Rick Klein is ABC News' Senior Political Reporter and author of The Note's morning look at the upcoming day in politics. Throughout the day, ABC News' political team contributes to The Note with the very latest news and analysis from the nation's capital.
To email Rick Klein, click here.
RECENT POSTS
- The Note's Must-Reads for Thursday, November 26, 2009
- Palin to Headline 'TEA Party Convention'
- GOP Strategist Predicts "Purity Test" Resolution Fails at RNC
- Democrats Divide on War Tax
- Gibbs: Obama to Emphasize Exit Strategy
- Price Tags: Costs Rise for Obama on Afghanistan
- The Note's Must-Reads for Wednesday, November 25, 2009
- ‘Top Line’ with Sally Quinn -- Inside the First Obama State Dinner
- GOPers to Biden: Stop Using Stimulus Jobs Numbers
- Exit Ramps: Democrats Grow Restless on Afghanistan Strategy
THE NOTE CATEGORIES
- 2010
- Afghanistan
- Bill Clinton
- CIA
- Congress
- Democratic party
- Environment
- Financial Reform
- GOP
- Gov. Mark Sanford
- Gov. Sarah Palin
- Guantanamo
- Health Care
- Hillary Clinton
- Immigration
- Iran
- Iraq
- John McCain
- Mitt Romney
- North Korea
- Obama Agenda
- Politics Live
- President Obama
- Republican Party
- Ronald Reagan
- Sen. John Ensign
- Senate
- Sonia Sotomayor
- Stimulus
- Sunday Shows
- Supreme Court
- Ted Kennedy
- The Note
- The Note Must-Reads
- Top Line
- Vice President Biden
- Virginia
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Steele to Republicans Who Support Obama: ‘We’ll Come After You’
November 05, 2009 1:03 PM
ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: RNC Chairman Michael Steele has been endorsing a “big tent” approach to recruiting candidates for 2010, emphasizing the need to find candidates who fit the needs of individual districts.
But on ABCNews.com’s “Top Line” today, Steele made clear there are limits to how far candidates can push the party’s limits.
Asked if he’d be comfortable with Republican candidates in 2010 who supported President Obama’s stimulus package, or his push to overhaul health care, Steele said:
“Well I’m gonna tell you honestly, that’s where the line gets a little bit tricky. And you saw in the House and in the Senate that there are ramifications, because that goes against a core principle. And trust me, you’re assuming that people want to have bloated debt, government expenditures and growth into their lives -- they don’t. That’s a talking point out of the DNC.”
“People aren’t buying that. So candidates who live in moderate to slightly liberal districts have got to walk a little bit carefully here, because you do not want to put yourself in a position where you’re crossing that line on conservative principles, fiscal principles, because we’ll come after you,” Steele continued.
“You’re gonna find yourself in a very tough hole if you’re arguing for the president’s stimulus plan or Nancy Pelosi’s health plan. There’s no justification for growing the size of government the way this administration and this Congress wants to do it.”
Steele didn’t mention any candidates by name. But the comments could be interpreted as a warning shot aimed at Republicans who have voiced support for the stimulus -- like Gov. Charlie Crist, R-Fla., who’s running for governor next year in a competitive primary -- or who, like Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, are supporting health care reform efforts.
Crist told CNN earlier this week that he never endorsed the stimulus package, and that he voiced support for it only because he was simply trying to get the best deal for Florida, given that the stimulus was headed for passage in Washington. However, given Crist’s sharing a stage with President Obama to trumpet the stimulus package and his publicly stated support for it, it will no doubt continue to dog him in his competitive primary against Marco Rubio no matter how strenuously he attempts to walk it back.
Steele also disputed the contention by White House senior adviser David Axelrod that 2009 wasn’t a referendum on the president’s policies, but that 2010 will be.
“You have the president going into New Jersey four times, and you’re going to then sit back after we kick your butt and say, ‘Well, no, this had nothing to do with the president?’ Well why was he there?” Steele said.
“And you can’t sit back at the same time and say … the only reason we’re losing is because our base isn’t excited so pass this horrendous health care bill. And that will excite them? They’re not excited because they’re fearful that you’re going to pass this horrendous health care bill because this is not the change that they voted for. They’ve missed that point.”
“So don’t get in front of the White House lawn and give me this sort of disingenuous, ‘Oh well, you know, ’09 isn’t about the president, 2010 is going to be about passing our agenda and that way people will be excited again.’ They’re not excited because they’re fearful of what it is you want to pass.”
