Michael Steele has gone and put his foot in his mouth again.

In an interview with GQ magazine, the Republican National Committee chairman described abortion as an “individual choice” and said individual states should decide its legality.

Those comments, predictably, have drawn a sharp rebuke from other Republican leaders who say he should stick to the party’s core position that abortion should be outlawed nationwide.

“Chairman Steele, as the leader of America’s pro-life conservative party, needs to re-read the Bible, the U.S. Constitution, and the 2008 GOP Platform. He then needs to get to work — or get out of the way,” said former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, a former rival for the RNC job.

Mike Huckabee called Steele’s remarks troubling. “For Chairman Steele to even infer that taking a life is totally left up to the individual is not only a reversal of Republican policy and principle, but it’s a violation of the most basic of human rights,” the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate said on his blog.

Steele was widely praised as an eloquent speaker when he was elected as chairman of the Republican Party at the end of January. But since then, he’s spent plenty of time apologizing for off-hand comments that have angered many in the party and prompted some to suggest that he should resign.

In a statement sent out Thursday, Steele said he has always opposed abortion and said the Supreme Court decision that made it legal should be repealed. “The Republican Party is and will continue to be the party of life,” he said.

Also on Thursday, Steele named Rhode Island lawyer Ken McKay as his chief of staff to oversee the committee’s day-to-day operations. McKay managed the 2002 and 2006 campaigns of that state’s governor, Donald Carcieri, and served as his chief of staff.

The appointment sends a message to those who have called for Steele’s resignation: he doesn’t plan to go anywhere for a while.

photo credit: REUTERS/Molly Riley (Steele speaks after being elected Republican National Committee chairman in Washington, January 30)

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WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush dropped by the Republican National Committee headquarters unannounced to give the staff a little pep talk Tuesday amid polls showing Republicans trailing in the presidential contest and scores of key congressional races one week out from the general election.

Bush, with record low popularity ratings, has largely been unseen on the campaign trail this year, relegated to participating in private fundraisers for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain and congressional candidates.

“He encouraged them to work hard for John McCain and keep turning out the vote until the final ballot is cast next week,” White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said after the 20-minute visit.  “He also took the opportunity to thank the staff for all of their efforts during this election cycle and for their support of him over the last eight years.”

The latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Tuesday found McCain trailed rival Democrat Barack Obama by 4 percentage points. Reuters/Zogby polls for battleground states released on Monday showed Obama holding a narrow lead in Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Nevada. McCain had a solid lead in West Virginia and was ahead in Indiana.

In congressional races, Republicans must defend 23 Senate seats and are expected to lose at least a few of them, including Virginia and New Mexico. Democrats must defend a dozen seats and only one, held by Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu, is considered vulnerable.

Republicans are also finding a seat once considered safe, held by Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, now particularly vulnerable because the long-serving lawmaker was convicted of seven counts related to corruption.

In a rare scene, when Bush returned to the White House, he did not immediately get out of his armored limousine and Secret Service agents surrounded his vehicle with machine guns at the ready.

After a few minutes passed, Bush exited the vehicle and walked up a path to the Oval Office. A Secret Service spokesman said an unarmed 23-year-old man from Baltimore had jumped the White House fence on the south part of the grounds and was taken into custody by officers.

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- Photo credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque (Secret Service agents with their weapons drawn protect Bush)

Alaska Gov. and hockey mom Sarah Palin, who’s not only John McCain’s vice presidential pick, but a luxury fashion maverick.

The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 since late August to outfit Palin and her family in the fanciest of duds from department stores like Saks and Neiman Marcus, says politico.com.

The financial disclosure records, included under the line item “itemized coordinated expenditures,” show RNC expenditures at Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York of $49,425.74 in September. Based on Saks’  September comparable-store sales of $273.2 million,  Palin accounted for .018 percent of sales.

The RNC also spent $75,062.63 during one September trip to Neiman Marcus, says politico.com, which would represent .012 percent of Neiman’s September comparable-store sales of $406 million.

The RNC spent only $789.72 at Neiman-owned Barneys New York but dropped $5,102.71 at Bloomingdale’s, which is operated by Macy’s, said politico.com, a website that tracks political news.

Hefty primping expenditures on the campaign trail are nothing new. U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY, received guff for her expensive custom-made pantsuits, which cost upward of $6,350 each.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on Palin’s hair and makeup, and made $295  in purchases at high-end children’s stores Pacifier and Steiniauf & Stroller Inc., according to politico.com.

Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the McCain-Palin campaign, said there are plans to donate the expensive clothing to charity after the campaign.

“With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it’s remarkable that we’re spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses,” Schmitt said in a statement.

Sales at luxury department stores have suffered in recent weeks as the slowing economy and global financial crisis took a toll on even affluent shoppers, and the strengthening of the dollar deterred foreign tourists who had given high-end stores a boost in previous quarters.

