RNC's Michael Steele Appears At Sharpton's Convention

Photograph of the Rev. Al Sharpton introducing RNC chairman Michael Steele by Frank Franklin II/AP

Yesterday, the Rev. Al Sharpton kicked of the three-day National Action Network Convention in Midtown, welcoming Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Steele gave the keynote address, "One thing I've learned is that you can't please everyone. But you can certainly make them all mad at you at the same time."

That was in reference to claims that he spent thousands at Los Angeles bars and a bondage-themed club. Steele also said, "I work every day in this job, as I like to put it, to turn the elephant... Now, I don't know if you ever had to turn an elephant, but the end you have to start with is not necessarily the best place to start." The Daily News, which wondered if Steele was "comparing some in his own party to an elephant's rear end," reports, "Aides later stressed that Steele was not referring to anyone in particular and was only talking about his efforts to better position his party."

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Seblius spoke yesterday as well; others on the slate are Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Bill Cosby. And while education and health care reform will be discussed, Sharpton told MyFoxNY that civil rights and racial inequality are a top priority, "The average African American student is four years behind the average white student in reading and mathematics. The challenge of the 21st century is equality- how do we make life equal for everyone."

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By Jen Chung in News on April 15, 2010 9:51 AM

Comments [rss]

thunder-lips

LOL this is just like in the wire. Trying to save face. Shiiiiiiiiiit

ANGRYGOD11

RNC's Michael Steele is doing a terrible job, but you have to give him some credit for appealing to a tough crowd.

hotstepper

actually he's doing a great job. his unstable leadership is forming divisions within the rank-and-file of the GOP.

keep up the good work Mikey!

hotstepper

well, sharpton is an elephant-sized ass, so steele's description seems rather apropos for the event.

Rocknrope

Is this Steele's idea of how to get jiggy with it?

Ishtar

""The average African American student is four years behind the average white student in reading and mathematics. The challenge of the 21st century is equality- how do we make life equal for everyone." "

There are a lot of problems with schools in urban areas, but parents really need to be their child's first teacher.

Boogie Down

Exactly. I was reading before kindergarten because my parents took the time to help me learn before I even reached school. By the first grade, all of my schooling was in a second language (immersion program). My parents realized in order for me to succeed, they would need to play a major role in my development. It's worth noting that we were low-income, but my parents didn't want me to be stuck there forever. It's about effort, not economics.