Can GOP bend Steele into shape?

Michael S. Steele, the embattled and flamboyant Republican National Committee chairman, is about to face the music. And though he composed the tune, he's apparently lost the right key and is now singing out of harmony with the GOP's political establishment. Though many party leaders remain silent in their criticism of Steele, a growing chorus is speaking up and preparing to turn off his microphone.

Imagine the kind of sour notes that may force the chairman to curtail his ability to serve as the GOP's top attack dog in a crucial election year. Imagine the cacophony of infighting being raised if his critics successfully force him to halt his national book tour and to donate his book's profits to GOP candidates. Imagine the kind of choir that would direct its leader not to take the show on the road.

Talk about disharmony.

Steele, an African American who made history in 2003 when he was elected lieutenant governor of Maryland and again in 2009 when he was elected RNC chairman, is my friend. Granted, we don't share much in terms of core American values or political philosophy or ideology. Nevertheless, we share a bond. Both of us grew up under similar circumstances of struggle, and he's every bit as street savvy as I am.

Steele is in hot water for disturbing the party establishment, its donors and its old-school ways. Someone forgot to tell the chairman that he's not in charge - he's just a figurehead or, dare I say it, "window dressing" for a party on the fringe.

Moments after taking to the airwaves to promote his new book, "Right Now: A 12-step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda," Steele offended members of his party by letting it all hang out. Not only did he tell party leaders critical of him to either fire him or "shut up," he also dared to speak the truth about the 2010 midterm elections. "Republicans won't win back the House in fall elections," he predicted, "and might not be ready to lead even if they do."

GOP elders are considering offering a resolution at the upcoming winter meeting in Hawaii to demand that Steele spend more time at party headquarters and less time on the road. In addition, noted The Washington Times, the resolution would also "direct him to donate to the RNC and Republican candidates all proceeds from the book."

When it comes to Republican politics, I guess it literally doesn't pay to speak truth to power.

No sooner did this story hit the media than another smear story spread by insiders appeared that Steele is "hard to deal with." Now what could this really mean? Once again, the choir leaders (not Democrats or partisans) have complained to the media that Steele is "making the job harder" because he simply can't stay on message. This begs the question: Did anyone vet Steele before approving him on the third ballot?

In fulfilling their fantasy of finding the right leader to help them navigate their way back into the majority, the Republican establishment apparently didn't properly screen Steele, or it would have known that he has a long history of accusing the GOP establishment of being part of the problem.

Always an independent voice and party rebel, Steele had frequently criticized the GOP for falling out of "touch with typical Americans" and for the party's failure of living up to "conservative principles in a misguided effort to maintain and expand their political influence."

During the book tour, Steele has been singing from the hymn book that matters to him with lyrics inspired by town-hallers, tea partiers and, as he continues to repeat on just about every conservative-leaning talk show, "anyone who is simply fed up with a federal government drunk on power."

It will be interesting to see how the 168 members of the RNC will deal with Steele when they gather in the tranquil and warm climate located in President Obama's hometown of Honolulu. Though I am not sure whether Steele can survive the sharp rebuke expected from RNC members, just imagine them trying to tell him that his book tour is over when no one complained about former RNC Chairman's Haley Barbour's book.

Can you imagine anyone telling Steele to cancel his pet projects when other chairmen were allowed to continue their previous activities?

The bottom line is Steele is the lead singer in a band without so much as one strong backup singer. If the committee finds his book distracting or his leadership wanting, this will not only destroy what's left of the so-called "big tent" of the GOP, it will hurt the party's chances of clawing their way back to majority status because independents will see the GOP for what it has morphed into: a small, radical, irrelevant, out-of-step party with no clue how to govern a racially diverse nation.

So go ahead, RNC members: Fire Michael Steele. You will soon realize that it's tough to shut up someone who has made a name for himself for writing his own music as well as speaking his mind.

© 2010, United Features Syndicate Inc.