Watch our full interview with the RNC chairman HERE.
UPDATE: The Democratic National Committee jumped on the interview after it aired, saying that Steele is tying himself to "extremist" elements inside the Republican Party:
"With today's threat to 'come after' moderate Republicans or those that would work for bipartisan solutions, it's clear the Michael Steele and the Republican party are ready to hand over the keys of the GOP to Michele Bachmann, Glenn Beck and the rest of the extremist tea party crowd," DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said in a statement.
"And in establishing a policy of purging moderates, the Republicans have committed themselves to being an extreme ideological party that will only turn-off independent voters and further marginalize an already isolated party going into 2010 and beyond."
November 5, 2009 in Top Line | Permalink | Share | User Comments (58)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
"Asked if he’d be comfortable with Republican candidates in 2010 who supported President Obama’s stimulus package"
Uh, what fantasy land centrist Republicans would that be exactly? Lieberman? Snowe and Collins are the only Republicans who supported the stimulus. Collins isn't up for election for until 2014. Snowe is up next cycle...
So now Steele is directly threatening Snowe. Has the purge begun in earnest, or is the RNC so clumsy as to not understand when they are making a direct threat against a key member of their caucus?
Posted by: jhw539 | Nov 5, 2009 1:18:24 PM
Steele had to be about the worst choice they could have made over there for this position. I know conservatives that hate him.
Posted by: secondlook | Nov 5, 2009 1:47:25 PM
How American of him and the republican party. We would be glad if these moderate republicans would join the democratic party. We will gladly vote for them. As far as the republican party that is Steeles' fantasy, Sorry Mr. Steele, but those Americans that care about each other and not just how "they" are doing will never let this happen. We proved we have the power last November, and will prove it again to keep your fantasy from ever coming to fruition.
Posted by: Chuck | Nov 5, 2009 2:08:12 PM
Got nothing to lose?
Posted by: Thinking | Nov 5, 2009 2:15:08 PM
"They're coming to take you away, ha, ha.".............What great lyrics for a song!
Posted by: Doppelganger | Nov 5, 2009 2:15:11 PM
Steele's and most conservative's attitude is "If you aren't with us then your against us". Keep driving your party as far right as possible and lose another election morons. Just because conservatives are more vocal doesn't make them a majority. They are on the fringes just like liberals. It is those in the middle that determine elections. And they would just as soon toss a Republican out of office as a Democrat...
Posted by: indy_voter | Nov 5, 2009 2:53:14 PM
After Bush and 6 years of a Republican Congress that spent, spent, spent with no real goal, who in the hell are the Republicans to talk?
Posted by: Archie | Nov 5, 2009 2:56:33 PM
I went to a taping of Bill Maher's show a few years back and Steele was a guest. I thought the guy was out of touch then with his crazy answers. Well, at least he is consistent.
Posted by: Art in Chicago | Nov 5, 2009 2:59:10 PM
Now the Republicans are threatening their own kind . . . this is getting even more uglier than ever. Keep it up Republicans . . . the more you open your mouths the more sane-minded people see you for what you are!
Posted by: Tom Kaye | Nov 5, 2009 3:10:19 PM
What a complete empty bag Steele is. The Republicans are beginning to look more and more like fundamentalist Muslims.....just replace the crescent with the cross and order a few RPG's. They already match each other gun for gun.
Posted by: dano | Nov 5, 2009 3:50:01 PM
From what I see, most posters here are just as bad as the repub's and dem's. You think this is like picking a team to win the superbowl? What happens when something is attacked that matters to you? What's the price of your integrity? Free healthcare? Obama winning the election? Unlimited unemployment benefits? What do you stand for exactly? Steele, misguided as he is, actually believes in what he is doing. What are you doing other than pointing out things about other people that are different than your point of view?
Posted by: Preston | Nov 5, 2009 4:15:20 PM
Gee, and Howard Dean as DNC Chairman was the benchmark for a good party chairman? LOL. The elections Tuesday were not victories for Obama and the democrats, because their candidates didn't win. Period. Same time, next year may well be a repeat, only larger, much larger if democrats continue to spend huge sums without being able to account for where EXACTLY the money went and unemployment remains near or over 10%. Right now, Washington, D.C. is so out of sync with a majority of the electorate that it isn't even funny. In fact, it's pathetically sad that the middle 40% of Americans seem to have no sane, reasonable voice speaking for them right now.
