Michael Steele New RNC Chair

Michael Steele is the first black man to head the RNC. Republicans get an A+ for recognizing that you can't be diverse if you're not diverse. Steele grew up in a house of democrats and credits Reagan (there's that name again) for turning him into a republican. He's got a lot of work to do. Maybe he can shut down the Rush types. I'd be happy if the republican party could do that. Of course, the Rush types will be spending the next few weeks sucking up. 
See a video on what he says about Obama.
Read more here.
10 things you didn't know about Steele
Here is Steele's "blueprint for tomorrow:"
Blueprint - Grassroots

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Academic Work Business review tim

Here is Steele's acceptance speech:

Just for fun, check out the republicans on Twitter here. Republicans talk guns and tweets:
At a recent debate, the candidates to become chairman of the Republican National Committee were asked -- after rattling off how many guns they own -- whether they have any "followers" on Twitter, the popular online social network for short messages.

They didn't miss a beat.

"Yes, the number is growing last time I checked -- 300 to 400," replied candidate Michael Steele, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland. Users of the site keep track of posts, or "tweets," from other users by becoming their followers.

Another candidate, Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, said he would be Twittering away at that very moment if it weren't for the debate rules. "I'm just not doing it today because you told us we couldn't," he said.

Then Ken Blackwell, a former secretary of state of Ohio, trumped them both. "I do Twitter, but let me just say I have 4,000 friends on Facebook, which is probably more than these two guys put together, but who's counting?" Read more at the WSJ.

RNC Candidates Debate How To Attract More Minorities

Attention RNC, here's how: You come to the realization that America is becoming more brown and black than it is white. You face up to prejudice within your party. You recognize and quickly denounce discrimination within your party. Hello Chip. Hello Radio Talk Show Hosts. You pick leaders who are black and brown. You work to meet the needs of minorities. Then, you lead.

TP: Today, the candidates debated the future of the Party at the National Press Club and all agreed that the GOP needs to bring in more minorities. But in an interview with ThinkProgress after the debate, Steele said that Saltsman is detracting from this effort. He strongly criticized Saltsman’s decision to send out the “Magic Negro” song, saying “it doesn’t help at all” the GOP’s effort to bring in minorities to the party: read the rest/see video

Who's in the running to head the republican national committee:

The Hill: South Carolina GOP chief Katon Dawson, Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Michigan Republican Party chairman Saul Anuzis and current chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan all have the backing of a majority of delegates from three states, the threshold for appearing on the ballot.

Two other candidates have yet to release enough names to guarantee a spot on the ballot. Former Maryland Lieutenant Gov. Michael Steele and former Tennessee GOP party chairman Chip Saltsman, who was criticized by Duncan and Anuzis for circulating a CD to RNC members that included the parody song "Barack the Magic Negro," are also running for the position.

More GOP Reaction To Saltsman's Foolishness

Attention GOP: The song (listen to it here) is offensive and if you don't get that you're way behind the curve and you need to catch up or slither off into a dark hole. Jose Can You See is insulting as well.
Jake Tapper adds some more to this story, including Obama's reaction -- or nonreaction (just like Obama) -- when he first heard the song.

This just in, another fool, Kate Obenshain, vice pres of Young America's Foundation (whatever the heck that is) defends Rush Limbaugh's song as parody of Al Sharpton. 

CNN: Michigan party chairman Saul Anuzis also questioned Saltsman's judgment.

"In my opinion, this isn't funny and it's in bad taste," he said in a statement. "Just as important, anything that paints the GOP as being motivated in our criticism of President-elect Obama by anything other than a difference in philosophy does a disservice to our party."
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer -- who has reportedly been weighing a run for the party's top spot, but has not officially announced a bid -- released a Monday morning statement praising candidates who have weighed in against the "racially insulting song."

"As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation's most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we've seen over the past few days," he said. "I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior."

"Actions such as the distribution of this CD, regardless of intent, only serves to promote divisiveness and distracts us from our common goal of building our party."

Ken Blackwell thinks the song is brilliant:

Ken Blackwell -- one of two African-American candidates for party chairman -- agreed with Saltsman's assessment, defending him in a weekend statement.

"Unfortunately, there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race," said Blackwell -- who, if elected, would be the first black chairman of the RNC. "This is in large measure due to President-elect Obama being the first African-American elected president.

"I don't think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them. When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal. All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people."

Another reaction:

James Richardson, the RNC's online communication manager for the 2008 election cycle, called Saltsman's move "quite the revealing faux pas."

"Granted, he didn't pull a George Allen and personally call Obama a 'magic Negro,' but sending a CD with those lyrics shortly after electing the first African-American president -- one supported by nearly 97 percent of the African-American community -- shows a serious lack of judgment, tact and the necessary level of racial sensitivity expected of public officials," wrote Richardson, a Red State contributor, on conservative blog The Skepticians.

