When is the last time the national Republican Party had a former
Teamster member running the show?
Answer: Never.
But that could change.
Hard to believe but a guy who was in the union when Jimmy Hoffa
was still kicking, actually has a shot at the top job in the GOP and to
hear Saul Anuzis tell it, he could pull this off.
It's his second bite of the apple as he ran once before and lost
to Michael Steele who has become his own worse enemy with some of the
dumb things he has said and done during his tenure.
Think "foot in mouth" disease.
Steele beat Mr. Anuzis the last time because the party needed a
voice and a face and being a former media talk show host, Steele fit
the bill.
This time out, Anuzis believes the GOP will have plenty of
faces, including the myriad of folks who will run for president in 2012,
Hence Saul-baby, who lives in Lansing and chaired the state GOP
from 2005 to 2009, argues it is time for a "nuts and bolts guy" to
takeover who can focus on raising money.
He's making the pitch to the 168 member GOP National Committee
and spending a gawd-awful 14 hours a day on the phone working the group
hoping to get to 85 votes.
So far he's the only one in the hunt and it's unclear as to
whether Mr. Steele has the guts to seek re-election. Published reports
suggest some of the 168 are telling him to take a hike. If he's out,
Anuzis has a better shot at this national post.
As for his Teamster roots, he is using that as a selling point.
He argues he is the proto-type of the voter the party needs to attract.
He grew up in Detroit, comes from a rich ethnic background (didn't
learn to speak English until he was seven) and he's been in the private
sector trenches coupled with his GOP activism record. Lansing boy
defeats the man of Steele? Maybe.
(See Anuzis on Off the Record at wkar.org)