WASHINGTON (CNN) - The new chairman of the Republican National Committee praised House Republicans Saturday for their universal opposition to President Obama's stimulus bill and used his family's own life experiences to justify voting against it.
Click here to listen to Steele remarks Saturday.
"I know we're living in the era of bipartisanship," Steele joked to the House GOP congressmen who gathered this weekend to discuss policy and politics. "I thought it was very important to send a signal, and you sent it loudly, very clearly, that this party, the leadership of this caucus, would stand first and foremost with the American people. You made it very clear that in order to grow through this recession that you not redistribute the wealth of the people of this nation."
The former Maryland lieutenant governor specifically spoke about his mother as he slammed the Obama plan.
"My mom was a sharecropper's daughter with a fifth-grade education," Steele said. "And my mother knew how to balance the budget without taking money out of my pocket."
Steele drew cheers from the crowd when he pledged the GOP would re-take the majority in Congress, beginning with the fight over New York's 20th congressional district - recently vacated by the state's newly-named senator, Kirsten Gillibrand. She defeated GOP Rep. John Sweeney in 2006.
"I'm in the business of winning elections," said Steele. But he also noted that he was unsuccessful in his 2006 bid for the Senate.
"As a black Roman Catholic conservative from Washington, D.C., and Maryland, I also know how to lose elections," he said.
From CNN Politics
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Smells like the GOP "Grand old-ways Party" is back up to its "old tricks again". I am sorry Mr. Steele your mother seems like a nice lady but balancing your personal Budget and a Governmental budge is two different things go back to college and try again. Also don't try confuse the American citizen just as they as starting to wake up and become aware of what has happened in the past 20yrs.
yes mr. steele, what is obama thinking, cooperation, BAH! who needs it! anyone got any oreo's?
Why don't the all the no-voters refuse to accept any stimulus money for their states and districts, if they so oppose this plan???
Check and see,he may be related to me,the great Thomas himself.That would make him American royalty.
If Republicans get ahold of this country again the ecomony will crash, they will start another war and more jobs will be lost while the rich get richer.
So giving the sharecropper a tax break would stimulate the economy?
Maybe Steele thinks we need to get sharecropper jobs back again. He would be a perfect employee
Seems to me the republicans have always been partisan. That's what put this nation in the mess it's in while all branches were controlled by them.
Congratulations Michael Steele. It is too bad that you will be chastised by the party on the left for not staying on the “plantation” like they did to you when you ran for governor. I look forward to the great work you will be doing.
who is the braintrust for the gop?i am not trying to say the guy is unqualified,but this is just another spin on the "palin" thing.when faced with a woman,'hey let's geta woman too!' now it's let's get a black guy-then when we don't back the president [who is cleaning up bush's mess,by the way] the public will see another 'black face' challenging him.talk about roland burris-HEY GUY, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE TURNED IT DOWN! now you will go down in history as the black guy used as a gop foil during the most trying time in U.S. history, that is unless you do what is good for the country .bipartisanship is not overrated.
What is Steele talking about – Republicans have already redistributed the wealth in this country over the last eight years - to the wealthiest!
With his thumbing his nose at bipartisanship – he's the perfect spokesperson for a party that's completely out of touch with Americans. You almost have to feel sorry for them.
Well now we know the republicans are really going to win-Not! This man is one of the uncle tom's along with Clarence Thomas and Kenneth Blackwell, it sounds like some self-loathing to me. How pathetic republicans are. This is like McCain picking Palin because she is a woman, and we saw how that turned out.
Actually it's Steele that is overrated. He is going down the same losing path of the Republican party. They still have not learned a lesson. What losers.
This guy would rather stall and obstruct than get things done?!
This type of rhetoric is why the republicans lost last year in such numbers. People are tired of the GOP's, Grand Outdated Party, values and behaviors; they don't match. Keep talking and for the next forty years you will still be in the minority!!
Aaaah the partisanship and divisiveness begin anew. Same old Republican bitterness and obstructionism dressed up in shiny clothes.
"As a black Roman Catholic conservative from Washington, D.C., and Maryland, I also know how to lose elections," he said.
Welll, I hope he gets a lot more practice during his tenure as RNC chair.
This party i(GOP) is not standing with the American people. The American people spoke loud and clear, and obviously you weren't listening. Keep up the attitude and the people will be speaking louder and clearer in 2010!
LOL!
If it's overated then why are all the republicans crying and whining and moaning and groaning about the Democrats and their
"lack of" bipartisanship?
You can't have it both ways.
This is the game folks. It doesn't matter how big the dem majority is. The republicans will always act like they have the mandate and the democrats will always act like their hands are tied. I think the best thing we could do would be to give Steele and his friends a quick math lesson and then lock them out of DC for a few decades. Maybe we could send Reid with them?
lol uh oh
Dear Mr. Steele,
I'm glad you feel like bipartisanship is overrated. The American people have repudiated your party and rejected your candidates and what you represent. You should be thankful President Obama is giving the GOP a seat at the table. He has earned the right to cram his agenda right down your throat. You wanto to make policy? Win a majority next election.
This all comes back to if the GOP knew how to effectively manage the economy for the long term, they would have done it.
It doesn't matter what race or religion the Republicans elect, it's the same old tired rhetoric. Do they implant these guys with tape players that all have the same recording? Keep it up...the base loves it, the rest of us think you guys are irrelevant and just don't get it.
Michael Steele seems very competent.
I agree that bipartisanship is overrated, and I am a firm Democrat. Hey, Steele, your party lost and the American people won (finally).....
May you and your party wander in the wilderness forever......
I don't use these words very loosely, but in this case I have to say 'Uncle Tom'. Congrats Republicans, you've elected someone who buys in to some antiquated idealogy, the only difference is he's black.