In which Michael Steele displays the race card to the other players
before returning it to the bottom of the deck (pdf)
MICHAEL STEELE: And I think the President is absolutely right and I was very, very happy to hear the administration come out and make that stance with me that in this instance what we heard the--the eruption in the House was inappropriate. It was wrong. But, it was not racism.BOB 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.
MICHAEL STEELE: I--I--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, and I don't know if there's been a request made of Governor Corzine to step down in New Jersey. So I--I just find it to be stunning and also rather bold.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, you don't think he's asked him not to run because he's black?
MICHAEL STEELE: Oh, I don't think that, but I just find--I mean look, you--you have so few--if you're looking--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? So I just think that it's--it's just a curiosity for me that the President would inject, or the White House would inject itself into that debate when it's--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. And he'll survive it or not survive it.
Just as I find it to be stunning that Bob Schieffer chose, for some obscure reason, to burn up more than half of the screen time he gave one of the only one african-american Chairmen of the RNC to respond to the President's thoughts on health care discussing race.
Which, naturally, they both agree is irrelevant to the health care discussion, but it makes a terrific segue to discussing Governor Paterson, for some possibly related obscure reason.
So I just think that it's -- it's just a curiosity for me that Michael Steele would inject, or that Face the Nation would inject race into that story when it's -- I don't think it's appropriate nor necessary.
Rather bold, even.
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