Steele told NBC’s “Today” that there are disagreements among conservative leaders, but said, “My job is to try to balance that. I wasn’t that effective at it this week.” No, you were not effective and that is cause for concern. The Democrats are already implementing a plan to attack Rush and others. They don’t need any help.

I know some will say we shouldn’t be fighting each other at this time; we should work together against the Democrats’ radical agenda for this country. And while I agree with that, I think it’s equally important to make sure the people we are fighting with, really share our views and goals. And that means being critical of the prominent voices and leadership of the Republican Party who are guiding its future.

Michael Steele, the Republican Party Chairman, described Rush Limbaugh as just an “entertainer”, and that his show was “incendiary” and “ugly”. Perhaps he misspoke under the pressure of an interview, as he later apologized, but let’s think about this a moment.

The new chairman either could not handle a liberal media interviewer and ended up insulting a major figure in the conservative movement, or he really believes it, and let it slip. Either way, it’s not a good sign.

Apparently he does not understand that most conservatives and Republicans agree with Rush’s analyses on many of the issues facing the country. Someone needs to get the memo to Steele that trying to appease the liberal media by minimizing or denigrating important figures on the side of conservatism is not a good idea.

If instead Steele believes that Rush is representative of ‘old’ and ‘uncompassionate’ conservatism, he is wrong. If the idea is to redefine conservatism as something else, like ‘compassionate conservatism’, then I’d prefer if we’d go back to the old kind that worked. The strategy of ‘compassionate conservatism’ and growing government clearly backfired. The Republicans need to get back to their roots, as well as produce charismatic candidates that can clearly explain to the American people why a true conservative approach to government is best.

Why was Ronald Reagan the last enormously popular Republican president? Did he try to make the media like him, or did he stick to his guns regardless of how they characterized him? Was he timid and apologetic about his country, or did he proudly defend the American way?

Steele needs to stand for what’s right and defend conservatives. And Republicans have to get tough and start going on the offensive. General MacArthur had one word for trying to fight a defensive war: defeat.