Alex the attack dog

He may or may not have raised a single dollar yet, but I’m glad to see our newly-elected Maryland Republican Party Chairman standing up for the TEA Party. Alex Mooney sent along these remarks addressing a statement by Steny Hoyer:

Clearly Steny Hoyer did not get the message in November when concerned Americans, led by the Tea Party Movement, swept historic numbers of Republicans into office. The Tea Party Movement represents the mindset of a majority of Americans who believe in reducing government spending and cutting taxes. It is utterly irresponsible and disgraceful for Congressman Hoyer to brand an entire movement of concerned citizens as ‘poisonous’ to our future.  

The real poison pill to our future is the Obama, Hoyer, and Pelosi, tax-and-spend agenda. From overreaching on health care legislation to failed bailouts, Washington liberals continue to impede on our personal freedoms, while saddling future generations with more debt. If Democrat leader Hoyer had spent more time standing up to the poisonous agenda of the liberal special interest groups who have hijacked his Democrat Party, perhaps they wouldn’t have been swept out of power last month.

Shades of Jim Pelura. Now I’ll grant that Audrey Scott may have also said something along this line but I doubt she would have couched her remarks as a defense of the TEA Party movement; instead she would have defended the Republican Party as a whole. Remember, for her it was “party over everything.”

Luckily we are in a new era and I’m glad to see Alex hit the ground running with a defense of a group he realizes has become the backbone of conservative Republican support – even if Hoyer didn’t mouth the words “TEA Party” directly we know to whom he was referring. It’s just too bad Steny isn’t one of those lame duck Congressmen getting ready to leave the Capitol (only to land among the sea of lobbyists and hangers-on inside the Beltway) but perhaps we can take care of that issue come 2012.

That’s where strong leadership and good candidates come in, and securing the latter will be Mooney’s true test. But I applaud this first move by the new Chair and I’m glad he shared it with the rest of us.

He’s out, he’s in – Michael Steele looks like a contender

After spending a good part of yesterday salivating over rumors that Michael Steele would give up the reins of the Republican National Committee after his term is over in January, much of the media had to eat crow when Steele announced he was in last night. So what does this mean?

Currently there are several potential opponents for Michael Steele. Saul Anuzis of Michigan, who is one of them, claims that there are four announced contenders on his website and has already done his own video:

Perhaps Saul’s biggest selling point is the vow to be a “behind-the-scenes” chairman, which isn’t exactly Michael Steele’s forte.

But the other contenders aren’t letting Anuzis, who announced first, get a large lead. Here’s Ann Wagner of Missouri making her pitch.

It’s longer and less slickly produced than Saul’s, but Ann touts her experience.

Yet perhaps the most formidable contender is a former Steele supporter and party General Counsel, Reince Priebus of Wisconsin.

Obviously both he and Wagner can point to statewide successes where Steele cannot.

Others who have announced include Maria Cino from New York, who was a former Deputy Secretary under George W. Bush and former RNC Deputy Chairman, and Gentry Collins of Iowa, who has the slickest website by far.

Regardless of how many contend for the title, it’s highly doubtful that anyone in Maryland’s RNC delegation would vote against Michael Steele. But I believe it’s up to our three representatives – particularly newly elected Chair Alex Mooney – to carefully consider the alternatives. While Steele points to his electoral successes, there are others who contend that we left a lot of races on the table nationally due to a lack of fundraising just as Alex Mooney bemoaned the close races the Maryland GOP lost for much the same reason.

We’ll never know if one of the five contenders Michael Steele bested in 2009 would have taken the GOP to further victories. But the uncertainty of whether the party is positioned well for the 2012 cycle should give pause to those who reflexively believe Michael Steele deserves another two years at the helm. In truth, his position parallels the initial position Mary Kane was in for our state Chair race – Steele is the favorite, but by no means a prohibitive one. And we saw just how that favorite ran on Saturday as the state party decided a clean break from a previous era was best.

Our delegation might be forgiven to support the favorite son once, but as subsequent ballots go on – and I’m sure there will be – they should consider the other candidates remaining as well. Remember, you are elected to represent us and to do what’s best not just for Maryland but for the Republican Party at large. Don’t sell us short.

Update: John Gizzi at Human Events has his take on the race.