Ben Smith:
Another blow to Michael Steele: Alex Castellanos, whose presence as an unpaid adviser was meant to smooth the impression of chaos last time a senior aide quit, suggested on CNN just now that Steele should resign.
"Chairman Steele, I think, has lost the support of two important constituencies in the Republican Party," he said, referring to the Congressional leadership and "a lot of our major donors, the donors who provide the money, the lifeblood, the oxygen the Republican Party needs to succeed on its mission to take back control of the House
"Perhaps a change in leadership here would thaw that and allow that support to flow," Castellanos said.
Castellanos also told CNN that he'd ended his relationship with the RNC, where he was an unpaid communications advisor. Castellanos joined the ranks of Sean Mahoney, an RNC Committeman who quit his post earlier today, slamming Steele on his way out the door.
NH RNC member Sean Mahoney resigned his post today, taking aim at chairman Michael Steele in a strongly-worded protest letter over the committee's profligate spending.
"Not only has the out-of-touch, free-spending culture of Washington come to completely dominate the United States Congress, but I have watched with growing unease as the same mentality has seeped into our own national party," Mahoney said in a letter to Steele.
Mahoney and Castellanos are not alone. Curt Anderson, a consultant to the RNC and a former Steele ally, was enraged by Steele's firing of Ken McKay firing. Anderson released a statement slamming Steele's decision. In addition, a top Republican operative told Chris Cilliza that Steele's actions were giving the Bondage-gate story new life and sending all the wrong signals.
"Moving around deck chairs on the Titanic didn't make a darn bit of difference (or sense) either," e-mailed one senior Republican operative, who discussed the departure on the condition of anonymity, to avoid damaging the party. "If Ken's resignation was to signal a positive shake-up at the RNC, it will actually have the opposite effect. He was one of the few level-headed and widely respected aides at the committee."
The best part of that statement? That the operative demanded anonymity "to avoid damaging the party." Newsflash, buddy: the damage has been done. Right now, we're just watching the ship sink.
