Being in Black Face X

Senator Harry Reid made a statement in support of the then Senator Obama's presidency referring to him a "light-skinned" African-American who lacked a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." (By the way, I have never heard of any white dialects. Have you? Come to think of it people in the deep south say around the hills of Tennessee generally sound alike to me.) There have been Republican senators and leaders calling for Reid to step down.

Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, was one of those calling for Reid to step down, saying that the comment was "racist." This was particularly peculiar coming from the man who has basically become a laughing stock with his gaffes and poses. Below are examples of these. For the good of the Republican Party, it looks like Steele is the one that should step down.



"We need messengers to really capture that region - young, Hispanic, black, a cross section ... We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-suburban hip-hop settings."



Steele called President Obama's stimulus "bling bling." All he needs is a stage comparable to Al Jolson's. He would be positioned properly.

Being in Blackface VIII

Michael Steele is a buffon. As if his recent comments regarding his previous statements being a part of some grand strategic plan (Yeah, right!) wasn't enough, Steele now says that he's done reaching out to the President.

Why would the President of the United States reach out to such a one? Steele is completely irrelevant to the many crises our country face here and abroad. He is purely a partisan political figurehead. Michael Steele probably does not even enter the mind of President Obama.

Steele is an utter embarassement. I would that he not even speak. But here goes...



HERE IS THE TRANSCRIPT:

STEELE: Look, I like the president personally, even though I think he has got a little thing about me, that I haven't quite figured out what that is.

CNN: You haven't spoken to him?
STEELE: No.

CNN: You've reach out?
STEELE: Several times, and I'm done.

CNN: So there is no bipartisanship going on there?
STEELE: Not, not that I know of.

CNN: Is there any professional jealousy?
STEELE: Not on my part. What would I be jealous of?

CNN: He's the president of the United States.
STEELE: I'm chairman of the RNC, so, what's your point? We both have leadership responsibilities and roles. I'm not equating the two. My point is: you are on your track. I'm on my track. You do your thing. I do my thing.

Being in Black Face VII

Hurry! Michael Steele needs an intervention. Quick! Speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Michael Steele, the new RNC "Black Face" Chairman, said according to CNN:

"Tonight, we tell America that Republican values, conservative values, are right for America, he said, admitting that the party has made some mistakes. "Tonight, we tell America: we know the past, we know we did wrong. MY BAD. But we go forward in appreciation of the values that brought us to this point."

To his response, CNN reports, the moderator, Minnesota Representative Michelle Bachman, responded, "MICHAEL STEELE! YOU BE DA MAN! YOU BE DA MAN."

If this wasn't so sad, it would be down right funny! But wait...I must admit to laughing hysterically. These people are completely off their rockers! They are completely tone deaf! Do they not get the pulse of where we are collectively? Why do they think we are stupid? Why have they completely misread where we are as a nation?

With the disaterous performance of Governor Jindhal, the ongoing embarassassing and Steppin' Fetchin' comments by RNC Chairman Steel, and the ill-suited words of Representative Bachman, no wonder the Republican Party is in desperate need of new leadership. By the way, "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher, a rising star and leader of the Republican Party, participated in a discussion at CPAC. As you might have already guessed, he was dressed as a plumber.

Hurry! The Republican leadership needs an intervention. Quick!

Being in Black Face VI

Michael Steele, the new colored GOP chairman, gave an interview to the Washington Times where he made these comments:

"We need messengers (This sounds holy.) to really capture that region - young, Hispanic, black, (designees of that "region") a cross section ... We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like (looks like?) the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-suburban hip-hop settings. (How are you gonna do this?) We need to uptick (uptick?) our image with everyone, including one-armed midgets. (Yeah, this really outta do it. By the way, who are these?)"

Has this guy ever spoken in this way? Like I've written here, I didn't know Mr. Steele before he became the chairman of the GOP. If he wasn't out there before, he most certainly is now. What is he talking about? What about policy? Perhaps it was the image of looking like ones with principles as opposed to being those with such has been the problem with GOP leadership.

