Bill Kristol: Michael Steele Doesn’t Speak For The GOP, Should Resign

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by Frances Martel | 3:27 pm, July 3rd, 2010

» 23 comments

Of the critics of Republican Party chairman Michael Steele since his latest comments against the war in Afghanistan, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol was the first and loudest, calling for the chair’s resignation in an open letter. He explained his comments on the Hugh Hewitt radio program, where both he and the host agreed it was a “first principles” issue.

Bill Kristol fleshed out the contents of his letter further to Hewitt, explaining that, although he let many of Steele’s previous gaffes go and considered them inconsequential, having a chairman that does not reflect the views of the views of the majority of the people in the party makes no sense:

“The position of the Republican Party has been to support actively prosecuting the war and he’s sort of trying to call it Obama’s war and suggesting it’s a mistake. As a private citizen, he is entitled to think it’s a mistake and argue for getting out. I don’t the the Republican Party wants a chairman who seems to be saying we should be pulling out of Afghanistan.”

Hewitt noted that, aside from the more free-wheeling Ron and Rand Paul, it’s tough to find a Republican that agrees with Steele’s comments, and called it a “first principles issue… We are the internationalist party, the party of pro-engaging in war.”

The full clip from the July 2 Hugh Hewitt program below:

UPDATE: The first strongly-worded demand for Steele to resign from an elected official comes from Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole, who tells Politico:

“Frankly, I find Steele’s remarks totally unacceptable… He should apologize and resign. He undercut American forces fighting in the field, politicized further a war that two presidents of different parties have deemed in the national interest and embarrassed the party he purports to lead. It is time for him to go — quickly.”

Afghanistan, Bill Kristol, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Steele, Rand Paul, Republicans, Ron Paul

Big_F-ing_Deal

Hahaha…GOPbaggers picked an extremely unqualified candidate to act as Chairman because he was Black and now it has come back to (repeatedly) bite them in the ass.

Aren’t they the one who are against that kind of affirmative action? lmfao

Sweet.

NO GAVELS FOR YOU COME NOVEMBER!!!LOLOL
C0nstant

hey BFD since youre a dem you must be the one getting “bagged” open wide libpussy
Big_F-ing_Deal

Why does Kristol look so young in that picture?

Has he been sucking out babies brains again to maintain his vitality?
ImNotBlue

Big_F-ing_Deal says:
July 3, 2010 at 3:34 pm

Hahaha…GOPbaggers picked an extremely unqualified candidate to act as Chairman because he was Black and now it has come back to (repeatedly) bite them in the ass.

Could be worse… they could have nominated him for President. But then they’d be Democrats.
Big_F-ing_Deal

ImNotBlue said:
Could be worse… they could have nominated him for President.

BUT THEN HE WOULD OF LOST ANYWAY BECAUSE GOOD AMERICANS DIDN’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR PARTY AFTER THE DISASTER THAT WAS BUSH, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
Ted

Good old INB steps in it. Are you saying that BHO was nominated / elected because he is black? If you are then I’m afraid at best you are a nincompoop and at worst a run-of-the-mill racist. So, I tell you what, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt; you just don’t know any better. But I think you already know that.
felixw

If the Republicans put anyone else in Steele’s place, the leftwing pundits will start the smears against the new person immediately. That is the modus operandi and will continue to be until the Left learns that voters care about issues not these infantile games of gotcha.

Who can take these predictable attacks seriously, when they are launched against anyone and everyone who disagrees with the progressives. Even men of integrity like Joe Lieberman and Mitt Romney get the same treatment, when they displease the far left. What Kristol should do is simply call this for what it is: part of the same tired leftwing approach of avoiding any debate on substantive issues, while trying to turn every political discussion into taunting and ridicule.
Big_F-ing_Deal

felixw said:
If the Republicans put anyone else in Steele’s place, the leftwing pundits will start the smears against the new person immediately.
Who can take these predictable attacks seriously, when they are launched against anyone and everyone who disagrees with the progressives.

