[George_1950]

"“We’re going to bring this party to every corner, every boardroom, every street and every community in this country. . . . To those of you who want to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over.” Michael Steele

[tomder55]

The GOP needs rebuilding on a state by state grass roots basis. That means enlisting young internet savy Republicans to organize and fund raise .

He needs to be aggressive in the election cycles for local elections. As an example;NY is prime to have both the Governor and a Senator picked off in the next 2 years . Corzine can be defeated in NJ .
He needs to be at least as aggressive as Dr.Dean and Chuck Schumer are .

He needs to promote the new Republicans that are making their mark on the national scene. He needs to get them,especially Republican Governors together along with others like Mitt Romney to collect their ideas and come up with a new "contract with America" to publish and stick by. This will be the drum beat that the grass roots will use for recruiting and fundraising . These are not new ideas .They are tried and proven ideas that the Republicans forgot. Republicans need to convince America that if their philosophy is principally used then Republicans can better govern .

Get the young turks national exposure on the MSM and across the internet . Sarah Palin , Bobby Jindal ,Tim Pawlenty ,Jon Huntsman ,Congressman Joseph Cao,Barb Davis White in Minneapolis among many others including Steele himself ,need more national exposure.
He should have a weekly Youtube message by rising star Republicans .

He needs to challenge the Dems on the flaws in their so called stimulus bucket list . He needs to do this immediately in the Senate ;encouraging the Republicans to take a hard line if tax cuts and real stimulus like infrastructer are not added ,and pork taken out of the final legislation.

Where the old guard goes along with it they can hitch a ride and be very helpful in promoting young talent . But don't be afraid to cut off the dead wood in the party. Republicans should have unity of message and purpose. It doesn't help them that North East Republicans appear to be from another party .

That's for starters . His biggest immediate challenge will be a huge fund raising gap and to do what he can to prevent massive gerrymandering after the 2010 census.If the Democrats succeed there then they may get their wish of a permanent majority .

[excon]

Hello George:

He SAID that the Republicans need to go back to their "core" values... He says the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility, but that for the last eight years, they spent like drunken sailors...

So, he's got to find out whether the Republicans are simply talking out of both sides of their mouths, like they have been, or are they for REAL.

But, in terms of resurrecting the party, he's going to have to make the party MORE inclusive.. That's going to be hard to do when the party doesn't have ANY black congressmen, and is right smack in the middle of a war on imigrants...

So, TRYING to be more inclusive, when your party is made up of old white men isn't going to be easy... Specially when the old white men LIKE it that way.

Oh, you got Sarah Palin. But, she doesn't like people of color either... If she did, she wouldn't be talking about the "real" America. Cause, I know the real America she's talking about doesn't have any people of color...

Now, if you're going to tell me that it DOES, then THAT specifically IS the problem Michael Steele will have to deal with. Cause MOST of America doesn't believe it.

excon

[talaniman]

Is it just me, but the Republican presidents give all kind of dough to the rich guys, and still end up with huge deficits. Reagan's economy, and trickle down economics produced the biggest deficit ever, matched only by GWB. So much for fiscal responsibility.

Can America afford another "Contract on America"?

That what Steele has to do, bring some real change to the republican party.

[TexasParent]

The Republican's to be successful have to shed the image of being controlled by the evangelical Christian's. Again, it's a matter of inclusion; the Republican's don't represent tolerance of religions other than conservative Christian.

I can see that being a big fight within the party with an eventual split into a Christian Right Wing Party and a regular Republican Party.

Until then I see the Republican party becoming more and more maginalized because of it's appeal to a smaller and smaller demographic.

[tomder55]

Here is Steele's comments during yesterday's Saturday Weekly Republican Address.

"This is Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Democrats have controlled both branches of government for less than a month. And you have to wonder if all that power has gone to their heads.

"For the last two weeks, they've been trying to force a massive spending bill through Congress under the guise of economic relief.

"All of us - Republicans and Democrats - agree the government must act to kick-start the American economy. American families are doing their best to balance their own budgets and pay their mortgages.

"The fastest way to help those families is by letting them keep more of the money they earn. Individual empowerment: that's how you stimulate the economy.

"But the Democrats have a different philosophy. Instead of leaving money in the family checkbook, they want to send it to Washington, run it through a slow and inefficient government, and hope that does some good.

"When families keep the money, they spend it, save it, or invest it. And the private sector economy benefits when families and businesses buy consumer goods or invest it for the future. But when Washington spends the money, some of it may flow into the economy, but all too often, much gets wasted.

"Democrats in Congress want a one-trillion dollar spending bill. You've heard about the pork-barrel programs they want to fund... 45 million dollars for ATV trails and removal of fish passage barriers is one that caught my eye. Exactly what is a fish passage barrier and why does it cost 45 million dollars to stimulate the economy with it?

"That's why Republicans in the House voted against uncontrolled spending. This is not a bragging point, but rather a statement that at least Republicans would stand with the American taxpayer.

"But voting 'no' is not enough... and Republicans have offered innovative ideas to help struggling families and small businesses. We've offered plans to spark job creation and investment through lower taxes, to stop the taxation of unemployment benefits, and to help Americans keep their jobs and their homes.

