Steele shifts gears to, well, something else

After what many would say has been a disastrous first month on the job, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele is taking steps to shift gears to rebuilding the RNC’s organization.

Step #1, according to the Washington Post: No more television interviews.

After two weeks of public drubbing over comments that included criticism of radio host Rush Limbaugh and a reference to abortion as a matter of “individual choice,” Steele is taking steps to address some of the concerns about his early gaffes. He has called a halt to his television appearances and curtailed national media interviews.

Instead, Steele is stepping up his outreach to the 168 members of the Republican National Committee who elected him, sending them frequent e-mail updates during the week and offering his personal cellphone number and e-mail address to members during a recent conference call.

In particular, Steele is looking to focus on fundraising.

After weeks of critical headlines, this story is probably a welcome one in RNC headquarters. I doubt they enjoyed this lede though:

Michael S. Steele, the man tapped six weeks ago to run the Republican National Committee, had never been known as a successful manager. He struggled to make money in a private legal consulting firm he founded before entering politics, led few winning races as the head of the Republican parties of Prince George’s County and later the state of Maryland, and lost in his attempts to win statewide office on his own.

jeremy.jacobs@digital-stage.thehill.com