Michael S. Steele,

Before The Friends start in on you, we'd like to just point out a few things before we get into the obvious reasons why we have a thing or two-hundred to tell you.  It is quite interesting that you and our President have quite a few things in common.  Growing up in a home with parents separated by divorce, struggling as your mother's worked to provide a lifestyle for you, and being able to be an advocate for hard times in the face of adversity when stricken by poverty and knowing the trials that come with being faced with living only at the hands of government assistance and somehow rising above that to become who you are today.

In 2002, in your gubernatorial debate, it is interesting that you found the Oreo cookies being thrown at your feet as being a racist statement against you.  The idea that you were black on the outside and white on the inside was in your words "Very real.  It wasn't subtle" while you also claimed that those antagonizing you should be shamed if they were "that immature and that threatened" by you.

Mr. Steele, is it not also interesting that when President Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention of 2004, that you got your first opportunity for greater national recognition as a counterpoint to HIS address? Obviously, it is certainly JUST coincidence that exactly one week after the first black President was elected to office, a draft petition was initiated as an encouragement and acted as the catalyst for your run as Chairman of the Republican National committee.  Obviously.

Mr. Steele, time after time you have "stepped and fetched" yourself into controversy over the remarks you have made in scrutiny of others and clearly any time you acted a little too much like the OUTSIDE of said oreo's, your counterparts were not happy.  As quickly as March of 2009 they spoke of organizing a vote to remove you from office-a rumor, they say-that was just as quickly denied.  In July, after proclaiming that you would bring "fried chicken and potato salad" so black folk's should come on out. Interestingly enough, you admonished a very passionate woman at a town hall meeting at Howard University of YELLING out to you about how the expense of cancer treatments and medicines were more than her now deceased mother could afford, telling her that she would probably make TV and should ENJOY IT.

In a column you wrote for the Washington Post, you outlined the GOP Principles for Health care.  Whether people agree or not, this is your point of view.  You state your oppositions and your proposals which is your right-it is your freedom of speech.  So, as the Chair of the Republican National Committee, I would expect that you would urge your peers to voice their concerns in a similar way to reach the people.  However, it seems that if it is not a "heckler" in an audience YOU are addressing, you also find it acceptable that "YOU LIE" is yelled out during a Presidential Address to Congress.  And instead of address the biggest issue of underlying racism and being a voice FOR that, your remarks were:

"If we are going to march Members down to the well of the House to apologize, Joe Wilson is going to have to get in line behind Nancy Pelosi, who attacked the intelligence community who protects us, Charlie Rangel who cheated on his taxes, Jack Murtha – a walking scandal, and we all know how the Democratic leadership tried to protect William Jefferson. Democrats don’t want an apology. They want a side show – something to shift the focus away from their government-run experiment on health care."

To further add fuel to the fire, when President Carter addressed the issue that ALL Black Americans, EXCEPT YOU, were so shocked we are still facing, you had this to say:

"President Carter is flat out wrong. This isn't about race. It is about policy. This is a pathetic distraction by Democrats to shift attention away from the president's wildly unpopular government-run health care plan that the American people simply oppose. Injecting race into the debate over critical issues facing American families doesn't create jobs, reform our health care system or reduce the growing deficit. It only divides Americans rather than uniting us to find solutions to challenges facing our nation.


Characterizing Americans' disapproval of President Obama's policies as being based on race is an outrage and a troubling sign about the lengths Democrats will go to disparage all who disagree with them. Playing the race card shows that Democrats are willing to deal from the bottom of the deck. Our political system has no place for this type of rhetoric. As the leader of the Democratic Party President Obama should flatly reject efforts by those in his Party, including Jimmy Carter and Tim Kaine, to inject race into our civil discourse in ways that divide, not unite, Americans."

Racism is an outrage, Mr. Steele?  Is that so?  If that is correct, I am confused by this statement to Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation:

SCHIEFFER: Let me ask you about something that doesn't have to do with this interview. The "New York Times" reports this morning that the president sent word through an intermediary to the Democratic governor up there, David Paterson, asking him to withdraw as a candidate for governor next year because they think he's so far down that it's just going to drag down the party.


STEELE: I found that to be stunning, that the White House would send word to one of only two black governors in the country not to run for re-election. And it just raised a curious point for me. I think Paterson, Governor Paterson's numbers are about the same as Governor Corzine's numbers, yet the president was with Governor Corzine. I don't know if there's been a request for Governor Corzine to step down in New Jersey. So I just find it to be stunning and also rather bold.

