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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele is taking issue with the notion that Rush Limbaugh is the de facto leader of the GOP, calling the conservative radio talk show host an entertainer whose comments can be ugly.
"Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do," RNC Chairman Michael Steele has said.
1 of 2 Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in an interview with CNN that he, rather than Limbaugh, is "the de facto leader of the Republican Party."
And Steele described Limbaugh as a performer.
"Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment," Steele said. "Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly."
But Monday night Steele told Politico he didn't intend to go after Limbaugh.
"My intent was not to go after Rush -- I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh," Steele told Politico in a telephone interview. "I was maybe a little bit inarticulate ... There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership."
Steele told Politico he tried to call Limbaugh after the show on Monday and said he hoped he would be able to talk to the radio host soon.
"I went back at that tape and I realized words that I said weren't what I was thinking," Steele told Politico.
Steele's statements came after Limbaugh fired back on his radio show earlier Monday that the GOP leader appears to be supporting President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"Why do you [Steele] claim to lead the Republican Party when you seem obsessed with seeing to it President Obama succeeds?" Limbaugh said on air, directing his remarks to Steele.
"I frankly am stunned that the chairman of the Republican National Committee endorses such an agenda. I have to conclude that he [Steele] does because he attacks me for wanting it to fail," said Limbaugh.iReport.com: Limbaugh and Steele show divisions in GOP
Last month, Steele, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland, was elected chairman of the RNC. He is the first African-American to lead the Republican Party. At the time of his election, Steele said that "Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do."
Steele made his latest comments regarding Limbaugh on CNN's "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," which aired this weekend. The Steele interview was taped before Limbaugh's appearance before the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual meeting of conservatives from across the nation. Watch Steele, Hughley talk politics »
Limbaugh brought a cheering crowd to its feet several times as he called on fellow conservatives to take back the country.
He used his self-described "first national address," which ran more than an hour longer than his allotted 20 minutes, to accuse President Obama of inspiring fear in Americans in order to push a liberal agenda of "big government."
Limbaugh also addressed comments he made earlier this year in which he said he hoped Obama failed.
"What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and re-form this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" he said.
But a top Republican in Congress disagreed.
"I don't think anyone wants anything to fail right now," House Republican Whip Eric Cantor said on ABC's "This Week." "We have such challenges. What we need to do is we need to put forth solutions to the problems that real families are facing today."
RNC spokesman Alex Conant on Monday did not directly address Steele's comments about Limbaugh but pointed out the back-and-forth between the White House and the conservative radio host.
"Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats know they lose an argument with the Republican Party on substance, so they are building straw men to attack and distract," he said. "The feud between radio host Rush and Rahm makes great political theater, but it is a sideshow to the important work going on in Washington.
"RNC Chairman Michael Steele and elected Republicans are focused on fighting for reform and winning elections. The Democrats' problem is that the American people are growing skeptical of the massive government spending being pushed by congressional leaders like [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi," Conant said.
A spokesman for Limbaugh said the radio host did not have an immediate response, but added he would probably address Steele's comments Monday on his nationally syndicated radio program.
"Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do," RNC Chairman Michael Steele has said.
1 of 2 Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in an interview with CNN that he, rather than Limbaugh, is "the de facto leader of the Republican Party."
And Steele described Limbaugh as a performer.
"Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment," Steele said. "Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly."
But Monday night Steele told Politico he didn't intend to go after Limbaugh.
"My intent was not to go after Rush -- I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh," Steele told Politico in a telephone interview. "I was maybe a little bit inarticulate ... There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership."
Steele told Politico he tried to call Limbaugh after the show on Monday and said he hoped he would be able to talk to the radio host soon.
"I went back at that tape and I realized words that I said weren't what I was thinking," Steele told Politico.
Steele's statements came after Limbaugh fired back on his radio show earlier Monday that the GOP leader appears to be supporting President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
"Why do you [Steele] claim to lead the Republican Party when you seem obsessed with seeing to it President Obama succeeds?" Limbaugh said on air, directing his remarks to Steele.
"I frankly am stunned that the chairman of the Republican National Committee endorses such an agenda. I have to conclude that he [Steele] does because he attacks me for wanting it to fail," said Limbaugh.iReport.com: Limbaugh and Steele show divisions in GOP
Last month, Steele, a former lieutenant governor of Maryland, was elected chairman of the RNC. He is the first African-American to lead the Republican Party. At the time of his election, Steele said that "Rush will say what Rush has to say; we'll do what we have to do."
Steele made his latest comments regarding Limbaugh on CNN's "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," which aired this weekend. The Steele interview was taped before Limbaugh's appearance before the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual meeting of conservatives from across the nation. Watch Steele, Hughley talk politics »
Limbaugh brought a cheering crowd to its feet several times as he called on fellow conservatives to take back the country.
He used his self-described "first national address," which ran more than an hour longer than his allotted 20 minutes, to accuse President Obama of inspiring fear in Americans in order to push a liberal agenda of "big government."
Limbaugh also addressed comments he made earlier this year in which he said he hoped Obama failed.
"What is so strange about being honest and saying I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and re-form this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation?" he said.
But a top Republican in Congress disagreed.
"I don't think anyone wants anything to fail right now," House Republican Whip Eric Cantor said on ABC's "This Week." "We have such challenges. What we need to do is we need to put forth solutions to the problems that real families are facing today."
RNC spokesman Alex Conant on Monday did not directly address Steele's comments about Limbaugh but pointed out the back-and-forth between the White House and the conservative radio host.
"Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats know they lose an argument with the Republican Party on substance, so they are building straw men to attack and distract," he said. "The feud between radio host Rush and Rahm makes great political theater, but it is a sideshow to the important work going on in Washington.
"RNC Chairman Michael Steele and elected Republicans are focused on fighting for reform and winning elections. The Democrats' problem is that the American people are growing skeptical of the massive government spending being pushed by congressional leaders like [House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi," Conant said.
A spokesman for Limbaugh said the radio host did not have an immediate response, but added he would probably address Steele's comments Monday on his nationally syndicated radio program.
