Former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele is in negotiations with MSNBC to be a political analyst, according to sources.

I won’t apologize for it. As a Frederick Douglass Republican, I support Michael Steele’s bid for re-election as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Despite criticism from the media and fellow Republicans, RNC head Michael Steele is looking more likely to win a second term as chairman.

Just this past week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee. All smiles when he greeted me, we sat down on the now infamous Fire Nancy Pelosi Bus in the heart of Harlem. Chairman Steele had a clear, determined, and heartfelt message. Be active.

While discussing the goals of the Republican Party, Steele was clear that being active and being pushed out of their comfort zone was an important element in gaining and keeping support of the American people. He cited growing urban activism and promising candidates such as Michael Faulkner who was campaigning in Harlem, and whom Steele stood up for during an event at Gospel Uptown that day. He also had a very decided opinion on the Tea Party. While “our friends” on the left have put forth this idea there is rift between the Republican establishment and the Tea party, Michael says it simply doesn’t exist.

The Frum Forum blog provides the latest run-down on the controversy surrounding comments made by Michael Steele on President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy.

It seems as though every time a shot for progress is made for the Republican Party, a salvo is returned in the culture war within the GOP

The political blame game for Black America’s recent woes can be played ad nauseum from both sides, but the real political game for Black America centers around this: no true struggle for progress has ever been won with one hand on the rope as we pulled Black America to a better place. Civil Rights were not secured in the 20th Century with only the power of the clergy leading the Movement. It took the work of the working class, the celebrity class, and the elite class of African-Americans infusing the political dynamic of America to make change in America. The same was true for ending slavery in the 19th Century, as former slaves, freed Blacks, grassroots abolitionists, and legislators toiled to end America’s greatest moral crime.

Why does Black America think overcoming this current collective crisis should be any different?

Michael Steele knows the party he pledges allegiance to has alienated quite of few of those who look like him.
Speaking candidly about race and Republicans, the Republican National Committee chairman bluntly acknowledged that the GOP has done little to convince blacks to support them on the ballot.

As he explained to DePaul University students last week: “We have lost sight of the historic, integral link between the party and African-Americans. This party was co-founded by blacks, among them Frederick Douglass. The Republican Party had a hand in forming the NAACP, and yet we have mistreated that relationship. People don’t walk away from parties, their parties walk away from them.”

I’m surprised he didn’t make the obligatory reference to Abraham Lincoln in answering why the party of red rarely resonates with the black and brown faction of the electorate.

With minorities on their way to becoming the majority in this country, the Grand Old Party is doing a disservice to itself by consistently propping up older white male Protestants candidates — and women who sound exactly like them.

The President of Republicans for Black Empowerment responds to Kathleen Parkers April 7th, Washington Post column entitled “Michael Steele’s problem isn’t race – its pride”

“Taxpayers deserve to know why the president’s $787 billion stimulus package failed to keep unemployment below 8 percent. We deserve to know why his government takeover of health care stalled somewhere between the House and the Senate, if according to President Obama, the American people support it.

When radical liberal groups like the NAACP, or the Congressional Black Caucus say that Lott’s comment were racist and Reid’s were not; what they mean is they agree with how Reid votes, therefore he can’t be racist. I disagree with most things the Catholic Church stands for, but does that make me anti-Catholic? Why can’t Lott disagree with Blacks on affirmative action, King’s birthday, or certain government programs without being labeled a racist?

How many of you know that Lott was one of the main sponsors of a bill that allocated over a billion dollars to Black universities to update their technology infrastructure? Blacks must be more strategic and less emotional. Just because one disagrees with a person’s voting record does not mean the person is a racist. This is part of the reason for the push back on a lot of racial issues by whites. They don’t want to be vilified simply because they have a different view. Any fair minded person would agree. That’s why dialogue is very important in matters like these.

If you want to get a reaction out of a largely black audience, tell them you’re a black Republican. Black members of the GOP are the butt of jokes from comedians, in TV shows and in movies. A member of al-Qaeda probably would give a black Republican a run for his money in terms of who is more disliked in the black community. The sense of being a turncoat against your race is pervasive.

The words “Uncle Tom” and “Token” are political and psychological terms often used by Democrats towards minority Republicans. They are effective manipulative tools which seek to exert in-group pressure on minorities who do not think like they do! No better proof of this is the recent, hateful and unprofessional comments made by a recent guest of Keith Olberman: former Newsweek columnist named Richard Wolffe.

Steele was elected by the entire RNC membership, which is a national election. If anyone deserves to be at the policy making table, speaking for the membership of a national political party, it is Steele – not a Senator from Kentucky or a Representative from Ohio. Simply put, the Republican congressional leadership had their chance to shape policy for six years; the result of their failure was felt in 2006 (losing the majority) and 2008 (losing the Presidency) to Barack Obama.

RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s appearance at Howard University is a sign of change, but people perhaps are focusing too much on the short term appearance versus the long term implications.