Opinion: Newt Gingrich on the Republican National Committee: Tiny group of ‘precious’ people

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who led the historic Republican Revolution of 1994 that gave his party control of both houses of Congress and might well be a 2012 presidential candidate, has a few typically pithy -- and critical -- words for his own Republican National Committee.

The national committees of both parties are charged with fund-raising and developing national election strategies, plus helping to recruit and train candidates.

The committees tend to play a more important role when they do not hold the White House, which controls political strategy.

After losing the White House in November and both houses of Congress, RNC Chairman Michael Steele faces a major rebuilding -- and rebranding and reunifying -- job for his 155-year-old party.

Appearing on C-SPAN’s ‘Washington Journal’ today (see video below), Gingrich was asked about reports of internal RNC feuding and efforts by the party’s 168-member RNC to put spending controls on its new chairman, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland and the first African American to head the party of Lincoln.

Steele has had a rocky few initial weeks, as has his party adapting to the popular new Obama administration.

Asked if he thought the curbing attempts on Steele were leftover resentments from January’s six-ballot struggle to elect a new chair, Gingrich agreed.

Then, with the usual shyness that has made him a very popular party speaker even 11 years after he stepped down, Gingrich added:

The Republican National Committee is this tiny group of people, some of whom have been there 20 years or more. And they all think they’re precious. And they all think they should be taken care of. And they all think that the job of the chairman first of all is to make the RNC members happy.

Chances are few of those tiny people -- or was it a tiny group of people? -- will be feeling too happy watching this video. Gingrich has more to say on it. Worth watching.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Speaking of people, the number of Ticket readers is growing exponentially on Twitter. You can register here for automatic alerts on each new item. Or follow us @latimestot