Newswise — Michael S. Steele and his supporters should embrace a proposed system of checks and balances on the Republican National Committee chairman's spending power, says Vanderbilt University political scientist Carol Swain.
Steele has blasted a proposal by some of the committee's current and former officers, including treasurer Randy Pullen, to impose new controls on Steele's power to award contracts and spend money on legal and other services.
Swain, a professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt, said that this has become an unnecessary distraction for Steele and the Republican Party. "For Steele to wage a battle against the monetary restraints invites a revisit of past accusations of financial impropriety, which is counter-productive," she said. "For the Republicans, such a fight with its first black national chairman will bring back accusations of racism."
Steele has accused his opponents of scheming to transfer the RNC chairman's authority to the treasurer and the executive committee. However, Swain believes that having practical monetary checks in place would increase the confidence of major donors and help the party raised needed funds for future elections.
Supporters of the resolution are working to get enough signatures for a vote by the full Republican National Committee at a May 20 meeting.
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