SCHIEFFER: But you don't think he's asking not to run because he's black.

STEELE: I don't think that, but I just find, look, you have so few. If you're saying it's the numbers, then why isn't there a call for those other Democrat governors who have low numbers who are in trouble as well? I just think that it's a curiosity for me that the president would inject or the White House would inject itself into that debate when I don't think it's appropriate nor necessary because it's a primary. If he's going to be challenged, he'll be challenged. He'll survive it or not survive it. SCHIEFFER: How do you think it will play in the African- American community? STEELE: That will be very interesting to see what the response from black leadership around the country will be about the president calling the governor to step down or not run for election. Very curious. I'll be waiting to hear the responses.

So, let's be clear Mr. Steele-throwing Oreos at you is racist.  Our President suggesting a black governor not run for re-election is racist.  AND, a participant yelling out to you at a town hall meeting is basically overreacting, attention-getting antics and disrespectful.

To further clarify, yelling out at the President of the United states is NOT disrespectful and to call the offender racist for doing so is hypocrisy.   When another former President calls out the blatant racism, it's along the same lines of that overreating, attention-getting disrespect and the President is wrong for allowing those in his party to "inject" racism into policy.  However, calling out another black man is a racist act by the President.

Mr. Steele, we just want to be clear.  Now if you don't mind, we'd like to exercise our first amendment right and let you know how we feel about where you stand.  Please don't mind the Oreo cookies...it's just that we felt that the imagery was correct.


See what the Friend's have to say. Also, by special invitation, The Friends will be featuring their special Friend Q of the Mad Bloggers.

Friends...presenting Mr. Michael Steele-he is all yours!


You would have probably been appalled at my sentiment that the Republicans were probably more disturbed at the fact that they had to bend and go ahead and let you take the spot as chair of the RNC than they were that President Obama got elected. They knew what they had to do and they played their race card, YOU. I've followed you since you were appointed as RNC. If you think that your skin color has nothing to do with it, that's fine. I wish I could get your reaction had Ken Blackwell received the appointment instead of you.

Can we please be real here? The RNC put you where you are so you can shuck and jive at your expense and for their entertainment, and they can feel good about having, a "black friend". You say what they want you to say, and when you get out of line-I wonder how THAT meeting goes.

You've been criticized repeatedly and openly by your peers, and I'm hard pressed to find where they actually step up and SUPPORT you. When you say what they feel, or what they would have you to say-I'm not sure they are saying that they agree with you...they just don't say a thing. Is this what happens in all the meetings you thought started on the hour and they've been there for 30 minutes prior and all falls silent when you enter?? Do they pat you on the head for being a good little negro boy and stepping the direction they wanted you to and fetching the attention they needed you to get??

Now if you are smart enough to get the likeness of an Oreo cookie to your being, I find it hard to believe that you could honestly, consciously, and with good faith say that most of the actions AGAINST our President are NOT racist. Mr. Steele, can you tell me what would happen if a Congressman would have yelled out against any other President? Let's play dumb and pretend like McCain could have won the election...if Pres. Obama yelled out on the floor "YOU LIE", would the RNC be demanding his immediate resignation? (Wait...I'm sorry, had McCain won-you wouldn't be chairing this committee now would you?!!) Let's go one step further, if YOU had yelled out to Pres. Obama during any address, wouldn't your "boys" in the Republican party be doing the "right" thing and showing your resignation as proof that they didn't approve? Because let's be real Mr. Steele, every single day you are one step away from being dismissed for your actions-and they won't see it as racist either when they let you go and justify their actions with YOUR behavior. Then you call out our President for asking one of two Black governors. I was actually kind of glad that you said SOMETHING about this, because then I knew that you do in fact recognize color and racism as a factor in the politics today. It's just too bad that your color spectrum is based on the picture they paint for you.  Your support of Joe Wilson and his indignance, your public refusal and rebuttal of Pres. Carter's statements, and THEN your outcry that President Obama is RACIST can be likened to a freed slave who just won't let his good Massa pick the cotton and will get out there and do it just cause you are 'posed to-forget what them other ungrateful niggas do-you's got work and thank GOD for Massa!!  Good for you.

Mr. Steele, I hope you are enjoying the fried chicken and potato salad that the Republican party is feeding you as they basically sit back as you make a damn mockery of yourself and YOUR people. Don't be offended when they top of your meal with a dessert of assorted Oreo cookies. The likeness is UNDENIABLE.

