Steele refuses to denounce Rand Paul: ‘I can’t condemn a person’s view.’

[jefferson_dem]

Steele refuses to denounce Rand Paul: ‘I can’t condemn a person’s view.’

This morning on ABC’s This Week, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele had to address Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul’s recent comments that private business owners should be allowed to discriminate against people of color or anyone else they choose. After a firestorm of criticism, he backtracked and said he would “not support any efforts to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” but the controversy has raised other questions about his views on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal minimum wage, and the Fair Housing Act. Today, Steele said that Paul’s philosophy is “misplaced in these times” because it’s not “where the country is right now.” However, he defended that position because “it’s a philosophical position held by a lot of libertarians” and refused to condemn Paul:

STEELE: That’s a direct quote, and it’s a philosophical position held by a lot of libertarians, which Rand Paul is. They have a very, very strong view about the limitations of government intrusion into the private sector. That is a philosophical perspective. We have had a lot of members go to the United States Senate with a lot of different philosophies, but when they get to the body, how they work to move the country forward matters. <...>

TAPPER: But do you condemn that view?

STEELE: I can’t condemn a person’s view. That’s like, you know, you believe something and I’m going to say, well, you know, I’m going to condemn your view of it. It’s the people of Kentucky will judge whether or not that’s a view that they would like to send–

TAPPER: Are you comfortable with that?

STEELE: I am not comfortable with a lot of things, but it doesn’t matter what I’m comfortable with and not comfortable with. I don’t vote in that election. The people of Kentucky will. As a national chairman, I’m here to say that our party will move forward in fighting for the civil rights and liberties of the American people, especially minorities in this country, and we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that everyone who’s going to come to the United States Congress or go to state capitals with a Republican label are in that fight with us.

TAPPER: It sounds like you’re not comfortable with it.

STEELE: I just said I wasn’t comfortable.

Watch it:

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/23/steele-paul/

[Peacetrain]

1. So sad.. that he cannot even denounce that the racism of Paul..

[donco6]

3. +1

[Kookaburra]

2. Does it really even matter what Steele does?

I mean really, he's such a joke I'd be surprised if anyone took him seriously.

[donco6]

4. Pathetic.

Steele's performance was nothing less than pathetic. It was so bad, I almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

[saltpoint]

5. Someone should ask Steele if he feels Grayson would have won had

there been more hip-hop Republicans in Kentucky.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/19/rnc-chair-steele-gop-need_n_168166.html

[KingFlorez]

6. The Tea Party could try and lynch him and he wouldn't condemn it

In fact, they might try to do that when the Republicans lose the election. When they start calling him all sorts of racial names out of anger, I won't be able to condemn those people's views.

[theothersnippywshrub]

7. He'll change his tune if lesbian bondage clubs start discriminating. n/t

[Berry Cool]

8. How painful it must be to this poor man to deny his soul every day

just because he sold it to the devil.

"No, I really don't want my soul back...I gave it up willingly...I don't mind not having it. Really. I don't mind having to assert one man's right to say that private businesses shouldn't have to accommodate people of my race if they don't want to. I feel perfectly fine with denying my own humanity and that of everyone else who shares my heritage, because being a token figurehead in this group of politically powerful people, or of people who WANT to be politically powerful, is worth it."

There is no sight more saddening in the world than that of a person who has surrendered all his values and his very identity for the hope of a grasp at power.

[JBoy]

9. Short memory if Steele can't remember condeming the view of Elena Kagan

that the Constitution "as originally drafted was defective".

That's only the most recent one I can think of.

[Zynx]

10. I wonder if he feels that way about Ahmadinejad. That would be fun to trip him up on that.

[butterfly77]

11. another stupid..

who doesn't seem to realize they are using his silly ass..

[Bluenorthwest]

12. When the GLBT community called out the hate speech used

by some of Obama's campaign surrogates, candidate Obama said virtually the same thing. He called those who hold bigoted views 'good, decent, and moral people' and he said he would always listen to their views. Now, this was in response to complaints about McClurkin, who had said gay people try to kill children and thus had declared 'war' upon us. Obama said that while he did not agree, he could not criticize those views, and that he welcomed those views to his table.
It is difficult for me to see how these men differ in the handling of a similar situation.

[boppers]

20. What office was McClurkin running for?

Could the situations be different in some way?

[cliffordu]

13. I cannot for the life of me figure out what the fuck is wrong with that man.

I don't know if 'craven' actually covers it.

[saltpoint]

15. Hi, cliffordu. I think 'craven' is a pretty darn good start.

It would be a great title for Steele's autobiography.

:thumbsup:

[NC_Nurse]

14. Unless they're a Democrat...

He's such a tool. :eyes:

[secondwind]

16. HE'S SELECTIVE, THOUGH, ON WHOSE VIEWS HE CONDEMNS!!!!! Bullshit.

[Cha]

17. Better not condemn Pres Obama's view then.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

18. Absolutely despicable. And he wonders why people refer to him as an "Uncle Tom"!

Perhaps it's because....









...HE IS!!!!!!!! :puke::puke::puke:

[political_Dem]

19. When it comes to justice and empathy, Steele has put the blinders on.

What Rand Paul said was a blatant slap against his own people, but Steele serves his masters first and foremost before taking a stand to make things more equitable. The ugly thing about it is that he stands by and lets his conservative colleagues become as racist as they want to be and he condones their behavior without a differing opinion.

One day when his Teabag friends get voted in by the clueless minions the GOP counts upon and those followers vote in restrictive legislation that affects the civil liberties of his person, Steele might gain a glimmer of an epiphany that he aided and abetted these bigots to put them in a place in which they can set the clock back (in Rand's words) to "1963".

At least one could say that Powell despite his "servitude" stood up and had his moments.

Steele, on the other hand, had none.

But he shouldn't worry. Benedict Thomas is not too far behind.

[Brewman_Jax]

21. You just can't quit, can you, Mikey?

keep taking your pay and stay quiet. The cost is just...your soul!