Steele Criticizes Obama Over Voting Rights License Plates
Michael Steele, former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and current chairman of the Republican National Committee, today chided President Barack Obama for not putting "Taxation Without Representation" license plates on the presidential limousine. Steele made his remarks during WTOP's "Politics Program With Mark Plotkin."
In a statement to the press, D.C. GOP Chair Robert Kabel applauded Steele's support of D.C. voting rights, stating, "Chairman Steele doesn't just talk a good game but he enthusiastically believes in D.C. Voting Rights. District Republicans are honored to have a D.C. native leading our Party and talking about our issues."
The D.C. GOP has long supported enfranchising District residents, and we know that in a personal capacity, D.C. native Steele has too. But is this a formal statement of policy from the Republican Party? If so, well, consider it time to party and get some legislation through Congress! If not, chalk it up to one more time where Steele says something that he has to backtrack on.
Spare a few principled defenders of District voting rights like former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), the Republican Party hasn't exactly earned what we would like to call a stellar report card on D.C. budget autonomy, home rule or voting rights. Many Democrats have failed in this area, too, but it has been mostly Republicans standing between the District and their voting rights by adding amendments that they know will stink up the whole deal. (Yes, Sen. Ensign, we're looking at you.) Other Republican members of Congress, like Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.), forcefully do not believe that D.C. residents deserve their own representative because.
Of course, Steele carefully avoided any mention of actual D.C. voting rights from what we can see, sticking instead to criticizing Obama for simply not putting the taxation tags on his car. But at this point it's hard to care if any politicians put the tags on their car, Democrat or Republican -- we just want something done about the whole 200-year-old injustice thing.