Huckabee weighs in. Not good enough:

Chip should have been more careful in his selection of Christmas gifts, but no one who knows him would ever suggest that he in any way would purposely disparage other people. Chip knows how sensitive such issues are. It shouldn’t be the main factor in the RNC race.

The election of Barack Obama is not only historic for our country but it is something all Americans, not just Democrats, should celebrate. As I have said many times the election of Mr. Obama is significant not because of his race or in spite of it, but with indifference to it. He was not my choice for President, but he will be MY President over the next four years and I will support him personally and pray for his success. I will certainly disagree with him at times, but I pledge that my disagreements with him will be over his policy decisions and not aimed at him personally. I ask that all of you will join with me in doing that.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist's reaction. Good enough:

As the GOP Chairman in one of our nation’s most ethnically and culturally diverse states, I am especially disappointed by the inappropriate words and actions we’ve seen over the past few days. I am proud of those party leaders who have stood up in firm opposition to this type of behavior. Read the rest.

Obama Fights the ACORN and Ayers Smears

Wingnuts gone wild! This is their last best hope to help elect their man McCain.

Fox and the republicans have stepped up its attacks, trying to tie Obama to a group called ACORN. And the Internet is rife with rumors about Obama and former weatherman William Ayers.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a host on The View, is also in on this smear, mentioning it whenever she gets the chance. She also smeared Michelle Obama when Michelle wasn't looking. 

A DVD that tries to tie Obama to terrorists is also making the rounds. 
I got a lovely note just today from Gary Kreep, executive director of the Republican Majority Campaign PAC, who's asking for donations.

P.S. Thanks to our campaign to expose the TRUTH about Mr. Obama and his radical terrorist friend and mentor, THE WORD IS SPREADING. The mainstream media is being forced to finally report on this relationship, because the grassroots across America are demanding it. Clips like this one on YouTube are being uploaded and viewed by hundreds of thousands of people online -- but we MUST get the word out even more in the mainstream media to be able to IMPACT this election!

I like their use of CAPS. 

Obama camp fights back. 

From Fight the Smears:
Discredited Republican voter-suppression guru Ken Blackwell is attacking Barack Obama with naked lies about his supposed connection to ACORN.

• Fact: Barack was never an ACORN community organizer.
• Fact: Barack was never an ACORN trainer and never worked for ACORN in any other capacity.
• Fact: ACORN was not part of Project Vote, the successful voter registration drive Barack ran in 1992.

In his capacity as an attorney, Barack represented ACORN in a successful lawsuit alongside the U.S. Department of Justice against the state of Illinois to force state compliance with a federal voting access law. For his work helping enforce the law, called “Motor Voter,” Barack received the IVI-IPO Legal Eagle Award in 1995. (For more about Barack’s career, check out our Obama bio.)

Ken Blackwell is best known today for disenfranchising Democratic voters in his dual role as Ohio Secretary of State and chair of George Bush’s Ohio campaign in 2004. To see him shed crocodile tears for the integrity of the vote while making accusations about Barack and ACORN with absolutely no basis in fact is disturbing.

Blackwell’s attacks against ACORN and community organizers continue a vile Republican pattern of mockery and viciousness against this noble profession. Community organizers are the very individuals Republicans should be celebrating for helping people to help themselves rather than depending on the government.

Next up:

In 2004, Harold Simmons was the biggest funder of the manipulative smear group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In 2008, Simmons is the sole donor funding a vicious attack ad in some battleground states that uses tortured logic and clumsy innuendo to invent a tie between Barack Obama and terrorism.

The ad goes completely beyond the pale by cynically exploiting the tragedy of 9/11 in an unfounded connection with Chicago academic William Ayers. Then it claims that Ayers somehow “launched” Barack Obama’s career — an assertion so outlandish that not even Simmons’ fellow discredited Swift Boater Jerome Corsi included it in his smear book.

The ad may even be a criminal violation of campaign finance laws. Simmons has previously been fined tens of thousands of dollars for campaign finance violations – including forging the signatures of his own daughters to make political contributions from trust funds.

Here's who Ayers is today:

NYT: Since earning a doctorate in education at Columbia in 1987, Mr. Ayers has been a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the author or editor of 15 books, and an advocate of school reform.

“He’s done a lot of good in this city and nationally,” Mayor Richard M. Daley said in an interview this week, explaining that he has long consulted Mr. Ayers on school issues. Mr. Daley, whose father was Chicago’s mayor during the street violence accompanying the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the so-called Days of Rage the following year, said he saw the bombings of that time in the context of a polarized and turbulent era.

“This is 2008,” Mr. Daley said. “People make mistakes. You judge a person by his whole life.”

Here's the silly video that Gary the Kreep linked to in his email as evidence. Wingnuts must think people are as dumb as they are. Sometimes I wonder if they really believe this stuff themselves or if they're just desperate to win an election. I mean, where are the critical thinking skills?