Moni


Dear Michael Steele,

While I found it refreshing that GOP made a black man their chairman and speaker for the party despite the base of the parties obvious bias, as a fellow republican I still am suspicious of the motivation and timing of your placement. As a black man I have lived my life in this country knowing that people would look at me different. Despite the fact that I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color. I understand that everyone can’t or will never have those same feelings, but your beliefs and your integrity are the only two things you truly own in this life on earth. At the end of the day I understand that you are a politician, and you don’t always mean what you say. I also understand that you should be the champion of the parties policies, But you need to look at why they are saying the things they are saying before you repeat them. Our republican friends and fellow party members are playing you for a fool, you’re a smart man you know this but you are not speaking up. They are using you to spout their raciest tinged comments and venom, and then using the defense that they can’t be racist because they have a black friend and he agrees. I could sit here all day and point out the times you have used the race card , in your dealings with both white and black Americans but I won’t. I could point out your Fuzzy Zoeller like comment back in july, and how you should have been outraged at that exchange but I won’t. I am going to do you one better. I am going to sit down tonight and pray for you, and our party to see past the hate that has obviously clouded your judgment. I suggest that you ask that others of the party do the same for the POTUS. STOP trying to destroy the thing I love even with it’s faults, the USA. "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Mr. Superstar

The following response is from Q who is featured on the site http://throatchopuniversity.com/. As a special guest of the Friends, he is letting it be TOLD!

Michael, Michael, Michael … what would your mother say? *Jay Leno voice*
You are, as my mom would say “connnnnfuuussseddddd.” Let’s be honest, you are the chair of the Republican National Committee for one reason and one reason only, because the President is black and the Republicans need to appear to look like they can embrace minorities too at it’s highest level. (PLEASE NOTE: For the record, I am neither Republican nor a Democrat; I don’t subscribe to party politics. I like to remain impartial).
Since your nomination and appointment to this position, your strategy for “change” has been scattered and poorly thought out. You wanted to give the party a new hip and fresh look, so you turned to hip-hop and Jesse Jackson type rhyme schemes. What was that all about? How’s this panning out for you?
Over the last few months I’ve watched a lot of false starts on your behalf and truly confused about who you as a politician. Be honest, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck as radio and television personalities are pushing more of an aggressive agenda than you and more folks are subscribing to their nonsense. That’s sad because you could do something effective in your position.
But, perhaps it’s the latest bandwagon you’ve jumped on that disturbs me. After trying to discredit what President Jimmy Carter said in regards to race playing into some folks disagreeing with Obama’s healthcare plan and other policies, you throw out race yourself? But wait, your claim is that somehow race played into Obama’s (black) decision to ask Governor David Paterson (black) of New York to not seek reelection in 2010? Wait, let me rehash this again – you (black) claim that Obama (black) asked Paterson (black) to not seek reelection is based on race and so in essence, Obama is a racist? *cues Michael Jackson’s “Black or White”*
Come on, you need to do better Mikey! Were you watching School Daze recently and your latest strategy is to turn the dark skinned against Obama, somehow making folks believe that he is racist? Let me guess,Mike, you’ll be Big Brother O’ Mighty? Are you going to introduce the fact that since Obama’s mom is white and so somehow as an interracial person he has the capabilities to be racist in this particular situation but somehow you discredit Jimmy Carter’s statements at the same time? It’s not going to work. Pick a new strategy and pick a new strategy fast.
It’s apparent that you haven’t seen Paterson’s approval ratings. I live in the state of New York and that dude doesn’t have a chance in hell of winning a reelection bid. Did you ever think that perhaps this conversation between Paterson and the White House was more of a courtesy call that wasn’t necessarily supposed to get out to the public? Perhaps Obama sees it at important that NY has a strong Governor as one of the larger and important states?
Mike, sit down and really think out a REAL strategy. Hope and change won’t work for you, considering that’s what the “racist” black guy who is President ran on. Hip-hop and rhyme schemes won’t work for you. Saying the opposite of the guy speaking isn’t the best strategy either. How about a real platform Mike? So, head back to the drawing board and do me a favor, think before you speak.
I’ll pray for you in the meantime.
Q

Well Mr. Steele, I hope you don't think you're getting off too easy. Some of the Friends need a little extra time to tell you how they see it-so please check back for updates. At any rate,
Congratulations Mr. Steele-

Anybody else have a word or five for Mr. Steele? Leave your comments in the comment section. Off we go!