Michael Steele: RNC Chair

The Republican National Committee has just elected as party chair the former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele. Steele won the 6th round of balloting against South Carolina's Katon Dawson (the tally: 91-77). Change has come to the RNC.

(Here's a US News & World Report piece, "Ten Things You Didn't Know About Michael Steele" from April of last year).

Update: The racists are well and truly freaking out over this. From Ben Smith:

One immediate consequence of Steele's ascent, though: Real hysteria on the racist fringe of the Republican Party, where David Duke (still around!) branded Steele a "black racist" and his fellow Republicans "traitors."

There is a serious question of whether this could push real committed racists, a small, but real and voting, minority, away from the GOP. Hard to see them returning to what's now the party of Barack Obama.

Duke also calls Steele "Obama junior" and complains that the GOP has turned its back on its "base states."