Tales from the Trail

After a weekend of some prominent Republicans calling for his resignation — Liz Cheney among them — and a round of phone calls trying to explain himself, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appears likely to hold onto his job through the election.

Washington Whispers has a look at how Steele’s gaffe on Afghanistan does not affect Republican fundraising, which is obviously key to the November elections when Republicans are hoping to gain seats and possibly control of Congress from President Barack Obama’s Democrats.

After the election will be quite another story for the RNC chairman, with Republicans probably looking to replace Steele. Hotline has a piece on possible candidates in the next go-around. (Sarah Palin is not considered to be a serious contender).

Among prominent Republicans unhappy with Steele’s Afghanistan comments is Senator John McCain, who in an interview from Kabul with ABC’s “This Week” said Steele’s comments were “wildly inaccurate.”

It wasn’t the first time that Steele has been in hot water as chairman of the RNC, but Republicans are hoping it will be the last for the next four months until the elections are over.

(Updates to add comment.)

There has been a lot of attention lately on a small group of lawyers who were hired by the Obama administration’s Justice Department and previously worked on legal arguments for detainees seeking release from the controversial prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

A few Republican lawmakers initially sought the identity of the individuals and their responsibilities, questioning whether they were working on detainee matters at the Justice Department.

Federal ethics rules limit government officials from being involved in specific cases they had previously worked on in the private sector.