The Washington Times, in an exclusive, reports that Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, has four agencies booking him speaking engagements for which he receives between $8,000 to $20,000 plus first-class travel and accommodations.
Nice work, if you can get it — especially on top of a $223,500 salary.
Steele’s shilling for shekels is not sitting well with former RNC chairs:
“Holy mackerel, I never heard of a chairman of either party ever taking money for speeches,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., RNC chairman under President Reagan and CEO of the American Gaming Association.
“The job of a national chairman is to give speeches. That’s what the national party pays him for. We didn’t have a rule book back then, but being national chairman was and is a full-time job,” Mr. Fahrenkopf said.
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson, who served in that position from 1997 to 2000 and was President George W. Bush’s Veterans Affairs secretary from 2005 to 2007, said the job “demands so much of your time that you can work 24/7 and not get everything done, so taking time out to speak for the benefit of one’s own bank account is not appropriate.”
Steele’s response was typically flippant when confronted with the evidence:
“This is silly. Many Democrat and Republican national chairmen have regularly received outside income,” said RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho.
“Michael Steele has been giving inspirational speeches based on his personal story long before he was elected RNC chairman and will long after,” Ms. Gitcho said.
Well, I mean it’s not like it’s not Republican-like behavior, after all ….
It looks like the republicans are looking for a way to finally get rid of Michael Steele.