Steele praises Romney after criticizing him |
BOSTON (AP) — The head of the Republican Party said Tuesday he regrets the public interpretation of comments in which he said the GOP voted against Mitt Romney last year in part because he was a Mormon. “Chairman Steele regrets the way his comments have been interpreted,” Republican National Committee spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said in a statement.
“Chairman Steele believes Mitt Romney is a respected and influential voice in the Republican Party and looks to his leadership and ideas to help move our party and our nation in the right direction.”
Gitcho is a former Romney campaign staffer.
A Romney aide did little to veil his displeasure with Steele.
“Sometimes when you shoot from the hip, you miss the mark. This is one of those times,” said spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.
Steele, already under fire for a series of miscues during his first 100 days as Republican leader, offered an unvarnished critique of Romney’s faults Friday as he guest-hosted conservative Bill Bennett’s national radio program.
Tags: Chairman Steele, Gaffe