Michael Steele Stays, But GOP Moves On

Even coming from a Republican National Committee chief who had shown himself to be exceedingly gaffe-prone, it was a staggering series of statements: That Afghanistan is "a war of Obama's choosing" that the United States never wanted and that President Obama should understand that committing troops there is a mistake.

But that's what Michael Steele said in comments last week at a Connecticut fundraiser that he apparently thought would go unrecorded. The claims prompted angry responses from Republican lawmakers and puzzled discussions within the RNC about what can be done about what is now widely seen as The Michael Steele Problem.

The short answer, for now, seems to be not much.

Steele spent the long holiday weekend trying to smooth over the damage from his comments, and his team insists the trouble has now passed and that he will not resign. Assuming that's true, it's unlikely Steele will lose his seat before his term ends in January: It is procedurally difficult to force out an RNC chairman, and just as important, a distraction of that magnitude is something the party desperately wants to avoid heading into the midterm elections. (An effort to oust Steele also simply might fail: It would take a two-thirds vote by the 168 committee members to remove him, and he maintains support in part because of the money he has distributed to state parties.)

So instead of forcing Steele out, many Republicans, fearing that the chairman has hurt their party's prospects for taking over Congress in November, are looking to work around him. As the Washington Post reported today, donors who were once reliable RNC fundraising sources are now looking elsewhere, prompted by fears that Steele will not effectively manage their contributions.

CBS News Chief Political Consultant Marc Ambinder reports that the problem isn't just that there could be fewer resources going from the RNC to state parties; it's that the RNC isn't seen as prepared to provide the services it normally does in an election year, such as voter targeting. That could prove to be a disadvantage for the GOP on election night.

Ambinder also indicates that Steele is seen as not doing enough to prep the GOP for the redistricting fight that will result from the 2010 census, something that could have long-term negative consequences for his party.

Among the fundraising beneficiaries of Steele's tenure at the RNC are potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate and Missouri Gov. Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, which, as the Post reports, has seen record fundraising this year. Also benefiting is American Crossroads, a Karl Rove-backed shadow RNC group that is seeking to raise $50 million for the November contests.

Steele canceled a planned appearance at the Aspen Ideas Festival today, CBS News' Christine Delargy reports, citing a scheduling conflict. He will try to soothe concerns at the RNC summer meeting in Kansas City next month. Should he stand for reelection in January, he is expected to face strong opposition - though if the GOP wins back control of Congress, he will be able to make the case that despite all the controversy swirling around him, he managed to lead his party to victory.