"The comprehensive Republican plan would lower taxes for all working American families. If you're married, the first 16,750 dollars you make this year will be taxed at ten percent. Why don't we cut that rate in half to give instant buying power to every working American family?

"Good ideas... lots of them... all left out of this plan by the Democrats in Congress.

"Republicans stand ready to work with reasonable Democrats to do what is right for America.

"But it will take more than bipartisan words from the President. It will require fair-minded action from Democrats in Congress.

"Thanks for listening."

[talaniman]

T think the last 8 years was long enough for republicans to have put forth their ideas in a practical way for all to judge. That's why the have no power, and now good ideas and isn't what the people want given the state of affairs things are in. They have no credibility with voters any more, that's why they have no power in the government.

Logically speaking, why should they be listened to now, when they took us to the end of a cliff when they were leading?? Not logical.

[excon]

Hello again, tom:

"The fastest way to help those families is by letting them keep more of the money they earn. Individual empowerment: that's how you stimulate the economy."

This, from the people who brought you tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals, and told us they would trickle down, and be GOOD for us. Steele talks as though the last eight years are to be ignored and forgotten about, and that recent election DIDN'T happen.

DUDE!

THAT'S a disconnect, and it doesn't look like it's getting better.

excon

[tomder55]

With the exception of the 2nd half of last year and some temporary recessionary adjustments ,the supply side formula has worked well for the last 30 years.

Oh I get it ;you are a new Keynesian convert and think it better the gvt, take your money so they can give a new paint job for the Treasury Building .("not less than $6,000,000,000 shall be used for construction, repair, and alteration of Federal buildings." Title VI, Financial Services and General Government)
The Bureau of Land Management gets $325,000,000 to spend fixing federal land, including "trail repair" and "remediation of abandoned mines or well sites," no doubt left over from the 19th-century land rush.

DUDE!

[speechlesstx]

I love it that folks outside of the GOP keep telling us we need to be "more inclusive." What exactly does that mean, we need to more like Democrats? We've been purposely excluding people because of race?

Logically speaking, why should they be listened to now, when they took us to the end of a cliff when they were leading?? Not logical.

Why should we listen to the Democrats who have now run two Trojan horse campaigns in a row? Obama and the Democratic leadership have both championed "pay-go" and the first thing they do when in is completely throw the pay-go book out the window. Obama said we've chosen hope over fear in his inaugural speech and promptly played the fear card on the economy. Barney Frank said in July that Fannie and Freddie were fundamentally sound. Chris Dodd got sweetheart mortgages and tax cheat after tax cheat has been paraded in front of us as the new "leadership." I guess it's more logical to listen to them, huh?

[excon]

with the exception of the 2nd half of last year and some temporary recessionary adjustments ,the supply side formula has worked well for the last 30 years.... Oh I get it ;you are a new Keynesian convert

Hello again, tom:

There are those of us who believe that the trouble we're in right now is the RESULT of 30 years worth of wrongheaded economic policy.

What began as "government IS the problem" has resulted in the DEREGULATION that began with Reagan and continued through the dufus. It's widely believed that this DEREGULATION IS the cause of our current financial crisis..

It's certainly believed by me. Of course, I don't expect YOU to believe it.

MY economic philosophy has not changed. But, when the game has been rigged for 30 years, you need to rig it back the other way for a while JUST to get even.

excon

[speechlesstx]

You guys always talk as if everything has been rigged for rich Republicans which I find interesting since the two richest congressmen are Democrats. I suggest they step forward first and set the patriotic example like Netflix CEO Reed Hastings who wants to be taxed at 50 percent for everything over $1 million.

[George_1950]

Steele convenes 'Tech Summit'

"A Republican closely involved with the changes at the party said the summit 'underscores the seriousness with which the new chairman takes the party's deficiency in terms of the use of technology internally and externally,' and the fact that "the Republican party is well behind the Democratic Party."
Ben Smith's Blog: Steele convenes 'Tech Summit' - Politico.com

[George_1950]

"As part of Steele’s transition at the RNC, 10 members of the RNC have descended from around the country onto the headquarters at 310 First St. Their mission has been to conduct a thorough forensic audit of all the functions of each department — everything from finance to communications to research to politics. Every line item in the budget has been scrubbed; every position in the organizational chart has been reviewed."
" Curt Anderson is a partner at OnMessage Inc, a Republican media and polling firm. He is a top adviser to Chairman Steele and has been Steele’s personal friend for 15 years."
Adviser: Steele overhauling GOP - Curt Anderson - POLITICO.com

[George_1950]

"Michael Steele Had a Better Month Than Tim Kaine

"Michael Steele just got himself some breathing room. Not only did his first full month as RNC chair have a pretty respectable, on-par-with-January $5.1 million in fundraising, but he outraised his Democratic counterpart Tim Kaine by a healthy margin. The DNC raised $3.26 million last month.

"Democrats will argue that Kaine has a day job as governor of Virginia, and that Obama hasn't held a DNC fundraiser yet. Still, I think more than a few folks expected that the DNC would be outpacing the RNC under Steele, at least early on..." Campaign Spot on National Review Online