Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele told ABCNews.com today that he’ll “come after” Republicans who support the stimulus or health care reform. He also said “we want to partner as much as possible” with tea partiers.
Steele was asked if it would be OK to have 2010 candidates who’ve supported the stimulus or health care reform.
“That’s where the line gets a little bit tricky … Candidates who live in moderate to slightly liberal districts have got to walk a little bit carefully here, because you do not want to put yourself in a position where you’re crossing that line on conservative principles, fiscal principles,” Steele said.
“Because we’ll come after you. You’re gonna find yourself in a very tough hole if you’re arguing for the president’s stimulus plan or Nancy Pelosi’s health plan. There’s no justification for growing the size of government the way this administration and this Congress wants to do it,” he continued.
Watch the video here.
He also hinted that the RNC will move further right and try to capture the support of tea partiers.
“We still are and remain the conservative party,” he said.
“The challenge now, as you see the emergence of the 9/12 movement and the tea parties and so forth, [is to] help them appreciate that we’re with them, we’re walking that walk with them,” he said. “We’re making the same arguments they’re making about government intrusion into health care and the economy, stripping our freedoms, and that is a very difficult walk.
“We want to partner as much as possible,” Steele said.
