White House Scores On Republican Bickering

With the help of the White House and the Republican Party, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has grabbed headlines all week, his stinging diatribes sparing no one, Democrat or Republican, reports CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston.

"I'd be embarrassed to say I'm in charge of the Republican Party in a sad sack state that it's in," Limbaugh said earlier this week on his radio program.

That dig was aimed at Michael Steele, the newly elected head of the Republican National Committee, who's perceived as indecisive and wavering, with little background for the job of rebuilding the party.

"The rap was he is not good at fundraising, not particularly a good manager, but he is good on television," says Mike Allen of Politico.com. "Television has been where all his problems are."

On CNN last week, Steele told host D.L. Hughley: "Rush is just an entertainer."

Steele's criticism of Limbaugh blew up into a controversy over who runs the party and became fodder for late night T.V. On "Saturday Night Live," this week, the character portraying Steele had electrodes in his head to prevent him from criticizing Limbaugh.

The White House seized on the party infighting to score political points, Pinkston reports.

"Republicans don't have a leader, so Democrats were anxious to push Rush Limbaugh into that vacuum, and for now its worked," Politico.com's Allen says.

Amid calls for his resignation, Michael Steele is also adjusting his message.

"We're prepared to move forward and state the case, make the case for the American people that we've got something to offer," Steele said this week.

Complicating matters even further, Steele is now under FBI scrutiny for questionable campaign expenses during his failed 2006 Maryland senate run.
By Randall Pinkston