Posted by: Rob | Nov 5, 2009 4:41:56 PM
The RINOs are the ones to run in fear, good, and ACORN clinched your liberal elections. Look at the voting results, without the boggus turn out you got clobebred in Va and NJ. An unknown just about blasted your NY23 seat also in a matter of weeks as an independent...45% of the vote and the loser republican gave her support to the Democrat!
Wait til the primary for NY23, tell your current winner to leave his bags packed. Please keep up your delusional excuses for the angst and anger pulsing thru America right now...from the mainstream who make the country run, the people pulling the wagon, not the progressive parasites on the body politic. We are going to get that body "wormed" next year and out you go!
Posted by: RussRamey6 | Nov 5, 2009 5:01:38 PM
It's so interesting that the GOP uses this Black man to attack a Black president so as not to appear the racists they appear to be -- and they also leave it open for him to attack everyone else -- this Blakc guy can say "we'll come after you" to a bunch of White guys and no one can say anything. If Obama were White, no WAY would the GOP trot this guy out to say the dumb things he says. There are fewer far right conservative voters than the GOP thinks. They're going to alienate a huge base of moderate Republican voters with this kind of witch hunt.
Posted by: Julia | Nov 5, 2009 6:58:48 PM
All liberal start packing,your time of lies are up.
Posted by: jumpboots187th | Nov 5, 2009 7:02:40 PM
You know, I'm getting real discouraged by the angry tenor of both politician and crowds whose individuals I seen interviewed on TV. Are all you guys who are saying "I don't want to pay for their healthcare, let them pay for their own HC", really claiming to love your "Christian country"? Might I suggest that you study more carefully the sermon on the Mount and parables given by Jesus again & again, about what we should believe about the "least of these." Amazingly sad..........
Posted by: linsam92 | Nov 5, 2009 8:16:44 PM
SecondLook>>>>"Steele had to be about the worst choice they could have made over there for this position. I know conservatives that hate him.". What a RACIST thing to say. You are saying that only because Steele is Black. (and by the way, I know of MANY moderates and liberals that hate Obama now....and that makes about as much difference as you saying that you know conservatives that hate Steele.) Have a nice evening, ma'am. And i do hope you realize that my "racist" is tongue in cheek...just feels good to send it back in kind to the liberal side...
Posted by: ncpilot09 | Nov 5, 2009 9:31:38 PM
count the lib comments in here about the GOP eating its own, etc. I think that is hilarious. Did you guys not look at the headlines of the next story down?? Here it is: >>>>GEORGE: MoveOn to Fund Primary Challengers to Any Senator Who Blocks Up or Down Vote<<<<< kinda looks like Liberal Cannibalism is alive and well also, huh?
Posted by: ncpilot09 | Nov 5, 2009 9:34:21 PM
Julia, Obama IS white. He's as white as he is black.
Posted by: ncpilot09 | Nov 5, 2009 9:37:27 PM
Steele sounds alot like the Taliban-is he a muslum?
Posted by: cowgirl | Nov 5, 2009 10:40:16 PM
Post a comment
POLITICAL VIDEOS
THE NOTE BLOG ROLL
- ABC News -- George Stephanopoulos
- ABC News -- Jake Tapper
- ABC News Politics
- ABC News -- The Numbers
- ABC News -- The Blotter
- The American Prospect -- TAPPED
- The Atlantic -- Politics Channel
- The Boston Globe -- Political Intelligence
- Center for American Progress -- Think Progress
- Center for Responsive Politics
- The Chicago Sun-Times -- Lynn Sweet
- The Chicago Tribune -- The Swamp
- Drudge Report
- FactCheck.org
- FiveThirtyEight
- Heritage Foundation -- The Foundry
- The Hill -- Briefing Room
- The Hotline
- The Huffington Post
- The Los Angeles Times -- Top of the Ticket
- NPR -- Political Junkie
- National Review -- The Corner
- The New Republic -- The Plank
- The New York Times -- The Caucus
- Newsweek -- The Gaggle
- Political Wire -- Taegan Goddard
- Politico -- Ben Smith
- Politico -- Mike Allen’s Playbook
- PolitiFact
- Real Clear Politics
- Talking Points Memo
- Time -- The Page
- USA Today -- On Politics
- Variety -- Wilshire & Washington
- The Wall Street Journal -- Capital Journal
- The Washington Post -- The Fix
- The Washington Post -- 44
