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Being republican like wearing scarlet letter { July 26 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501052_pf.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501052_pf.html
Steele Admits He Criticized GOP in Interview
Unnamed Candidate Said Being Republican Was Like Wearing 'Scarlet Letter'
By John Wagner and Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, July 26, 2006; B02
Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's Senate campaign acknowledged yesterday that he was the anonymous candidate quoted by a Washington Post political reporter as saying that being a Republican was like wearing a "scarlet letter" and that he did not want President Bush to campaign for him this fall.
The campaign made the disclosure after a day of speculation in the blogosphere and among political reporters about which Republican Senate candidate had made the disparaging remarks reported by Dana Milbank in the Washington Sketch column in yesterday's Post.
Democrats in Maryland and Washington pounced on the comments to portray Steele as either a chameleon or a hypocrite.
"He realizes that he can't win being a conservative Republican in Maryland in 2006," said Maryland Democratic Party spokesman Arthur Harris. "He's out of touch with the majority of Marylanders."
State Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lierman pointed out in a statement that Steele has held fundraisers with the president, Vice President Cheney, Bush adviser Karl Rove and National Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman.
"He has taken millions from Bush and his top aides and even endorsed Bush in a prime-time Republican National Convention speech in August 2004," Lierman said.
During a luncheon with reporters at which he agreed to be quoted only as a Republican Senate candidate, Steele criticized the Iraq war effort and Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina and said congressional Republicans have "lost our way," according to Milbank's report.
Asked whether he would invite Bush to campaign for him, he replied, considering Bush's low approval rating in Maryland, "to be honest with you, probably not."
Steele spokesman Doug Heye did not dispute the accuracy of Steele's quotes in the paper but said Steele spent little time at the luncheon talking about the subject and said the article did not include some comments Steele made praising Bush.
"When he agrees with the Republican administration, he absolutely does so," Heye said. "When he disagrees, he speaks his mind."
Heye did not say why, if that were the case, Steele refused to be quoted by name originally. He said Steele had made similar statements in the past that had not attracted as much attention.
Other Republicans kept a stiff upper lip. Dan Ronayne, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign, said there would be no drop in national party support for Steele.
"Michael's always been an independent voice and speaks his mind, always has been," Ronayne said. "Michael Steele's name is on the ballot. His campaign is going to make its own decisions."
Maryland Republican Party spokeswoman Audra Miller referred questions to the Steele campaign.
Bush, Rove and other prominent Republicans recruited Steele to run and are happy to have an African American candidate as their party's standard-bearer. They have said that his campaign strategy of running an independent race makes sense in a state where Democrats hold an almost 2 to 1 registration advantage over Republicans.
"It's a carefully calculated ploy to run as a Democrat and Republican at the same time," said Matthew Crenson, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University who is closely watching the race. He added, "There's nothing the Bush administration is going to do to him, because they need him."
Indeed, the White House stood by Steele yesterday.
"We're not going to respond to anything the lieutenant governor may have said," said Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman. "The president strongly believes in Michael Steele's candidacy and strongly believes he will be the next senator for the state of Maryland."
Recent polls show Steele trailing in a general election matchup against Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin but running close against Kweisi Mfume. The two are leading a pack of 18 Democrats seeking the nomination to replace Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D). The nominee will be chosen Sept. 12.
Steele acknowledged his strategy at Monday's lunch. Asked whether he could run as a proud Republican, he said: "That's going to be tough. It's going to be tough to do. If this race is about Republicans and Democrats, I lose."
Although Steele's distancing himself from Republicans could help him among some Democrats and independents, it could turn off GOP voters, who the polls show give more than 85 percent of their support to Steele.
When Bush went to Maryland recently for a GOP fundraiser, he was warmly greeted by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), but Steele was absent. Steele's campaign said that he had a long-scheduled fundraiser of his own in Las Vegas and denied that he was trying to distance himself from the president.
Staff writer Steve Vogel contributed to this report.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company
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