Yesterday the Republican National Committee, meeting in Chicago for its summer gathering, refused even to hear two resolutions dealing with the censure of Mississippi Republican National Committeeman Henry Barbour. Barbour has admitted to playing a role (as reported here by NRO’s Eliana Johnson) in funding a controversial ad that has been widely criticized for its racial content. Johnson reported that Barbour was “not distancing himself from the inflammatory ads.”

The resolutions were being pushed by Missouri Republican State Chairman Ed Martin. 

Today the RNC is having a members-only breakfast in which a discussion of the issue is supposed to be held. 

Additionally, I have been contacted by the Missouri State GOP Executive Director with regard to an earlier column in which, as per a source to me, an RNC staffer had inquired as to the election schedule for Missouri State chair. My source saw this as being in the way of a “shot across the bow” of Martin from Chairman Priebus and the RNC leadership. The ED has told me this was not so and that he not only did not speak to the RNC staffer mentioned — Matt Pinnell, the party’s State Party Director — but did not see anything out of the ordinary. I have checked back with my source, who is sticking to the story. 

But in fact no matter who made that contact or how it played out — as a routine inquiry or a shot across the bow — the central issue at hand is the RNC’s handling of the race issue.

The fact that the RNC, as now known from yesterday, refused even to hear two serious resolutions on Barbour’s conduct is scandalous. 

These are the people running the Party of Lincoln? Oh my. There’s more coming and I will keep readers posted as the details come in.