RNC could force Steele to end book tour

Some members of the Republican National Committee are weighing whether to force Chairman Michael Steele to suspend his book tour, or to turn future book and speaking tour profits over to the RNC.

No formal resolution to sanction Steele has been prepared or is in preparation, and "concrete plans" do not yet exist, one top committee member stressed Wednesday.

But a series of e-mails exchanged recently between RNC leaders suggests such a formal rebuke may still be on the horizon, in time for the RNC's winter meeting in Honolulu at the end of this month.

The effort is the result of growing frustration over Steele's new book, Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda. Party leaders are especially furious that they learned of the book's release only after the fact. Not even Steele's staff seemed to know of the forthcoming tome, according to media reports.

Compounding some Republicans' dyspepsia over Steele's leadership are comments he has made throughout his media tour promoting the book. In particular, Steele suggested earlier this month that he did not believe Republicans would win back the House in 2010, a message that seemed to conflict with (and later provoked the ire of) Republican operatives working to accomplish that very goal.

Steele has since fired back at his critics — at one point, suggesting concerned GOP leaders either "shut up" or fire him.

Consequently, some Republicans now seem interested in pursuing a resolution that would require Steele to forgo future profits on his book and halt his promotional tour altogether. Those plans are far from solid, stressed David Norcross, former general counsel for the RNC.

Norcross later stressed to The Hill he was not "taking the lead on something like that," contrary to media reports that indicated otherwise. He did, however, say he would "take a look" at such a resolution, if it is ultimately drafted and proposed.

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