RNC Elects First Black Chairman

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele has been elected to a two-year term as the head of the Republican National Committee. Steele, although conservative, was the most moderate of the five candidates for the seat, and is the first African American to head the GOP organizing machine. Steele said, shortly after his victory, "We're going to say to friend and foe alike: 'We want you to be a part of us, we want you to be with us.' And for those who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked over. There is not one inch of ground that we're going to cede to anybody. This is the dawn of a new party moving in a new direction with strength and conviction."