Republican National Committee

An article about Republican National Committee television ads in Wednesday's editions of The Sun miscast remarks made by Mike Collins, the RNC's press secretary.Forty percent of the costs of such ads are paid for with money from donors "whose monies support state and local party-building activities," he said. He did not describe these donors as special interests.Pub Date: 10/30/98

The Harford County Republican Central Committee earlier this year approved a resolution relating to Senate Bill 236 and recently provided a copy for publication. The resolution affirms citizens private property rights, condemns the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 236) AKA "The Septic Bill. " The nonbinding resolution, already had been passed by the Republican National Committee. Essentially the nonbinding resolution addresses [United Nations]

The Republican National Committee's approach to repairing the Republican Party will never succeed ("Diversify or die, Republican National Committee is told," April 13). Their attempt to be genuine with women and Latino voters cannot be achieved because anti-abortion and anti-immigration views are core values of their party. As far as addressing misconceptions, I know exactly what they stand for, so I don't see any misconceptions. They need to split the party if they want to get the American voters to show any interest.

The Republican National Committee's approach to repairing the Republican Party will never succeed ("Diversify or die, Republican National Committee is told," April 13). Their attempt to be genuine with women and Latino voters cannot be achieved because anti-abortion and anti-immigration views are core values of their party. As far as addressing misconceptions, I know exactly what they stand for, so I don't see any misconceptions. They need to split the party if they want to get the American voters to show any interest.

Do you support the health care reform bill nearing final passage in the Senate? Yes 23% No 76% Not sure 2% (3,357 votes, results not scientific) Next poll: : Is it appropriate for Michael S. Steele to give paid speeches for thousands of dollars apiece while serving full-time as chairman of the Republican National Committee? Vote at baltimoresun.com/vote

WASHINGTON - A member of the Republican National Committee called yesterday for Michael S. Steele to step down as the party's national chairman, a job that Maryland's former lieutenant governor has held for less than five weeks. The demand by Dr. Ada Fisher came in the wake of Steele's recent squabble with talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh over Republican leadership. Fisher termed the flap a "Republican horror show" and predicted that donations to the party from conservatives would dry up as a result, according to The Hill , the Washington newspaper that first reported the contents of her e-mail to fellow committee members.

WASHINGTON -- William Bennett, the White House's controversial choice to head the Republican National Committee, has decided not take the job because of financial considerations."

Jeanie Austin,66, co-chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1989 to 1992, died Saturday in Orlando, Fla., two weeks after she was diagnosed with bone cancer. Second in power and influence to fellow co-chairman Lee Atwater during the Bush administration, she was a tireless party builder, traveling around the country and urging working people -- especially women -- to vote Republican. In 1984, she launched an improbable bid to become chairman of the party in Florida. Under her leadership, Republican voter registration climbed from 36 percent to 42 percent, Bob Martinez became the first Republican elected governor in 20 years and Connie Mack won the U.S. Senate seat held for 18 years by Democrat Lawton Chiles.

Herbert Barness, 74, a millionaire real estate developer and prominent Republican fund-raiser, died Saturday in Doylestown, Pa.Mr. Barness' family business, the Barness Organization, is one of the largest developers of houses and shopping malls in the area. His parents, Mary and Joe Barness, launched the business 73 years ago.Mr. Barness used his wealth to support the political campaigns of prominent Republicans, such as Sen. Arlen Specter. He was a member of the Republican National Committee at the time of his death.

DANA POINT, Calif. - If the election-night phone call from President Bush didn't convince Gov.-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. of the significance of his win, perhaps the congratulations from Bo Derek did. The Hollywood actress was among the throng celebrating Ehrlich's victory as the nation's Republican governors gathered at this oceanfront resort to talk politics and policy for the first time since the Nov. 5 elections. Although Derek was a featured guest at a private Thursday night party thrown by former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour, Ehrlich has been receiving something of the star treatment himself.

Just as one Maryland politician was elected to head the state Republican Party, another is in danger of losing his job running the national GOP. The simple thread that connects outgoing state Sen. Alex X. Mooney's election as chairman of the state party and former Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele's uphill battle for a second term as head of the national party is money. Mr. Mooney laid out a plan for raising gobs of it, and Mr. Steele has seen fundraising lag and expenses rise at party headquarters.

Is it appropriate for Michael S. Steele to give paid speeches for thousands of dollars apiece while serving full-time as chairman of the Republican National Committee? Yes 47% No 48% Not sure 5% (858 votes, results not scientific) Next poll: : Did you spend more, less or about the same on presents this holiday season than you did in 2008? Vote at baltimoresun.com/vote

Michael S. Steele hit the nail on the head the other day when he noted that Republicans are generally stuck in a rut when it comes to addressing black audiences. Speaking in New York City at the 100th convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the chairman of the Republican National Committee observed, "I spent some time looking at previous remarks by Republicans before this body, and I was struck by the litany of phrases that Republicans often cut and paste into a speech ... 'Party of Lincoln' four or five times ... oh, and one of my favorites, 'Bull Connor was a Democrat.

WASHINGTON - A member of the Republican National Committee called yesterday for Michael S. Steele to step down as the party's national chairman, a job that Maryland's former lieutenant governor has held for less than five weeks. The demand by Dr. Ada Fisher came in the wake of Steele's recent squabble with talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh over Republican leadership. Fisher termed the flap a "Republican horror show" and predicted that donations to the party from conservatives would dry up as a result, according to The Hill , the Washington newspaper that first reported the contents of her e-mail to fellow committee members.

After suffering double-digit drubbings in the last two elections that left House and Senate Republicans in the minority and Democrat Barack Obama in the White House, the GOP is desperate for new leadership and fresh ideas. The election last week of former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele as the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee signaled party loyalists' desire for a different tone and direction. But unless Mr. Steele, a frequent political commentator on television talk shows, can persuade Republican lawmakers in Congress to break with the disastrous policies of former president George W. Bush, it's hard to see how he alone can rebuild the party's ranks and help win back the power Republicans recently wielded in Washington.

Washington - Six Republicans hoping to lead their party back from recent national election defeats acknowledged yesterday that they must close a technology gap with Barack Obama and the Democrats and learn to compete in traditionally Democratic states. In their first, and perhaps only, public debate, the contenders to be the next national Republican chairman avoided attacking each other. But they had surprisingly sharp words of criticism for their party's departing two-term president. Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell drew applause from the Republican audience when he compared George W. Bush to Herbert Hoover and charged that Bush "has opened up the door to Mr. Obama's big government."

Barack Obama disclosed yesterday that he raised $35.9 million in the first 15 days of October, after a jaw-dropping $150 million in September. Although his fundraising pace slowed, Obama's September-October surge all but guarantees that he will outspend John McCain and the Republican National Committee in the closing days of the presidential campaign. The latest fundraising numbers provide further evidence that Obama made the right decision when he opted not to take federal funds for the general election campaign, instead relying on his ever-growing donor base of more than 3 million people, whose average donation size is $86. McCain, by contrast, accepted a federal grant of $84.1 million.

WASHINGTON - Last year, with some fanfare, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele joined two prominent Republican moderates in announcing the revival of a centrist political organization, the Republican Leadership Council. Now, Steele's name has mysteriously disappeared from the RLC's Web site. Until recently, he was prominently listed as one of three co-founders, along with former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and former Missouri Sen. John Danforth. The change apparently happened within the past week, according to an Internet search.