ABOUT FIRST READ

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



Blackwell drops bid; endorses Steele

Posted: Friday, January 30, 2009 3:09 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro


Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell dropped his bid for RNC Chair, and gave an impassioned endorsement of Michael Steele.

"We must be a party that makes good on the promise of Lincoln," said Blackwell, an African American, just before endorsing Steele, who is also black.

Through four rounds, Blackwell had 15 votes. He started with 20 after Round One.

It will be interesting to see where his votes go in Round Five, however, because many of his supporters are considered the most conservative in the party. Dawson would have seemed to be the likely recipient before his full-throated endorsement of Steele.

"I cannot change the composition of this electorate [pause for laughs] nore would I want to," Blackwell said.

But he added, Republicans must "unleash a new birth of freedom" He said, Republicans need a candidate who "must inspire hope," "have leadership ability and a "vision to pull us together and ... Americans together" ...

"That is why I put my fullest support behind Michael Steele."

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

But he added, Republicans must "unleash a new birth of freedom" He said, Republicans need a candidate who "must inspire hope," "have leadership ability and a "vision to pull us together and ... Americans together" ...

Good luck with that.  Keep parading Palin and Saltsman - oh and Rush - as the faces of the gop.  That'll surely bring Americans together (to work against the gop).
I will keep my nickel on Dawson.  Pat Buchanan, Rush Limberger and the NeoCons will not like a moderate named Steele.  They would rather keep the power and lose an election. That is still dumb.

Anna Molly:  I enjoy your comments.
If Blackwell actually meant he wanted to be part of a party that fulfills the promise of Lincoln he'd be a Democrat.  Just more lies from the criminal ballot box stuffer who helped the bushwhacker steal Ohio.  If he really wants someone who inspires hope he should be a Democrat.  Just another lie from someone who has been instrumetal in pulling our country apart.

It's going to be interesting to see if the repugnant ones can buck Viagra Boy and pick a moderate like closet Democrat Steele.  I am more convinced they will not change their white supremacy ways and will pick known South Carolina racist Katon Dawson.

I bet behind the scenes Mount Lushmore is blowing a gasket at these miscreants of truth, justice and the American way and will force them to pick a known racist over a moderate black man.

Prison for rove and the banking robber barons!
Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell dropped his bid for RNC Chair, and gave an impassioned endorsement of Michael Steele.

"We must be a party that makes good on the promise of Lincoln," said Blackwell, an African American, just before endorsing Steele, who is also black.

As a black American...I am very disapointed...so here comes the "Lynch" letter. These people will stop at nothing. It is not about color RNC, it is about governing...and you don't have what it takes.
Steele is an Uncle Tom! Just like Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice (Auntie Tom?), and Colin Powell. Colin is starting his penance for his sins, but he has a long way to go. You can not be black AND a conservative in America. It just doesn't work.
I am not trying to be funny , well may be I am.  Have you ever noticed that most black republicans look like circus sideshow freaks. It's like the Repugnant ones carry them to the conferences on a leash.  The only popular exception to this rule Katy Holmes.  She is smoking hot. Well Colon Powell was another exception he looks normal too.  But Ron Glass Eye Cristi and this guy Blackwell circus freaks I tell you. Just like people like Ann Helter Skelter Coulter, Lush Limburger,  Handuphispanities , Joe The Bummer . Circus Freaks I tell you.
Oh goody!  Now Rush with HAVE TO love black people!!  So lame...Hillary = Sarah and now Michael = Barack!  Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha.  Can't wait to hear the spin from the regional party, the south!!!
Hmmm.  This is actually getting interesting.  It's like some surreal GOP civil war taking place.  I'd love to see how the vote demographic works out.

Day 10 of 100
http://jawillie.blog.com
Kaye MacFarlane Brigham City, Utah 84302:
'...Labor Unions may have been good in the beginning, but employees have now become sophisticated and envolved in company growth and management.  In most cases, company Managers, including top Management have learned that employees are the backbone of the company's success and have learned that the employee needs must be supported....'

That's why EVERYBODY gots those Billion dollar bonuses !!
If you think labor unions are bad, allow the Employee Free Choice act to pass

If workers feel the same way, they'll oppose unions

If workers feel they need unions, they'll support unions

What are you afraid of ?

