-
What Did Arianna Huffington Know, and When Did She Know It?
May 15, 2013 | 1 comment
-
IRS Scandal Widens: Marriage Group Says IRS Leaked Information to ‘Political Enemies’
May 13, 2013 | 4 comments
-
Is Ed Markey in Trouble in Massachusetts Senate Race?
May 10, 2013 | 2 comments
-
What Are Terrorists Teaching Your Kids?
May 8, 2013 | 11 comments
-
U.S. Must Be Prepared to Face Unexpected Threats, Retired General Warns
April 26, 2013 | 5 comments
The Spectacle Blog
No sooner did Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus emerge as a leading rival to Michael Steele for chairmanship of the Republican National Committee than Priebus got hit by the revelation that his Milwaukee law firm helped its clients get federal stimulus funds.
Interestingly, the revelation seemed to hit Priebus almost simultaneously from two different ideological directions — the stimulus story being reported Tuesday by both Tim Mak at the “centrist” Web site Frum Forum and by conservative Dan Riehl at Andrew Brietbart’s BigGovernment.com.
My own immediate reaction was that this looks bad enough to sink Priebus’s challenge. Priebus told Mak “he has never worked with his firm’s ‘Stimulus and Economic Recovery’ group,” but Riehl says it looks like Priebus is trying to hide online evidence of his involvement. Whatever the case, even indirect involvement with Obama’s stimulus program — anathema to conservatives — could be heavily damaging.
The double hits raise the question of who is gunning for Priebus. Obviously, Steele’s supporters would have a motive to release “oppo” research to damage a rival, but so would supporters of Steele’s other rivals, who include Saul Anuzis of Michigan (who was one of Steele’s rivals for the chairmanship two years ago), former RNC political director Gentry Collins and Ann Wagner of Missouri, who has been called a “conservative star” by St. Louis-based blogger Jim Hoft.
Of the 168 members who will have a vote next month when the RNC meets in Washington, more than 120 have still not committed to support any candidate for the chairmanship. Critics of Steele have blamed the chairman for the committee’s lackluster fundraising during the 2010 election cycle.
View all comments (13) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Robert Stacy McCain
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/12/15/who-torpedoed-steeles-rnc-riva
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- A Nation on the Edge
- A President Loses His Power
- The (Real) Great Divide
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
WL| 12.16.10 @ 1:13AM
Hmmm....I am having a hard time caring. After November 2, I told myself and my family that it would be the last (of many) Republican votes I would cast until they showed me that they REALLY ARE something other than the GOOD COP fighting the unwinnable war against the BAD COP (The dems, that is)...
So far...I honestly give them a 3 on a scale of 10...
Not zero...and DEFINITELY NOT 10...
NOW...of course they haven't been seated yet...so we'll see...............
BUT...I'll let you guess whether my money is on "BEING IMPRESSED" or "BEING DISSAPOINTED...AGAIN" by the GOP come 2012...............................................................................
Susan Grant| 12.16.10 @ 12:07PM
WL sounds a little like he has too much time on his hands OR he has a drinking problem. If ole WL thinks the Repubs are the lesser of two evils, he has been spending entirely too much time on the Huffington Post.By the way, who gives a crock what WL thinks, as he can't think clearly period.
WL| 12.16.10 @ 1:17AM
FOLKS...I just want to point out one thing to you "REPUBS are the lesser of two Evils, so you have to vote for them" FOLKS (of whom I have usually agreed with, BEFORE I started being honest with myself).....
DO YOU NOTICE HOW THERE IS S-T-I-L-L J-U-S-T E-N-O-U-G-H votes to pass the crappy bills.....
Roger Spires| 1.14.11 @ 7:18AM
No, we don't have to vote for a lesser of two evils. this is the thinking that allows theses "let's give in and call it a compromise" RINOS to stay in Congress. Nothing will change in the party until the party is one ideologically. Sometimes you need a RIF to get stronger.
beebop| 12.16.10 @ 6:06AM
WL? Willie Loman?
Not buying your tortured logic -- which if followed to its illogical conclusion would mean don't bother to vote.
Rogue Elephant| 12.16.10 @ 7:42AM
Why does it matter who outed Priebus? The conservative base would view him as tainted. (Thanks, hitman!)
Thinking outside the box, maybe the RNC Chair should go to a tainted RINO. This positions the GOP as part of the problem (which it is) and keep the energy in the Tea Party (where it belongs).
Dohnal | 12.16.10 @ 12:18PM
It is the job of a law firm to do for their clients what helps them. They are not supposed to put their personal political views in the way of helping a client.
Priebus was not involved in any of this, he was busy taking good care of the state GOP. I would hate to lose him but he would be a great chair of the GOP.
Bob Dohnal, Publisher
The Conservative Digest
JJ522| 12.16.10 @ 12:29PM
I'm with Bob Dohnal - where's the problem? I also opposed the Obama stimulus, but I didn't quit my state job when my agency got a chunk or
the money, or turn down the overtime it paid for.
I'm not that pure, and I doubt many of you are, either.
If the thing has passed and the money is going to spent *anyway* I don't see anything wrong with a law firm helping its clients get some of it or a governor, senator or congressman trying to make sure some of it is spent in his state.
Later,
Joe
Willy| 12.16.10 @ 12:57PM
I really don't care who replaces Steele...as long as he is replaced. Any more Haley Barbours out there?
SteveT | 12.16.10 @ 2:11PM
I am sorry to see this attack on Reince. I have worked with him in the past and he is a very sharp guy. He has done very well for the WI GOP and would do well as RNC Chair.
In context, this looks like a very minor issue. It would be sad if this torpedoes his bid.
JB1| 12.16.10 @ 4:49PM
GOP elite blame Steele for fund raising issues. I blame the GOP establishment. That is why I sent my money to specific candidates, to keep it out of their hands. They can vote Steele out but it wont improve the fund raising.
eekinsman | 12.17.10 @ 11:54PM
Reince is not a front runner for nothing. His unparalleled success in Wisconsin, which was no small feat, what with the cheese-liberal cabal. He can and will lead the national party to a clean sweep.