August 5, 2009 3:30 PM
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Steele: Don't Send Angry Liberals Our Way
5173860The Democratic National Committee released a web video yesterday entitled "Enough of the Mob," which suggests that Republicans and their allies are "organizing angry mobs" to "destroy President Obama and stop the change Americans voted for."
The video concludes by asking supporters to call the Republican Party and "tell them you've had enough of the mob." The phone number of the Republican National Committee then appears onscreen.
Those who call the number are told to press one if they are calling in regard to the DNC video. When they do, they are told to call a different phone number "to give us your feedback on the Democratic National Committee's advertisement." Concludes the recording: "Thanks so much and have a great day."
The phone number that callers are given, however, is the main number of the DNC. Callers are not informed of this fact. At no point does the RNC allow callers to register their complaints. (The situation was first flagged by the satire site Wonkette.)
I asked RNC chairman Michael Steele, who held a conference call this afternoon, why the RNC is redirecting the callers, noting that Republicans believe Americans should have the right to complain to Democrats at town hall meetings and elsewhere.
Steele responded that "we are not inciting anyone to go out and disrupt anything."
"We are encouraging people to visit their congressman or their senator," he said. "As citizens they have a right to express their points of view."
Steele, sounding angry, then said, "don't sit there and think that you're going to direct a bunch of angry liberals to call the RNC when I know full well what that's all about." He added that he gets "the joke."
Steele went on to complain about the "arrogance" of an Obama administration that he said was looking down its nose at his mother, sister, family members and coworkers.
"To sit back and say that this is some Republican cabal is a bunch of baloney," he said. "And you can substitute that B for something else if you want."
Steele added that callers should "talk to your own party because they're the ones that are ginning this nonsense up."
He concluded his comments by saying, "and besides, I thought it was a good idea."
The video concludes by asking supporters to call the Republican Party and "tell them you've had enough of the mob." The phone number of the Republican National Committee then appears onscreen.
Those who call the number are told to press one if they are calling in regard to the DNC video. When they do, they are told to call a different phone number "to give us your feedback on the Democratic National Committee's advertisement." Concludes the recording: "Thanks so much and have a great day."
The phone number that callers are given, however, is the main number of the DNC. Callers are not informed of this fact. At no point does the RNC allow callers to register their complaints. (The situation was first flagged by the satire site Wonkette.)
I asked RNC chairman Michael Steele, who held a conference call this afternoon, why the RNC is redirecting the callers, noting that Republicans believe Americans should have the right to complain to Democrats at town hall meetings and elsewhere.
Steele responded that "we are not inciting anyone to go out and disrupt anything."
"We are encouraging people to visit their congressman or their senator," he said. "As citizens they have a right to express their points of view."
Steele, sounding angry, then said, "don't sit there and think that you're going to direct a bunch of angry liberals to call the RNC when I know full well what that's all about." He added that he gets "the joke."
Steele went on to complain about the "arrogance" of an Obama administration that he said was looking down its nose at his mother, sister, family members and coworkers.
"To sit back and say that this is some Republican cabal is a bunch of baloney," he said. "And you can substitute that B for something else if you want."
Steele added that callers should "talk to your own party because they're the ones that are ginning this nonsense up."
He concluded his comments by saying, "and besides, I thought it was a good idea."
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Brian Montopoli Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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