'Dirtiest ever' race for RNC chairman

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By Ralph Z. Hallow

From anonymous charges of racism, old-fashioned graft and outright incompetence, the six-man race for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee has devolved into the dirtiest - and most closely watched - in recent history.

The 168 members who Friday will elect the next chairman have been inundated with anonymous e-mails attacking the characters and capabilities of the various candidates and, in at least one case, accusing a candidate of conspiring with political consultants to cash in on the millions of dollars in future advertising by the party.

"This is dirtiest ever - and remember, I was the longest-serving state party chairman in the history of this committee," said RNC member and former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett, a supporter of Mike Duncan, the incumbent national chairman who is seeking a second two-year term.

One candidate, South Carolina Republican Chairman Katon Dawson, is the subject this week of an unsigned e-mail to RNC members that bore a hypothetical USA Today front page with the banner headline, "RNC members choose 'whites only' chairman," as a warning of how a Dawson win would be spun.

A month before declaring for the chairmanship, Mr. Dawson quit a country club that had barred blacks. Rivals don't call him racist but said they worry that the media and Democrats will exploit the "whites only" issue - even though black Republicans in his state have publicly supported Mr. Dawson for national chairman.

Shawn Steel, former California party chairman, blames Mr. Duncan for the vitriol, and said the incumbent and his "entourage of consultants and vendors have been feeding off the RNC for years."

"It's the bloodiest, most vicious race I've seen, with the establishment pulling out all stops to protect their privileges," said Mr. Steel, who supports former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele. Reminded that another longtime Republican insider, Blaise Hazelwood, is managing Mr. Steele's campaign for chairman, Mr. Steel said, "Listen, nothing's perfect in politics."

Mr. Duncan said he was not involved in any personal attacks and that he has sent a letter to members discouraging dirty politics.

"I have not, nor to my knowledge has anyone on my team had anything to do with the malicious and anonymous e-mails and accusations that have been distributed," Mr. Duncan said in a separate e-mail to The Washington Times. "I sent a personal message sharing this sentiment to all RNC members within the last week."

Mr. Duncan added that his plan for change "returns the RNC to a committee that is driven by members, not consultants and vendors."