The Black Guy Always Dies First: Michael Steele Drops Out of RNC Race

The Fix: 4 things to watch at the RNC chair election
The 168 members of the Republican National Committee will gather today in Maryland to pick their chairman for the next two years. The drama is not whether current chair Michael Steele can win a Second Term -- he can't -- but who will step into the leadership void for a party beginning the herculean task of defeating President Obama in 2012. Four things to watch at today's chair vote, which we will be live-blogging in this space (!), are below. 1. The second ballot: The first ballot will fun...

New Republican Party Chairman Rancid Prius and some of my favorite Michael Steele memories
As most of you know by now, the Republican Party held its vote and has elected a new party chairman. Michael Steele is out, and Reince Priebus (Think Progress analysis) is in. Here’s a pronunciation guide to the new chair: Rance PREE-bus. It sounds a bit like the name of a Roman criminal forced into the gladiator’s arena or perhaps a Sith from the Star Wars world: “As you wish, Lord Priebus!!” My favorite phonetic shortcut is “rancid Prius,” which wo...

Michael Steeles Last Minute Deal May Have Swung RNC Race to Priebus
RNC delegates voted for a new chairman on Friday. Yesterday, the RNC elected Reince Priebus as its new chair. Hotline On Call described the maneuverings on the floor that led to his victory. Michael Steele was wheeling and dealing with the Candidates before he eventually endorsed RINO Maria Cino, an ObamaCare Lobbyist who has donated to and supported a pro-abortion GOP group. Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele dropped his bid for a Second Term on Friday after being offe...

A Michael Steele thought experiment
A Michael Steele THOUGHT EXPERIMENT.... In June, in an electoral fluke, a man named Alvin Greene somehow managed to win the Democratic primary in South Carolina's U.S. Senate race. When state and national Dems balked, leading far-right voices -- Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, and others -- insisted it was because the Democratic Party doesn't like African-American Candidates. Five months later, House Democrats were choosing the leadership for the next Congress, and Steny Hoyer, who is white, le...

Michael Steele Withdraws As Reince Preibus Accepts RNC Chairmanship
The Michael Steele era of the Republican Party is officially over. The embattled chairman, who was not expected to win Reelection after a tenure marked by a regular stream of gaffes and calls for Resignation, withdrew from the race yesterday, making way for his temperamental opposite, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Preibus, to man the national ship. Combative to the end, Steele left his position reminding the party of the progress Republicans made in the two years he led the party, despite his kn...

New RNC leader to House GOP: I'm here for work, not for show
Baltimore -- House GOP lawmakers on Saturday gave a standing ovation to new Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus for pledging to turn around the Debt-ridden party apparatus, according to sources at the closed-door meeting. Priebus, elected to be RNC Chairman on Friday, delivered a 10-minute Speech to members of the new House majority party on the final day of their weekend long retreat in Charm City. According to sources at the private event, the former Wisconsin Republi...

Michael Steele's many blunders led to defeat in RNC chair reelection campaign
Republicans emerged from a 2008 electoral drubbing not only lacking a telegenic spokesman for the party but virtually any major officials who were not white, a major void after the election of the nation's first black president. Michael Steele seemed like the right man at the right time: an African-American Republican who loved going on television. This Story GOP picks Reince Priebus to lead as it regroups New RNC chairman ran as the anti-Steele Michael Steele's many blunders led to defeat in...

Michael Steele loses bid for re-election as RNC chair
Michael Steele is out as RNC chairman. Reince Priebus, former chairman of the Wisconsin GOP, unseated Steele in Friday's vote among GOP memebers and will be taking over the number one spot on the Republican National Committee. Steele withdrew his name from consideration after the fourth round of voting after he realized he had little chance of winning another term. Priebus has aligned himself with the Tea Party movement, which Republicans credit with their recent takeover of the House of Represe...

Steele Drops Out, Endorses Cino
Michael Steele just dropped out of his race for a Second Term as RNC chairman and threw his support to Maria Cino, who came in second place after the fourth ballot here at the GOP's winter meeting in National Harbor, MD. "I will step aside because I think the party is ready for something different," Steele said. Thus ended Steele's at times disastrous, at times hilarious, at times gobsmacking tenure as the face of the Republican party. [TPM SLIDESHOW: Best Boss Ever? Michael Steele & The RNC...

Best Michael Steele Quotes
He's been ousted as RNC Chairman, but it's worth revisiting why Michael Steele's term was so memorable. He was definitely "the gift that keeps on giving." ...

Michael Steele drops out of race for RNC Chairman
Ok folks…I have to admit that I haven’t really been following the RNC race and know very little about the Candidates. It’s just been reported that Michael Steele has dropped out of the race and has asked all his supporters to  throw their votes to Maria Cino (apparently they were working out a deal…sort of like an alliance on the show Survivor). The media is reporting that Reince Priebus is in the lead. Now…I know absolutely nothing about him…other than t...

Michael Steele Drops Out, Endorses Maria Cino
Get alerts when there is a new article that might interest you. An emotional Michael Steele just took the stage at the RNC meeting to announce that he's dropping out of the race. "I release my supporters and I ask them to stand with me in supporting Maria Cino," Steele said. Steele said it became apparent to him that the party wants to go in a different direction, but he defended his record. "Despite the noise" and "despite the difficulties, we won." He received two standing ovations--one after...

Steele Out, Priebus In At RNC
Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus has won election as chairman of the Republican National Committee in a drawn-out balloting process Friday, ousting Incumbent Chairman Michael Steele after what can best be described as a rocky two-year tenure. Steele dropped out of the fourth round of voting after seeing his support steadily decline through the process, reports The Hill. His two years as RNC Chair kicked off with an awkward start on degenerate dirtbag Curtis Sliwa’s Talk Radio show, wh...

