Minnesota Independent

It’s the fundraising, stupid: RNC candidates ‘debate’

By Luke Johnson | 01.04.11 | 9:53 am

WASHINGTON — The debate held Monday among the candidates for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee was like an egg cream — the literal meaning isn’t the same as its contents. With one exception, current RNC Chairman Michael Steele and his challengers — former Michigan GOP Chair Saul Anuzis, former Bush administration official Maria Cino, Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Reince Priebus, and former Missouri Republican Party Chairwoman Ann Wagner — avoided debating each other.

Coleman skips out on national RNC meeting

By Paul Schmelzer | 08.04.10 | 11:43 am

Former Sen. Norm Coleman, who’s reportedly been pondering a challenge to Michael Steele as chair of the Republican National Committee, has canceled plans to attend this week’s four-day RNC confab in Kansas City. Coleman was scheduled to be…

Could Norm Coleman be the next head of the RNC?

By Luke Johnson | 07.23.10 | 2:00 pm

Though it’s probably true that despite his multiple gaffes, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele cannot be fired since it would take a two-thirds vote of the…

Republican National Committee “survey” taps fear of military draft to raise funds

By Chris Steller | 12.16.09 | 4:22 pm

“Are you in favor of reinstituting the military draft, as Democrats in Congress have proposed?” That’s one of 15 questions the Republican National Commitee uses to drum up funds in a “2010 Obama Agenda Survey” that arrived in Minnesota mailboxes this week. A search of current legislation suggests that no such proposal is pending in Congress.

Obama takes hits from the right before he steps into health-care ring tonight

By Chris Steller | 09.09.09 | 12:15 pm

President Obama is still lacing up his gloves in preparation for a speech on health care tonight during which reformers hope he comes out swinging. But he’s taking jabs from the right even before he gets into the ring.

RNC’s Steele ‘deeply disappointed’ by court ruling, Coleman concession

By Paul Schmelzer | 06.30.09 | 4:43 pm

Michael Steele, chair of the Republican National Committee, said in a statement late Tuesday that he’s “deeply disappointed” about the Minnesota Supreme Court’s ruling on the state’s U.S. Senate race and Norm Coleman’s concession. Echoing the local…

‘Big tent’ no more: RNC’s Steele says GOP is a hat

By Paul Schmelzer | 06.09.09 | 2:02 pm

Here’s more evidence that the GOP is still struggling to find fitting metaphors to talk about itself. The party was likened to a miffed Eminem by Gov. Tim Pawlenty at the College Republicans’ national confab over the weekend,…

Franken calls on state Supreme Court to order issuance of election certificate

By Paul Demko | 05.11.09 | 5:41 pm

Al Franken won the U.S. Senate contest fair and square. That’s the gist of the Democrat’s 53-page brief filed Monday with the Minnesota Supreme Court. Franken wants the state’s highest court to affirm the ruling by a three-judge panel that he won the U.S. Senate contest by 312 votes and order that he be issued an election certificate immediately.

RNC’s Steele on whether Coleman should concede: ‘Hell no!’

By Paul Demko | 05.11.09 | 3:07 pm

Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele has Norm Coleman’s back. When asked by Hotline On Call recently whether he thinks Coleman should concede the U.S. Senate contest, Steele’s response was emphatic: “No, hell no.”

T-Paw loses spot on GOP ‘influencers’ list, but caption contest has a winner

By Chris Steller | 05.08.09 | 1:31 pm

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is no longer swimming at the deep end with the Republican Party’s top 10 ‘influencers,” says The Fix. But he had another visit from the person in the fish suit during his radio show today —…