Nice try. It’s your own pundits who are the attack dogs now.
ClearPoint

Don’t fire him let the story pass and move on….We can’t afford any more distractions the GOP looks like they have the house locked up…
notsofast

Steele is an embarrassment, the Dems can have him, they will take anyone who is black.
notsofast

Are you saying that BHO was nominated / elected because he is black?”

You finally figured that out, tedbag?
Thomas G Williams

So many of you forget that every where except the rock under which rethugs meet that the elevation of Steele to the head of the GOP was greeted with a loud IT DONT WORK THAT WAY to win elections call to the GOP who saw this as a HEY WE GOT ONE TOO moment they they have been regretting ever since, but they dont say it is because he is black they just act that way and have proven it by telling supporters not to provide donations to the RNC but to direct them to white controlled groups such as the RSCC & RCCC & RGA & DEMENTEDS LIST OF APPROVED RECIPIENTS LIST FOR SUPPORT, yep they is all out to get the BLACK MAN, which one is a matter of the moment and the issue.

Lets all ask the Congressional Black Republicans Caucus how they feel about the GOP and Steele, all zero of them.
Big_F-ing_Deal

Hmmm…still no mention of Steele on Drudge even after actual GOP lawmakers are now calling for his resignation (Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla for example).

They got stories on Blago, Obama, Clinton…but no Steele.

How odd… lmfao
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

Bill Kristol has been proven wrong consistently on each and every issue of national defense and the neo-con agenda. He’s on par with Michael Steele on being irrelevant. But I’m waiting for his reaction to this:

“July 4 (Bloomberg) — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, whose remarks suggesting the U.S. will lose the war in Afghanistan have prompted some Republicans to demand his resignation, won praise from Representative Ron Paul.

“Michael Steele should not resign,” Paul, a Texas Republican and former Libertarian Party presidential candidate, said yesterday in a statement. “Michael Steele has it right and Republicans should stick by him.””
Zakk

and where are the stories on Mediaite about Clinton saying it was OK that Byrd was in the KKK? The F’n KKK! oh, wait – he’s a Dem. He can say whatever the hell he wants.
drex94

The GOPbaggers think (emphasis on THINK) they have it locked up in november…………………… W R O NG!!!!!!!
jimw1016

Let’s review? Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican Party doesn’t speak for the Republicans? Hmmmm…. Perplexing. Bohnert? Joe Barton? Palin? Which ranking member is the spokesperson? Which one will stick his or her foot in their mouth and swallow it this week? Idiotic politicians reside in most seats on BOTH sides of the aisle…WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
jimw1016

You’re an idiot Felix…Steele opened his lack of a brain backed mouth and spewed words he obviously thought and believed but are utter nonsense. And you call it a “predictable attack? You’re right in a sense, the Republicans attacked him as expected, to save their asses.
felixw

Jim, congrats on learning the technique. Call me names. Call Steele names. Call everybody names. Absolutely brilliant….
Zakk

felix – it’s as old as apples. When Jim and those of his ilk can’t win the debate; they attack the debater.
murf

Ted [ Keith Olbermann ]

Yes 99.8% of African Americans solely voted for Barack Hussein Obama because he was BLACK pointing out the obvious isn’t being racist , jackass
LotusMan

murf said:
Yes 99.8% of African Americans solely voted for Barack Hussein Obama because he was BLACK pointing out the obvious isn’t being racist , jackass

Now there’s a deeply racist statement. Do you mean to say that African Americans don’t have the capacity to select a President based on who they think is best, or who they think best represents their interests and ideals? Did all the whites vote for the white guy in the race? Of course not. Does that make the whites “better” in your mind?? Your statement is patently ridiculous as well as being quite untrue. Such a thought is clearly based in a measure of racism.

African Americans in Maryland did not all vote for Michael Steele when he ran for the Senate. Last I checked, Michael Steel is BLACK. You see, African Americans CAN indeed think, and don’t merely vote from someone based on the color of their skin.
http://thenotoriousgop.com thenotoriousgop

New Michael Steele Rap Video!!
Steele responds to his critics in new rap video, “I’m Michael Steele”!!

Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIbNYNZj7u4