Daily Caller broke the story on the RNC expenses under Chairman Michael Steele: Like $17,514 spent on on chartering airplanes – that was just February. Then there’s this “little” trip made to LA, they write:
A February RNC trip to California, for example, included a $9,099 stop at the Beverly Hills Hotel, $6,596 dropped at the nearby Four Seasons, and $1,620.71 spent [update: the amount is actually $1,946.25] at Voyeur West Hollywood, a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex.
That is shameful and appalling! Though Steele himself was not involved in that “outing,” it happened and was approved of under his watch. Trips to Las Vegas, a midwinter trip to Hawaii, he has aides who say he’s not working on fundraising or candidate recruitment. In my opinion it seems like he’s promoting himself, not the party, and certainly not conservatism.
And here is the clincher:
A March 20 FEC filing shows the RNC has $9.5 million cash on hand. Steele began his tenure with $22.8 million, and has since raised $96.2 million. During the same period, however, the RNC has spent $109.6 million, for a deficit of $13.4 million. That spending included aid to the campaigns that elected Gov. Bob McDonnell in Virginia and Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey.
The RNC has spent more than it has taken in. We can’t campaign on fiscal discipline if our own party won’t demonstrate it themselves, I mean I would have thought Iowa Governor Chet Culver was running the show with a report like this! It’s time for the RNC to look for somebody with less flash and more competence. It’s time for Chairman Steele to go.
Update: Talked with a National Committeeman that I know tonight. Since he’s not up for re-election yet it would take a 2/3 majority vote to oust him. While there are probably at least 40 who would want to do so it will be a tall order. Those on the fence about this… is this the way to run any type of organization? No.