Palin’s new wardrobe raised tax questions. If the clothes are donated right after the election, Palin could make the case that she never actually owned them and they were more like costumes or uniforms used for work, a tax expert said. But anything she keeps could be considered a payment and its value could be taxed.

Generally clothing required for work that cannot also be used outside the workplace, a nurse’s uniform for example, is a deductible expense. Any clothing that can be used off the job as well as on the job cannot be deducted.

(Additional reporting by Donna Smith) 

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The Republican convention is over, a whirlwind event interrupted by a hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast and energized by the pick of a woman vice presidential candidate. And with it comes the home stretch of the (seemingly interminable) 2008 presidential election.

Did presidential hopeful John McCain finally win over the conservative base by picking the conservative Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his No. 2? Does he run the risk of alienating the independents drawn to him in the past with her selection? Did he lay out enough policy specifics to refute charges by rival Democratic candidate Barack Obama that details were lacking?

What else do voters want and need to hear now that the conventions are over?  Game on, bring on the debates!

(And yes, it’s OK to admit that you skipped the pre-game warmup to McCain to catch the NFL season opener between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants…) 

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- Photo credit: Reuters/Mike Segar

ST. PAUL - “Mother. Moose hunter. Maverick.” As a film on vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin began at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night, a strangely familiar melody played in the background.

The swelling strings triggered associations of family, oil and … J.R. Ewing? Yes, the song bore a striking similarity to the theme song from “Dallas.”

Listen for yourself:

Sarah Palin bio (from about 0:35)

Dallas opening credits (from about 0:10)

Sarah Miller of Eagan, Minnesota, a single mom and college student, talks about goals of protesters at the Republican National Convention, and the likelihood of further violence as the convention draws to a close.

After this video was filmed on Thursday afternoon, several hundred anti-war protestors had hoped to march to the convention hall to confront Republicans, but were blocked by police clad in riot gear on a bridge several blocks away.

Inside the Tent has more than 40 delegates and other attendees in Denver and St. Paul, equipped with video cameras to capture the conventions from the ground up.

(Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan)

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The Twin Cities have been the scene of sometimes violent protests and a heavy security presence during the Republican National Convention. Kelly Nuxoll of Huffington Post’s Off the Bus talked to two residents about what they think and how they’ve been affected.

Jonathan Hunter, St. Paul

“This is not the world I live in.”

Rick Engman, Minneapolis

“I don’t mind a non-violent protest,  but when people start threatening other people’s freedom of speech like the Republican National Convention’s meeting … then there’s a problem.”

Inside the Tent has more than 40 delegates and other attendees in Denver and St. Paul, equipped with video cameras to capture the conventions from the ground up. Nuxoll is not a Reuters employee and any opinions expressed are her own.

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South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford feels pretty good about John McCain’s chances in his state.

“If we gotta worry about South Carolina, go ahead and fold up the tent — the whole match is over,” he tells Inside the Tent contributor John Steward. “No worries in South Carolina, and if they come, we got real problems.”

Inside the Tent has more than 40 delegates and other attendees in Denver and St. Paul, equipped with video cameras to capture the conventions from the ground up. Steward is not a Reuters employee and any opinions expressed are his own.

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Director and actor Ron Silver talks about his support for the Bush administration’s response to the attacks of Sept. 11 in New York and Washington and why the issue of terrorism remains important to him now. This video was shot by Inside the Tent contributor John Steward.

Reuters Inside the Tent equipped more than 40 delegates and other attendees in St. Paul and the Democratic National Convention last week in Denver with video cameras to capture the conventions from the ground up. Steward is not an employee of Reuters, and any views expressed are his own.

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By Lea Radick and Ashley Sears

ST. PAUL - Take a walk through downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, while the Republican National Convention is in town and you can expect to see roving bands of policemen with riot gear, keeping the peace.

What you might not expect to see is a dozen or so police posing with two fuzzy pink pigs.

The police and the pork were all smiles for a camera-wielding crowd Wednesday morning - the third day of the GOP convention - after one of the passing cops suggested they pose with the pigs for a photo.

No, the fuzzy pink pigs were not real, but were two people in costumes, campaigning for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for animal rights. The PETA pigs held signs that read “Cut the Pork: Tax Meat!”

“PETA’s pigs are at the (Republican National Convention) to let people know about PETA’s tax meat campaign,” said Ashley Byrne, PETA campaign coordinator and spokeswoman for the pigs.

PETA is calling on Congress to impose an excise or “sin” tax on meat and is encouraging Americans to curb their meat consumption. The excise tax currently applies to products like alcohol and cigarettes.

PETA’s pigs have been popular at both the Democratic convention in Denver last week and this week’s Republican convention.

“We seriously just got a great reaction from everyone from police to the delegates to people protesting,” she said.

“Everybody loved the pigs.”

Photo credit REUTERS/Ashley Sears  PETA pigs Manuel Burgel (left) and Jessi Chang pose with policemen in downtown St. Paul, on Sept. 3, 2008

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