steele goes rogue

One of the strangest sideshows in American politics (in fact not that much of a sideshow - it may become the main event for a while) is the uncontrolled detonation of Michael Steele, elected chairman of the Republican Party a year ago in a blaze of hey-we-got-the-rainbow-too optimism. That was right before people started to realize the depth of his kookiness. He has proved himself to be one of the oddest, most unpredictable and weirdly gripping figures on the public stage. His latest wheeze is to publish a book under his own steam, promoting himself without consulting or even informing anyone in the party in advance. Then to do a round of interviews in which he positions himself as an enemy of his own party's establishment. Which is, to put it mildly, rather odd coming from the man who sits atop it:

Firing back at his critics Friday, Steele said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network that he did not write the book for members of Congress. "I've been in a little bit of trouble, but I don't care because I didn't write this for them," he said. For staff members who are trying to "get the chairman on message or muzzle the chairman, it's a book they don't want you to read." 

In another interview he claimed that he "didn't ask for this job", which as one commentator has already pointed out, is bizarre, seeing as he campaigned vigorously and openly for it.

Here's my favourite bit though:

"I'm the guy that they're afraid of because, guess what? I'm a Tea Partier, I'm a town haller, I'm a grass-roots-er," Steele said in an interview Thursday with KTRS (550 AM) in St. Louis.

Also: a joker, a smoker, and a midnight toker.

Steele's days are (unfortunately) numbered. The GOP can just about contain one Sarah Palin. But two? And one in the chair? In yet another interview, he says, referring to his colleagues in Washington:

"These folks are the problem, not the solution. Get with the program. I'm the chairman. Deal with it."

I have a feeling they're about to do just that.

UPDATE: or maybe not. They're stuck with him apparently.