EXCLUSIVE: Gingrich, Steele duel for RNC chair

Ralph Z. Hallow
Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A battle to take the reins of the Republican National Committee is taking off between former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Maryland Lieutenant Gov. Michael Steele.

Republicans close to each man say they are intent on ousting Mike Duncan when his tenure ends in January and to insert themselves to articulate a counter-agenda to President-elect Barack Obama´s administration.

A bevy of backers for each man, neither of whom is an RNC member, have been burning up the phone lines and firing off e-mails as they try to sway the 168 RNC members in the wake of the second consecutive drubbing of Republicans at the polls.

"The Republican National Committee has to ask itself if it wants someone who has successfully led a revolution," Randy Evans, Gingrich confidante and personal attorney based in Atlanta, told The Washington Times on Monday.

Neither man seems inclined to give way to the other.

"Steele is a good guy," Mr. Gingrich said in an e-mail response to The Washington Times. "There are a number of good guys."

Mr. Steele was in a community-outreach meeting in Indianapolis Monday afternoon, Steele aide Belinda Cook said.

Mr. Gingrich is widely credited with having led the "Republican revolution," first as a backbencher in the House during the Reagan era and eventually the electoral earthquake in 1994 that brought the GOP into the majority in the House and the Senate for the first time in 40 years.

Tall, articulate and charismatic, Mr. Steele headed the Maryland GOP (and was the only African-American state GOP chairman) before being elected lieutenant governor and then losing his U.S. Senate race two years ago.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/200 ... eadership/

Please send emails to the RNC with your choice. I chose Newt.