Republican Leaders Tell Steele To Mind His Business

According to Politico, Congressional Republicans want RNC Chairman Michael Steele to stop talking about policy:

GOP leaders, in a private meeting last month, delivered a blunt and at times heated message to RNC Chairman Michael Steele: quit meddling in policy.

The plea was made during what was supposed to be a routine discussion about polling matters and other priorities in House Minority Leader John Boehner's office. But the session devolved into a heated discussion about the roles of congressional leadership and Steele, according to multiple people familiar with the meeting.

The congressional leaders were particularly miffed that Steele had in late August unveiled a seniors' "health care bill of rights" without consulting with them. The statement of health care principles, outlined in a Washington Post op-ed, began with a robust defense of Medicare that puzzled some in a party not known for its attachment to entitlements.

Well, you have to give them credit for getting something right.  Indeed, Steele's efforts to tackle policy matters have repeatedly resulted in embarrassment for himself and the party.  Some of the lowlights include:

• "When stumped with numerous health care policy questions, Steele said, 'I don't do policy.'"

• In an interview with CNN, Steele couldn't identify his own health insurance provider.  

• Appearing on Fox News, Steele promoted the short-lived "death book" rumor. 

• Unable to logically explain his defense of Medicare during an interview on NPR, Steele grew angry and accused the interviewer of "trying to be cute."

Although given the GOP's lack of policy solutions -- remember, while there are various Republican health care proposals, the party leadership in Congress hasn't endorsed any of them -- it's hard to fault Steele for trying. 

As Steve Benen writes, "I'm not entirely unsympathetic to Steele's predicament. He reportedly reminded GOP leaders that he travels the country, and Republican activists ask where the party stands on a range of issues. Since Republican leaders in the House and Senate prefer not to have a policy agenda, Steele is using his post to just fill the vacuum ... The problem, though, is that he's not doing it very well."