By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
HARLEM — Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele emerged from a bus emblazoned with the words "Fire Pelosi" in Harlem on Tuesday to the cheers — loud, but very limited in number — of local supporters looking to oust Rep. Charles Rangel in next week's election.
Steele spoke on behalf of Rangel’s Republican challenger, Rev. Michael Faulkner, to an audience of roughly 50 supporters dwarfed by the cavernous event space at the Uptown Grand restaurant on 126th Street.
"With all due respect to Congressman Rangel, it’s time for a newer generation to come to the table," Steele said in an exclusive interview with DNAinfo after his public appearance. He explained that he believes Faulkner would better serve the people of Harlem than the embattled Rangel, who has been in office for nearly 40 years and now faces trial in the House on 13 ethics charges.
Steele also used his visit to Harlem as an opportunity to promote the GOP — which he referred to as the "Great Opportunity Party" — as a Manhattan-friendly party that should appeal to New Yorkers from all walks of life.
"This is not your mama and your daddy’s GOP anymore. It’s urban, it’s rural, it’s suburban, it’s hip-hop, it’s country, it’s Wall Street, it’s Harlem. We’ve got to be in all of those places," he told DNAinfo.
"We’ve allowed ourselves to be pigeonholed into this caricature of the country club elitist who’s far removed from the everyday pangs of life. Well that’s just baloney," Steele added.
The RNC chairman distanced his party from Wall Street during the interview, saying that his party could no longer be identified with the fat cats of finance.
"I know more Democrats who fit that stereotype than I do Republicans, quite honestly, and I look at the folks who are running Wall Street and I think they’re much more in line with the Democrats than they are with the GOP, if the last election is any indicator," Steele said.
As for his de facto support for bombastic Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, Steele said that as the party’s leader, he has to take the hand voters deal him when they go to the polls.
"In this business at this level when you’re the national chairman or the state party chairman, you take your nominees as you find them, as they’re given to you by the people through that process of the primary vote," Steele said. "They come with all kinds of issues, foibles, and blessings."
But Steele did admit that he was offended by racist e-mails Paladino purportedly has sent around, including a video depicting African tribesmen titled, "Obama Inauguration Rehearsal," and a picture of Barack Obama dressed like a pimp and wife Michelle dressed as a prostitute.
"I don’t live in New York, so I don’t get to exercise my frustration by voting for or against him," the party chairman reasoned.
