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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC News Political Reporter



Tied!

Posted: Friday, January 30, 2009 12:56 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro and Mark Murray
After the second round of voting, the race to be RNC chairman is all tied up.

Mike Duncan, who was leading after round one with 52 votes, lost four. Michael Steele gained two, as both are now tied with 48 each.

Katon Dawson moves up one to 29; Anuzis picked up two to go to 24 and Blackwell lost one to go to 19.

This is a "heated race," Duncan spokesman Chris Taylor told First Read. It's"  neck and neck," he added, calling it "organic." He said the race is "expected to go up and down.

"Losing four votes is tough," Taylor said, but "Blackwell continues to go down." So, "that 's 19 votes we can pick up."

*** UPDATE *** That said, a Steele spokesman told First Read that the results for Duncan -- getting less than a third of the initial vote and losing four votes in the second round -- puts the incumbent chairman in a perilous situation.

The next round of voting -- will Blackwell drop out or lose more support -- is shaping up to be pivotal.

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Comments

Why would they want the job?
How much do you want to bet that Steele will win and the Republicans will sit back with a satisfied smile and tell the world that they are reaching out beyond their white regional base.

Then they will do what they did to Watts, shut him him out and treat him like dirt.

What king of stupid voting is this. Shouldn't successive rounds eliminate the lowest vote getter.  Otherwise it might take them a week before any of these stubborn GOP give up their first choice.
A choice of Cancer or Polio

I vote for David Duke
He's a good Republican

Etither him or a 'Holy roller'
Welcome Back !!
A Great move !!

'...In this sense, among others, Obama is the exact opposite of the recent president who equated "disagreement with disloyalty....'



From WashingtonMonthly.com:


'...Samantha Power, the Harvard University professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who earned notoriety for calling Hillary Rodham Clinton a "monster" while working to elect Barack Obama president, will take a senior foreign policy job at the White House, The Associated Press has learned.

Officials familiar with the decision say Obama has tapped Power to be senior director for multilateral affairs at the National Security Council, a job that will require close contact and potential travel with Clinton, who is now secretary of state. NSC staffers often accompany the secretary of state on foreign trips.



Yes, 10 months ago, Power said something intemperate. She'd hoped it would be off the record, and when it wasn't, Power apologized immediately and profusely, before resigning a few hours later. But here's the thing to remember: Americans are better off if Power has a prominent and active role in public service. That officials are prepared to move on, despite the brief incident, is a sign of some badly-needed political maturity.

On a related note, Ben Smith has a very sharp observation about the styles of Obama administration officials: "It occurs to me that Obama's broader national security apparatus now includes quite a few people who say the lesson they learned from the Bush and Clinton years is precisely not to be silent. From Power and Susan Rice, who were shaped by the failure to intervene in Rwanda, to the lawyers at OLC who have written that their job is to resign in some circumstances if their advice is ignored, Obama has chosen to hire a number of people explicitly committed to not being good team players on politically tricky questions of human rights and intervention in particular."

Good. In this sense, among others, Obama is the exact opposite of the recent president who equated "disagreement with disloyalty."...'

OMG it's tied. Wow!! So exciting. Now which one distributed the song "Obama the magical Negro" Wonder who is voting for him. Grumpy Old Politicians (GOP)I bet.
Will the repugnant ones actually embrace change by getting rid of the loser who's been leading the RNC into oblivion?

With Steele coming so close now it sure is a sign that the repugnant ones have a serious case of Minority Envy.  Putting this Uncle Tom into the RNC command will not prove they will do anything for minorities except to patronize them for votes while they ignore them for ideas.

Come on First Read do a story on Obama and Biden doing the middle class task force meeting.  I mean we need some real relevant news not this pathetic tripe about the party of irrelevance.

Prison for rove!
Given the 'prize' at stake here, this is like a room full of bald men fighting over a comb.
Neocons falling up !!

'...REMEMBER LAURIE MYLROIE?.... For all of the well-known Bush administration officials who were frightening in their handling of U.S. policy towards Iraq, sometimes it's the lesser-known officials who are truly jaw-dropping. Justin Elliott reports:...'


'...And why are they astonished? Because Laurie Mylroie has a rather "unique" perspective on world events. In 2003, the Washington Monthly ran a must-read piece on Mylroie, explaining why she's the "neocons' favorite conspiracy theorist." In the article, Peter Bergen explained:

...Mylroie became enamored of her theory that Saddam was the mastermind of a vast anti-U.S. terrorist conspiracy in the face of virtually all evidence and expert opinion to the contrary. In what amounts to the discovery of a unified field theory of terrorism, Mylroie believes that Saddam was not only behind the '93 Trade Center attack, but also every anti-American terrorist incident of the past decade, from the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania to the leveling of the federal building in Oklahoma City to September 11 itself. She is, in short, a crackpot, which would not be significant if she were merely advising say, Lyndon LaRouche. But her neocon friends who went on to run the war in Iraq believed her theories....


Now we learn that even after Mylroie had been discredited, those same neocon friends elevated her to an influential position, writing about Iraq policy matters for the Pentagon's in-house think tank...'


So WHAT is Prok Barrel ?
Is it wasteful Pentagon spending ?
Is it 'full employment for NeoCons'  ?

I'd rather spend the money on family planning
Is Al Franken monitoring the voting?
Bill Daniels, Wilkes-Barre, Pa,

I laughed out loud at your post! Thanks so much. I needed that today!
Tied?  Is this thread all about bondage or something?  In that case, sounds like David Vitter or Larry Craig might be better choices.  
At least there is some of character in this race - as opposed to the Dems who offer a socialist, a communist, a leftist, and a crook - oh wait, as we are seeing they practiaclly are all crooks, out right liars, or child molestors (Foley only sent emails - Dems actually "do" the deed),  etc, etc -

But what would you expect from a party that is "owned" by moveon/Soros.


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