Wages for working people have remained stagnant, while wages for management have gone up wildly

I've been around a few years and I've seen that

You're from a rural, conservative state
That helps shape your values
Many people are from urban areas and know better

Thank unions the the 8 hour day, paid vacation, health insurance....

Think that was given away freely ?

Think Again
Hope is breaking out all over.
No honor amongst thieves, they wouldn't reward him for Ohio 2004.  Hmm?
As a black male I struggle with this.  There seems such a fine line between a Steele who was elected to be RNC Chair or a Steele who is elected because he has what they want to appear to want, which is blackness.
It's hard not to perceive the gesture as more token and self-serving than a process that emerged a/the true leader of the Republican Party.  Right now it's arguably tough to call oneself a Republican...a rose by any other name...

Good luck bruh...you're going to need it!
I've been more entertained watching paint dry.  

If the repubs are going to survive, they'd better change their stance on social issues.  Otherwise society won't pay attention.
I never really liked Michael Steele. I have heard him many times in the past year and have never been impressed with any of his stances. Never. He always came across to me as "cold hearted".

By so what. If he wins, he'll be with the RNC, not DNC.
I told it would be Steele... He has been a face out there on Fox News.
I love it.  The Republican Party thinks that putting an African American as the face of their party will help them find their new direction.  The Republican Party has to show the American Public their new direction...having their leader being African American is secondary.

Barack Obama became the leader of the Democratic Party and now President by advocating a new vision for America.  Because he was African American was secondary to the new vision.

Find the ship's rutter, then find the Captain to steer the ship!!
Did he really say, "unleash a new birth of freedom"?

I'd like to see that!
Thanks Unions for the 8 hour day. Now get the hell out of the way. If anybody would like a more timely example of why unions are not a good thing just look at the auto industry. Over the course of the last 40 years the UAW has been the chief cause of the decline of the big 3. Oh yeah the UAW members did well but their living high came at the expense of quality and price of the products their workers produced. The first crisis of the big 3 in 1982 was the 1st serious assault by the Japanese marks that started to unmercifully beat the US companies. If left to develop on its own this Japanese invasion probably would have killed the big 3 back then. But of all people Ronald Regan got the Japanese companies to set voluntary quotas on themselves to resrtict imports. This probably saved US companies, temporarily. The Japanese smartly built factories in the US away from the union belt in the midwest and thereby circumvented the quota problem. Once again they assaulted the US auto market and unfortunately for the big 3 their greedy unions continued their demands. Well now we come to 2009. The auto companies balance sheets have been evicerated by the legacy costs and the Japanese plants in the south are humming. The contrast could not be more stark. There is nothing worse than collective greed because it tends to be both enormous and mindless. The UAW is an example of collective greed. Please spare us your noble BS about what unions did for the country....unions did it for themselves. Anybody that is stupid enough to join a union should take note of how many unionized industries have cratered: steel, rubber,autos, mining, textiles... they all went the way of the dinosauers.
Anita,

When the moron vote went out in droves a voted in curious george.. aka Obanana then all it all became about color. The RNC has always been for black people, just because you don't take the time to learn "REAL" history then, that is why most blacks are ignorant. Here's another history lesson for ya, Did you know that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican? Of course you didn't all you know is what some one tells you, and then like many blacks who refuse to actually pick up a book, you accept lies, and stupidity as actual facts.

Tisk, tisk .....color struck.
Hahahahahaha, Oh boy, I've had the best laugh of my life.....Rushy, Palin, Kool-aid jokes hahahahahaha. The Republicans are a scream with their window dressings, they're gonna love this here in the good ole South....hahahahaha.

This proves that they are clueless and he is crazy for taking it.
Actually if they wanted an ideal candidate they woud have picked a black woman instead of Steele. I hear Condi is looking for a job.  Sheesh...I was bucking for Black and Conservative.  As a white conservative woman I am used to not being represented by my party.


SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1774647

First Read e-mail alerts


Sign up for First Read alerts
The first place for key political news and analysis

Syndicate This Site

Add First Read to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google