Republican National Committee head says he’s tired of infighting, ‘nitpicking’ within party

Steele tired of ‘nitpicking’ within GOP ranks

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Thursday he’s tired of infighting within GOP ranks after heated primaries this year, telling party members they must stay unified to win in November.

Steele rallied activists during a stop at the Arkansas Republican Party headquarters in Little Rock. He reiterated the national party’s support for the winners of Republican primaries in Delaware and Alaska, where well-known Republicans were defeated by tea party-backed candidates.

“It’s important that our party come together, that we work together and we support our nominees and we stay encouraged. I am tired of folks nitpicking and folks backbiting and finding a reason to fight,” Steele told the crowd. “Let’s fight after we win.”

Steele was in Arkansas as part of a national “Fire Pelosi” bus tour aimed at rallying Republican efforts to take back the House in the November elections. Republicans have focused on Arkansas, where Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln is trailing Republican Rep. John Boozman in most polls for her re-election bid and GOP leaders are confident they’ll pick up two U.S. House seats currently held by Democrats.

Steele, who also made stops in Tennessee and Mississippi on Thursday, defended the party’s efforts after an audience member questioned whether the GOP was interfering to back establishment candidates in Delaware and Alaska.

In Delaware, Rep. Mike Castle — a nine-term moderate Republican congressman — lost the Senate primary last week against Christine O’Donnell. Some national and Delaware Republicans have said O’Donnell cannot win in November against Democratic county executive Chris Coons.

In Alaska, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowksi has mounted a write-in campaign for her re-election bid after losing the GOP primary to tea party favorite Joe Miller.

Steele declined to name who he blamed for the infighting but said he didn’t believe it would stymie the party’s efforts in November.

“I don’t think it’s going to spoil us unless we allow it to eat up on us and take control of our efforts,” Steele told reporters. “The focus for me right now, whether you’re talking in Delaware or anywhere else in the country, is we have nominees who are in very competitive races who stand a very good chance of winning, and I refuse to allow anyone or anything to stand in the way of that.”

Steele said the party needs to let its own ranks choose its nominees in primaries and then back the winner.

“We have come a long way, and I’m just not happy with those who want to sit back and find reasons and faults for our candidates. No one’s perfect, and no one claims to be,” Steele said. “All they’re trying to do is put their best foot forward in a primary, be as competitive as they can, and the people get to decide who wins, not some group of people sitting in an ivory tower in D.C. or elsewhere picking and choosing winners.”

Arkansas Democrats dismissed Steele’s visit, saying the party was relying on an outsider and questioned Steele and other Republicans’ vision for the country.

“It is a vision where ethics cannot be found and the deficit exploding, Social Security destroying, middle class crippling ideas of the Republican Party are the law of the land,” said Joel Coon, a spokesman for the party.