Flexible Steele

Michael Steele brags about his three years studying for the priesthood and says that he "attends mass regularly" in his campaign biography. For such a pious man who declares that he wants an "honest conversation" with Marylanders, Steele sure has a problem stating what he thinks and making up his mind on the issues. In 2004, he adored President Bush and heaped praise on Fearless Leader and the Iraq War. More recently, Steele accepted heaps of money for his Senate campaign at events headlined by Dick Cheney and Karl Rove.

The lite gov appears to have had a striking change of heart. Just the other day, Steele anonymously lambasted the Administration's bungling of the Iraq War ("It didn't work") and Hurricane Katrina ("a monumental failure"). He even went so far as to declare that Bush is so unpopular that running as Republican is like wearing a "scarlet letter". Steele presumably had an inkling that these comments might become public knowledge since he was speaking with a reporter from the Washington Post at the time.

However, keeping up with the mind of Michael Steele is not for the slow-footed. Today, the Baltimore Sun reports that Steele maintains he was joking when he spoke with Post reporter Dana Milbank. Bush is back to being his "homeboy". Showing real chutzpah, Steele even said that "I am not going to turn my back on a friend" even though this is precisely what he did by stabbing Bush in the back anonymously in the Post.

Only under the theory that Steele was acting with the knowledge of a Bush White House could Steele honestly make this claim. Of course, this requires believing that the White House is so eager to pick up a Senate seat in a place as unlikely to elect a Republican as Maryland that they actually countenanced Steele's disingenuous comments in advance. Since the President doesn't even accept advice from friends, let alone take well to the mildest criticism, this theory stretches credulity. Of course, one never knows with this bunch. Remember these are the same honest Joes who promised to get to the bottom of the Plame leak.

As Tom Schaller has reported, this is hardly the first time Steele has had a problem with either consistency or the truth. Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Steele, Gov. Ehrlich and their communications director, claim that Oreos were thrown at Steele during the 2002 gubernatorial debate. Except that they cannot get their stories straight and have told widely varying version of this event which most likely never happened.

None of the many reporters at the event recalls seeing the infamous Oreos. Apparently, not one was caught on videotape either. One might have suspected that the event would have made the news if it had occurred as this is exactly the sort of drama that reporters live to cover. Oreos raining down on Steele would have been far more memorable than anything which was said at the debate. It would have made great television too. One might also have thought that Ehrlich or Steele might have raised it during the campaign as it could have helped them.

To paraphrase Judge Judy, if it makes no sense, it did not happen. Steele and Ehrlich must be lying.

Unfortunately, Steele's problem with the truth and lack of consistency are becoming his strongest campaign themes. Which makes me very glad that Steele goes to church a lot. As Ann Landers used to say, church is a hospital for sinners rather than a museum for saints. At this point, I'd say Steele is ready for the intensive care unit.