Steele Becomes First Black RNC Chair

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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Former Maryland Lt. Gov Michael Steele will be the new chairman of the Republican National Committee.

He emerged from a crowded field this afternoon to become the first-ever African-American head of the Republican Party.

"It's time for something completely different," Steele said following his victory. "And we're going to bring it to them."

Later, he called his election "a remarkable moment."

"We've been misdefined as a party that doesn't care" about minorities and average Americans, Steele said. "Nothing can be further from the truth."

The most moderate candidate in the field, Steele defeated the more conservative Katon Dawson, the head of the South Carolina GOP, in the sixth round of balloting. He took 91 votes, six more than he needed to win.

Several RNC members called Steele's win a "historic moment" for the party, reports CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris.

Steele vowed to "cede no ground to anyone on matters of principle" in his victory speech. He said that Republicans "stand proud as the conservative party of the United States."

Among those Steele defeated in previous rounds were current RNC chair Mike Duncan, Michigan GOP Chair Saul Anuzis, and former Ohio secretary of state Ken Blackwell, who threw his support behind Steele after dropping out of the race after the fourth round of balloting today.

"I believe that the next chairman must inspire hope," Blackwell said upon endorsing Steele, a fellow African-American.

Republicans have repeatedly expressed concern over the future of their party in the wake of Barack Obama's victory in the presidential race, with some suggesting the party has to find ways to reach out to voters who do not traditionally gravitate toward the GOP.

"My concern is that unless we do something to adapt, our status as a minority party may become too pronounced for an easy recovery," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday.

McConnell congratulated Steele "on his historic election" today.

The question of the size of the GOP's tent were brought into focus back in December, when former Tennessee GOP leader Chip Saltsman, who had hoped to become RNC chair, distributed a CD to Republican National Committee members featuring a song called "Barack the Magic Negro." Saltsman dropped out of the race last night.

"Steele's election won't help the party attract black voters immediately, but if Steele sets the right tone, he could help the party compete for them in the (way) future," said CBS News chief political consultant Marc Ambinder. "As GOP strategists have always known, and noted, somewhat dyspeptically, it's white suburban voters, particularly women, who are responsive to a diversity message. The RNC isn't diverse yet; only five black delegates were chosen to attend the national convention. Steele was disgusted by that. It prompted him to run."

Before Steele won today, one of his aides today joked to CBS News Producer Mary Hager that if he did take home the prize, Steele planned to parade with his famous puppy. Back in 2006, during a losing bid for a Senate seat, Steele ran an ad in which he looked at the camera and solemnly said, "for the record, I love puppies." (Watch it here.)

Duncan, whose reelection bid failed today, gave a brief speech thanking his supporters and exited to a standing ovation, reports Chaggaris.

"The results weren't there," Duncan told the crowd at the Capital Hilton. He added: "Obviously the winds of change are blowing."

In 2003, Steele became the first African-American elected to statewide office in Maryland, when he won the Lt. Governor's race. He is the current Chairman of GOPAC, a national PAC dedicated to electing Republican candidates in state and local elections.

Born in 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Steele was raised in Washington, DC. He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine preparing for the priesthood before deciding to pursue a law career. He received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Steele ran for Senate in Maryland in 2006 but lost to Democrat Ben Cardin.

Steele's victory "marks a step away from the balkanized Southern white ethos of the party," Ambinder said. The pro-life incoming RNC chair has long worked with moderate Republicans -- a fact he did not play up during his bid for the RNC job.

"If he reverts to form, it means that the RNC has just selected a chairman who will not prioritize social issues above economic issues," Ambinder noted. "When people speak of broadening the party's geographic diversity, they are speaking in code. They mean that the party needs to welcome more moderates; needs to be more forgiving of departures from orthodoxy; needs to be less antagonistic to pro-choicers and gays."

[harbinger09]

All because he can read a telaprompter and is half black!

Posted by jedi23232 at 05:43 AM : Feb 01, 2009


Based on US laws and racial composition laws--Obama can only be described as black. According to our own laws, on the books in many states for over 300 years--anyone with more than 16% or 12% black blood in them--must be labeled as black. And this makes it so--because the makers of those laws are also the ones that developed racial theory and began to call people various names to separate the races in the first place. LMAO


You can try--but Obama is black. Don''t like it? WAnt to claim his white part? REmove those laws--you will find that more than Obama will be joining the white race. Most descendants of slaves have white blood in them. Rapes and forced comingling to produce pleasure slaves and a larger work force--can do that to ya.

[neoconrcrazy]

what an original idea! the repubs are just brilliant...

[frankie2fing]

This is the same party that fielded 12 white guys for President... Where was this dude hiding last year?

Posted by Evian_Ycnan

Where was he hiding?!? This man never met a microphone he did not like!!! When he was lt gov of maryland, he would not shut up. When he had nothing of substance to talk about, he would just make things up, like the time some blacks threw oreo cookies at him. IT NEVER HAPPENED! But he told the story three or four times nationally, until someone called him on it. Retraction? Well, that is the good thing about being a Republican, you never have to say you made a mistake or say your sorry!

[evian_ycnan]

This is the same party that fielded 12 white guys for President... Where was this dude hiding last year?

[tonyatq]

jedi2323n your stupid comments say a lot about you.
Let me give my professional profile on you. You live with your mother in a trailer park. You have a job making $8hr. You want to blame someone for your failures in life, but have not look in the mirror at yourself. You idolize Sarah Palin because you feel she is one of you. You hate Barack Obama so much because he is an American success story and you are an American failure. You never in your wildest dream thought a black man could be president that why you say nasty thinks about family including his kids. If you need someone to talk to I will counsel you free of charge.

[tonyatq]

What does the GOP spokes person Rush Limbaugh thinks?

[starleo146]

Posted by brianbwb at 11:51 AM : Jan 31, 2009

Brianbwb you are one of my favorite posters on this forum always a pleasure to read here is one that says thanks

[marydpreachr]

But you can just call him Uncle Tom....er Mike....

[noloyalisti]

Seriously, what has the party of Death and Spending done for you. They only represent the 22% of right wing extremist righties who could care less about anyone but themselves. The Government of Pigs is obsolete in the 21st Century.

[noloyalisti]

America no longer needs an obsolete extremist party like the Republican Party. The Democratic party already has some on the left, most in the middle and some on the right (like Liebermann, Feinstein and the Dems in the midwest). The CONS party just brings the country too far to the right, get rid of it now!