Being in Black Face V

Who will be the brave soul to tell Michael Steele that he is increasingly becoming an embarrassment? OK. I will. "Mr. Steele, you are increasingly becoming an embarrassment." He seems to be taking stepping and fetching to a new level in politics. It's rather painful to watch. I wonder if he indeed has a voice. When I have heard him before there was not this sense of pandering.

Mr. Steele recently said that GOP would "knock out" the Democrats in 2012, going into every neighborhood reclaiming those who voted for Barack Obama and gaining new voters. Is this the public conversation that the GOP should be engaged in right? With 600,000 plus jobs lost over the last two months a fight over voters in 2012 seems so distant, at least to hurting folks.

Americans all across our nation are in dire straights right now.

Being a Championship Chess Player

In an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times Bob Herbert likens President Obama to a "championship chess player." Beginning by his emegence stronger after a week of seemingly defeats and apologetic mishaps. I was particularly struck by these passages:

"He has certainly handled himself much better than some of the clowns carrying leadership banners for the G.O.P. Michael Steele, the new Republican Party chairman, could barely contain his glee over the fact that no Republicans voted for the stimulus package in the House. 'The goose egg that you laid on the president’s desk was just beautiful,' he said."

(I have written of Mr. Steele "Being Black Face" more than a few times here.)

"Mr. Obama is like a championship chess player, always several moves ahead of friend and foe alike. He's smart, deft, elegant and subtle. While Lindsey Graham was behaving like a 6-year-old on the Senate floor and Pete Sessions was studying passages in his Taliban handbook, Mr. Obama and his aides were assessing what’s achievable in terms of stimulus legislation and how best to get there."

President Obama seems to be dealing with men of lesser talent. We need now to surround him with men and women of the same calibre in order to move the country forward. Mr. Steele, Graham, and Sessions are obviously in the wrong "game." Checkmate.

Being in Black Face IV

After President Obama's appearance in Indiana today to speak on the stimulus package, Michael Steele, the new RNC chairman, told Politio that the president champions the stimulus package to get some "bling bling."

There are millions of Americans without jobs who have no "bling bling." And what about that term? What a correlation with the President of the United States. What's up with that? Mr. Steele seems to be stepping and fetching to the strings of the Republican hierarchy and his language has become that of the rapper Lil Wayne. Have you seen the "bling bling" video? Here it is.

Mr. Steele crassly continues saying that President Obama's tour through states with double digit unemployment was "very, very interesting. It looks like he's trying to very hard to shore up support from Democrats" because "he's upside-down' in the polls."

Did Americans not lose 1 million jobs over the past two months? Is this not reason enough to go out and speak to the American people? And President Obama is not upside down in the polls. He currently has a 76% approval rating from Republicans and Democrats alike. 67% of Americans support President Obama's effort with regards to the stimulus package.

What would crystallize the black face image? A big pair of red lips?

Being in Black Face III

"Bipartisanship is overrated."

--Michael Steele, Repbulican National Committee Chairman

Need more be said?

Being in Black Face II

African American Republicans are not the issue with the selection of Michael Steele as the RNC chairman. I have written more than a few posts here in support of African American Republicans, including Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, not to mention the great Frederick Douglass.

All of the above are brilliant; all I have supported. But the Michael Steele move seems gimmicky indeed. Steele served as lieutenant governor from 2003-2007, and ran for the Senate, disassociating himself from the political party of which he is a member. He lost.

Color me black seems to have its advantages and disadvantages.

Being in Black Face

The Republican Party has just elected the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, as the Republican National Committee chairman. Now, I must admit to not knowing much about Mr. Steele, except that he is black and looks more like our current popular president than Mike Duncan or Katon Dawson.


Judging by the sea of sameness at the Republican Convention last year and every year beforehand, I doubt it if many Republicans know anymore about him than I do. Wasn't Chip Saltsman, that "Barack the Magic Negro" guy, leading in the race up until he quickly withdrew his name yesterday?

This selection feels to me somewhat like the selection of Sarah Palin. In this football season, how apropos. Hail Mary anyone?