Syndicated
Rule 11: Why Steele has no say on Crist
There were a series of questions about whether the RNC would endorse Arlen Specter. Michael Steele has been asked about endorsing Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. And now people are getting their underwear in a knot about Charlie Crist.
I hate to be super pedantic, but the RNC does not make the endorsement decision. A state’s delegation to the Republican National Committee control that process. And Sharon Day, RNC Secretary and Florida Republican National Committeewoman, has refused to support an RNC endorsement:
Sharon Day, of Fort Lauderdale, who holds the post of national Republican committeewoman from Florida, refused Greer’s request to sign a letter authorizing the national Republican Party to help Crist in the primary.
Party rules say the party must stay neutral in primaries unless all three members of the national committee from a state sign a letter authorizing the party to take sides. Greer, also a national committee member, and Paul Senft of Bartow, Florida’s national committeeman, have both signed the letter.
This is the so-called "Rule 11".
Can we not play gotcha politics with Michael Steele and his endorsement of various candidates? The guy’s hands are tied.