: already done. Stimulus: already done. Tax cuts: already done. Health: soon to be done, and the right is a empty suit on this file. Defense: made your bed now sleep in it. Social issues: biz does not care and evangelicals are feeling the job losses as much as the next guy = closed wallets. Trade: maybe a deal with Easter Island is next.
Energy: how you going to pay for it? Pickens is already jumping the fence with his plan. Immigration: empty rhetoric on all sides.
What's the platform going to be other than the sour-grapes Obama-bashing that will never get us over 50%?
I see a lot of us writing about the importance of grass roots thinking. Whose lawn, exactly? Over-influencing rural states? Backward southerners? Morally bankrupt yankees? Nostalgia-loving "real" americans? Uh no. We still need the best and brightest running the country, with clearer preferences from the nation. Tea Parties and protest rallies are just the opiates of a tired and rudderless former world-mastering clique that ends up leading nowhere without provisions for the long night ahead.
The nation needs mental detox, not more coddling from soothsayers from days that never actually existed. Has it occurred to anyone that people may actually like the nanny state? Diagnose and treat that and we can win.

Ken (Old Texican)| 1.7.10 @ 4:21PM

Canukistupid,
what do you mean "we" paleface. Go pass your kidney stone.

Quin,
A Steele cannot help but read a blog here about him. Can you hear us NOW Mr. Steele?

Pingback| 1.7.10 @ 4:47PM

Angry Michael Steele Tells Critics to "Shut Up" and "Get With the Program" | American links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…was responding to this Washington Times piece about how big donors are refusing to contribute to the RNC because of Steele’s paid speeches and book tour that are seen as a distraction. H/T American Spectator Blog Leave me your comments. Conservative Book Club Related posts: RNC Chairman Michael Steele: Some White Republicans Scared of Me Michael Steele Charges $8,000 – $20,000 A Speech Wealthy…

Pingback| 1.8.10 @ 1:48PM

» Blog Archive » Steele on GOP Chairmanship: “I Didn’t Seek This Job” links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…been under fire for his string of idiotic statements, poor fundraising numbers, shameless self promotion, and telling Republican donors who disagree with him to “shut up” and “get with the program” — now says that he didn’t actually seek the chairmanship of the RNC in the first place. In a fawning radio interview with Dennis Miller, Steele speaks of himself as a modern day

Pingback| 2.8.10 @ 1:56PM

Ruth Ulrich » Blog Archive » Washington Times Trolls Gutter for RNC Critics links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…comments from reputable Republican sources in order to give the appearance that internal RNC strife extends beyond the Beltway. The Washington Times articles have then been laundered by other national media outlets who wisely avoid mention of Robertson or “dumpsteele.com.” Another media theme focuses on the much-ballyhooed “purity test.” After three months of media hype, a Google search for the exact term…

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