Steele drops out: Despite 'noise,' 'difficulties, we won'
First Thoughts: Steele's last day? Michael Steele's rocky tenure as chairman of the Republican National Committee has officially ended. Steele dropped his bid for Reelection only after four rounds of votes here at National Harbor that saw him lose votes in each subsequent round. He endorsed former Bush Administration official Maria Cino. If all votes hold, and Steele's 28 combine with Cino's 29, that would put Cino in second place with 57 votes behind Wisconsin Chairman Reince Priebus, who at la...

Micheal Steele Drops Out of the Running for RNC Chair
Source: MSNBC Steele out, backs Cino Michael Steele has just dropped out of the race to retain his job at the helm of the RNC and endorsed Maria Cino to be the committee's next chair. "At this time I will step aside for others to lead," he said. "It's very clear the party wants to do something a little different and maybe a little better," Steele said in announcing his decision to withdraw his candidacy. He received a standing ovation from committee members. Read more: https://firstread.msnbc.msn...

Wagner Drops Out Of RNC Chairman's Race, Does Not Endorse
After slipping into last place in the RNC chairman's race, Missouri Republican Ann Wagner has dropped out, and released her supporters to back...nobody in particular. "It is time that this committee heal and unify and remember that it is our job to beat Barack Obama in 2012," Wagner said. "I release my supporters, because I respect this process, very, very much, to do what they feel they should do in their heart." If five of her backers move into Reince Priebus' camp, and he bleeds no support...

Breaking: Michael Steele Drops Out of Race For RNC Chairman
Prayers answered. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele bowed out of his longshot bid for a Second Term, bringing an end to a two-year tenure more defined by gaffes than the electoral victories his party racked up. “I will step aside because I think the party is ready for something different,” said Steele before the fifth ballot for chairman began. He immediately threw his support to former RNC official Maria Cino’s candidacy. Even in defeat, however S...

Michael Steele Drops Out Of RNC Chair Race, Backs Native Buffalonian Maria Cino
Michael Steele has pulled out of the race to remain chairman of the Republican National Committee, saying "the party wants something different" and urging his supporters to back Maria Cino in his absence. "I will step aside for others to lead. But in so doing I hope you all appreciate the legacy we leave," said Steele. House Speaker John Boehner backs Cino, a Buffalo native, as does state GOP Chairman Ed Cox. She was running second to Wisconsin's Reince Priebus and just ...

BREAKING: Incumbent Michael Steele drops out of RNC chairman's race
Beleagured GOP Chairman Michael Steele on Friday dropped his bid stay atop the party for another two years after falling further behind top challenger Reince Priebus on following several rounds of voting. Steele, whose tenure has been marked by Controversy and embarrassment, realized he was fighting a losing battle. Now he is urging supporters to vote for Maria Cino. Priebus, the Wisconsin Republican Party chairman, won the fourth round with 58 votes. Maria Cino moved into second place with 29. ...

Barbour defeats Boehner in proxy battle for control of RNC; Steele ousted
For many Republican National Committee members and GOP Activists, the real headline after Friday's defeat of RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele was "Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour defeats House Speaker John Boehner." The newly-elected RNC Chairman, Wisconsin GOP Chairman Reince Priebus, was the behind-the-scenes choice of Mr. Barbour, who is considering a run for the GOP presidential nomination next year and can benefit from having his man heading up the GOP's top Fundraising and campaign organizati...

Last Call
I would have to submit that Vince McCrudden is probably not the guy I would trust to have the judgment necessary for running my Hedge Fund. Vincent McCrudden, a mad-as-hell hedge fund manager from Long Island, was arrested last night for threatening to kill 47 officials from the Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. McCrudden runs a very small hedge fund called Alnbri Management, based in Melville, N.Y. He's got som...

Republican Party dumps Steele, picks Priebus as chief
By Steve Holland OXON HILL, Maryland | Fri Jan 14, 2011 10:11pm EST OXON HILL, Maryland (Reuters) - Republican Party Leaders refused Michael Steele a new term as party chairman on Friday and turned to a low-key insider to erase a $20 million Debt and unify Republicans for the 2012 Presidential Election. Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus, chosen to head the Republican National Committee after Steele fell behind in the voting and then dropped out of the running, takes over an o...

Who the hell is Reince Priebus?
By Michael J.W. Stickings Why, he's your new RNC chair! With Michael "gaffe-fest" Steele out of the way, after a memorable two-year term of one embarrassing (for him and his party) moment after another, Priebus, previously the GOP party chair in Wisconsin before working for Steele at the RNC, stormed to a win in the seventh round of voting yesterday afternoon to capture the top spot at the Republican National Committee. So let the Reince Priebus era begin! Think Progress has a helpful overvie...

RNC vote shows limits of Boehner's reach
Members of the Republican National Committee sent a clear message Friday to the rest of the GOP when they elected Reince Priebus as their new chairman: There’s at least one corner of the Republican Party that’s beyond House Speaker John Boehner’s reach. Boehner worked hard to prop up the candidacy of longtime operative Maria Cino, a Veteran campaign hand who held senior offices at the RNC and the National Republican Congressional Committee. Continue Reading Text Size - + res...

Steele out as head of GOP, Wisconsin chief in
WASHINGTON - Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Reince Priebus was elected chair of the Republican National Committee on Friday, defeating four other Candidates — including Incumbent Michael Steele — in the seventh round of voting. Priebus never trailed in the voting, slowly building on his tally until he surpassed a majority of the 168 voting members. State party chair since 2007, Priebus helped Wisconsin Republicans win back the Governor's office after eight years, unseat t...