Does Olympia Snowe Still Fit in the GOP?
Snowe has earned considerable attention over the course of the year for her willingness to work with Democrats on health care reform -- something that has made her an exception in her party. As the GOP considers how it will define itself in the coming years, prominent Republicans like Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are debating whether or not Snowe represents the right direction for their party.
On MSNBC this morning, Steele said Snowe was welcome in the GOP.
"Each member of this party has a unique footprint," he said. "And it's different from region to region. I can't win in the Northeast with a candidate best suited for the South and vice-versa."
As Politico points out Steele's comments diverge from an earlier statement he made indicating he would be open to supporting challengers to moderates like Snowe.
Earlier in the week, Pawlenty, a potential presidential hopeful for the Republicans, suggested Snowe may not be conservative enough for the Republican party.
"We want Olympia Snowe in the big tent but she can't say she's a Republican and then vote against the Republican position much of the time," Pawlenty said.
Snowe pushed back, saying "I've been a lifelong Republican" and that other Republicans "could probably borrow more from me in that sense, in terms of being in touch with your constituents."
Steele's change of course on Snowe may reflect a change of heart after Tuesday night's elections. Republican gubernatorial candidates won handily in New Jersey and Virginia, but the much-celebrated conservative candidate in the special election for New York's 23rd congressional district lost to the Democratic candidate, even though it is a Republican-leaning district.
On the CBS Early Show this morning, Steele said the New York election "wasn't about the bohemeth struggle between the right and the middle."
"It was a process problem," he said. "They should've had a primary... This process is done at the local level."
It was a local election, but national heavyweights like Pawlenty, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Sen. Fred Thompson all jumped into the fray to support the conservative.
To argue Snowe's point about listening to constituents, CBS News' chief political consultant Marc Ambinder postulates that New York's 23rd district "didn't take kindly to all these outsiders telling them how to work."
As to whether there is room in the Republican "tent" for moderates like Snowe, CBS News Political Director Steve Chaggaris writes, "The McDonnell and Christie victories are textbook examples of how Republicans can win in places where they're not necessarily expected to win. And they did it by attracting large numbers of independents and by focusing on fiscal and pocketbook issues, not social issues."
On the Early Show, Steele said Republicans won in New Jersey and Virginia because "the conservative message resonated, but it was translated in a way that people felt embraced by it at the polls."
CBSNews.com Election Night Coverage:
Results
All Election Night 2009 Results
Republicans Sweep N.J., Va. Gov. Races
N.Y. Democrat Owens Wins House Seat
Maine Voters Reject Gay Marriage
Breckenridge, Colo., Votes to Legalize Pot
Analysis
What McDonnell's Win Means for the GOP, Obama
Corzine's Fall Has Been Festering for a While
What Doug Hoffman's Loss Means to Conservatives
Lessons for the White House from '09 Election Results
Why Christie Won in New Jersey
McDonnell Won Due to Turnout, Independents
Exit Polls in Va. and N.J.: The Obama (Non) Factor?