What Would Steele Do?

Factual Questions
1

Republican Boss Michael Steele has apparently threatened the Republican Congresscritters with some kind of consequences should they choose to support the current proposed healthcare reform bill.

Last I heard, congresscritters were elected by their constituency, so as long as they are voting the will of the voters it seems to me the critter will always have a job. Is this not the case? What can Steele actually do to someone that would encourage them to sell out their own base in favor of toeing the party’s official line? And what immunity would a senior member of congress have that a freshman wouldn’t?

2

He can encourage the Republican campaign committees not to endorse them in the next election. He can withhold RNC funding from their campaigns. He can persuade more senior party members to mess with their committee assignments and things like that.

In short, not a huge amount, but if you’re a Republican it would not be a great idea to piss him off.

3

Anh Cao (R, LA) voted for the healthcare bill, so I guess we’ll find out. I suspect nothing.

4

Anh Cao represents the kind of district where the Democrat only loses if he’s caught with a freezer full of bribe money, so Cao’s reluctance to toe the GOP party line is perhaps understandable. I suspect that Steele might be somewhat understanding in Cao’s case, unless Steele decides that ideology is more important than retaining the seat.

5

Hello, my name is Michael Steele.
You killed my party unity.
Prepare to die.

6

Obviously Steele will get God to strike down the liberal socialist heretics.

7

Wasn’t it just a few months ago that Republican leaders were pissed at Steele and stripped him of a lot of power? Now he’s demanding things?

8

Given the track record in competitions between reality and ideology, I wouldn’t want to bet on how it will go. :slight_smile:

9

Maybe, though who is Steele’s warning directed at if not at moderate Republicans from Dem leaning districts?

10

The Steele I know would devise some elaborate scam to reveal the bad guy for what he truly is while simultaneously stripping him of his ill-gotten gains and freeing Miss Holt from wherever it is she’s being hidden.

11

What would Steele do?

Same thing he has done since he was appointed:

Take marching orders from Limbaugh, Beck, Armay, Gingrich, Palin, Hannity and anybody else that is close enough to him to bust him in the chops.

12

He’s the Republican National Committee chair. The answer is encoded in the subject of the question.

13
  1. The minority leaders of each house can pressure their party members the same way Nancy Pelosi can and does pressure her members by various means, such as by threatening to deny them support for their pet projects. This is the same way each party works and has worked since before you and I were born. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem to think this is nefarious and confined to Republicans. No.

As Dan Rostenkowski (former Chicago Congressman) famously remarked, ''You’re not going to see any profiles in courage here." http://www.nytimes.com/1986/04/15/movies/congress-and-taxes-behind-the-scenes.html

  1. You presume they’d be selling out the base. If a Democrat defeated a Republican due to the independents, but after the election the independents swung Republican, should the Democrat change his/her actions to the majority’s wish or stick to party principles? Think before you answer. Reverse the parties and answer again. If your answers are different, explain why.