Steele: "I Ain't Going Anywhere"

Updated at 4:50 p.m. ET

Embattled Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has a message for those calling for his resignation: "I ain't going anywhere," he said Thursday.

Steele, whose leadership has been questioned in the past, came under scrutiny recently for saying the Afghanistan war is a "war of Obama's choosing" and suggesting there could be no victory there. The incident prompted some influential conservatives, like Liz Cheney and William Kristol, to call for his resignation.

Appearing before the Colorado Republican Party on Thursday, Steele said the party doesn't need the "distraction" his comments have created, MSNBC reports. His comments today were Steele's first public remarks since the controversy started.

"Look, every time something happens, people go, 'Oh, you should step down, step down. Well, the reality of it is that's not happening, so stop the noise on that," he said.

"Let me be very clear: Absolutely, without equivocation, or doubt or hesitation, I'm foursquare, a thousand percent with our troops on the ground," Steele added, addressing criticisms that his comments about the war were disrespectful of troops in Afghanistan. "I think it's important for us to recognize that this war on terrorism was brought to our shores and we must fight it. We must fight it. And we will fight it and we will win it, because that's what the resolve of the American people is on this."

Steele said that it would be a bad idea for him to step down so close to the midterm elections.

"Michael Steele is supposed to reflect a consensus of Republican platform and policies," he said. "If he does that, he certainly could remain. If he's not willing to do that, if he wants to be a political leader on his own, there's plenty of seats open in November, I'd suggest he run for one of them."

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