WOW! Michael Steele's turned a corner, gonna take 'em on, no more looking in the rear view mirror!

Steele: GOP must confront Obama's celebrity appeal



By BEN EVANS, Associated Press Writer Ben Evans, Associated Press Writer – Tue May 19, 9:04 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele likened President Barack Obama's popularity to that of a celebrity and said Republicans can't be afraid of criticizing him head-on if they want to regain their relevance.

"He's young. He's cool. He's hip ... he's got all the qualities America likes in a celebrity, so of course he's going to be popular," Steele told state party chairmen Tuesday. But "this is not American Idol. This is serious ... and we are going to take them on."

Steele said the GOP has owned up to the mistakes that caused its fall from power and is embarking on a renaissance.

"The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over," he said. "We have turned the corner. No more looking in the rearview mirror. From this point forward, we will focus all of our energies on winning the future."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090520/ap_on_el_ge/us_steele_republicans