MTP Transcript for Oct. 29

REP. CARDIN: A systematic plan will give the Iraqis an opportunity to stand up and take responsibility for their own country. A deadline of six months, of withdrawing all of our troops after six months, will leave chaos in Iraq. You have no plan! Read your own Web site: 168 pages.

LT. GOV. STEELE: Well, sir, you’re referring to a Web site. I mean...

REP. CARDIN: You — have a plan, have a plan! And we need to implement a plan in order that Iraqis have a best chance of stable government.

MR. RUSSERT: One of the issues in this campaign has been George W. Bush.

LT. GOV. STEELE: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: And, Mr. Steele, I was interested in reading this in The Washington Post. “The [Steele ads] never mention that Steele is running as a Republican, or that he is the second-highest-ranking member of his party in Maryland. Or that he was once chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. Indeed, the word ‘Republican’ doesn’t appear anywhere on Steele’s Web site, and his official bio omits his tenure as party chairman.” And if you go through your political life, it is quite interesting. At the Republican convention in 2004, here’s Michael Steele.

(Videotape, August 31, 2004):

LT. GOV. STEELE: These are the beliefs of our Republican Party. These are the beliefs and the principles that drew me to this party 28 years ago. And today, the standard-bearer of these convictions is George W. Bush.

(End videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: And then you read this in The New York Times Magazine: “Karl Rove called Michael Steele, the lieutenant governor of Maryland, to sell him on running for the Senate. ... Other top Republicans called. Senator Elizabeth Dole. Ken Mehlman, the party chairman. One day Steele’s cell phone rang, and Vice President Dick Cheney was on the other end.” Told WBAL in July, “I’ve been quoted before as calling the president my homeboy, and that’s how I feel.” If he’s your homeboy, why are you running away from him?

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