WASHINGTON — In the most favorable political environment for Republicans in decades, GOP chairman Michael Steele ordinarily might be lavished with praise for leading his party to the brink of a historic triumph.
Instead, he heads an organization that trails Democrats by $15 million in fundraising, is in debt and largely has been overshadowed by third-party groups that, in a few months, have raised almost as much as the Republican National Committee has since January 2009.
Frustration with the chairman is evident in some states.
In Ohio, where the governor’s race is in doubt and Republicans are challenging some Democratic House members, state party chairman Kevin DeWine recently wrote Steele that the $566,900 the RNC had transferred to date “simply pales in comparison” with 2004, 2006 and 2008.
Steele’s gaffes and missteps have clouded his nearly two-year tenure. In the past few weeks, he has been content to steer clear of the nation’s capital, making a 48-state tour to help GOP candidates.
The RNC has raised more than $79 million this year and has spent all of it — and then some. The RNC ended September with about $3.4 million in cash on hand and $4.6 million in debt. The RNC also took out a $2.5 million loan in September.
Steele had started the job with a $23 million surplus. That money is long gone. Still, he may receive favorable reviews from the 168-member central party, in part because of his spending.
Steele has doled out cash to some state parties. He’s paid the salaries of more than 350 operatives beyond Washington. He’s sent money to places that typically don’t benefit from the party’s donors, such as Democratic-leaning Illinois.
That has left Steele with plenty of goodwill from state leaders.
