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Lt. Governor of Maryland Michael Steele: Turning Hope into Action and Seeking to Build A Bridge of Between Families and Washington Click "Play" to listen to the Audio version of this interview...
KFF: Lieutenant Governor Steele, thank you for being with us today. STEELE: It's great to be with you. KFF: We want to talk policy, but first we would like to know a little bit more about Michael Steele the man. When did you first envision yourself in public office? STEELE: That goes back a number of years. I first got involved in politics in 1976 as a young boy watching the political conventions. That year, Jimmy Carter and President Ford were kind of going at it. But I really got on the ground in politics in 1978 in Washington, D.C. where I grew up working various campaigns. As a young Republican working for Democratic campaigns, it was very interesting, to say the least. D.C. was not the most Republican-friendly territory—it still isn't—but it was a good learning opportunity to get into to see the nuts and bolts of politics and the idea of public service to me was very, very important—as well as how you give back to the community through public policy and politics. So that's really what kind of drew me into it ultimately.
STEELE: No, my parents are not very politically active. My parents were Roosevelt democrats from the old school, but they were never the folks who worked polls or anything like that. They did, however, instill in me a very important sense of voting—the right and responsibility I have to exercise that vote. So from that standpoint, they had a powerful impact in appreciating the importance of voting in our culture and our society. KFF: As a young African America male growing up in D.C. how did you get to become a Republican? STEELE: It was really kind of a happenstance and sort of my own little homework. My mother always told me not just to follow people, but to go out and learn and to understand why and how and what role you can play, what role they play in your lives. So I would study the political parties as a young boy and was very much intrigued by what Ronald Reagan was saying in 1976 at that convention where he talked about America and the family and the community and it sounded like what my mother had been telling me growing up, the importance of family, culture and community. So it was just very natural for me. So I guess I was inspired to join the party by Ronald Reagan. But to sort of translate that political activism in my own personal way bringing to it the experience of being an African American, the history of the African American in the Republican party, all of that presents itself constantly as a unique opportunity. KFF: That's great. You've come a long way. What would you say are the three most important keys that have contributed to your success?
I think second is the education that is imparted through common sense that the family gives you and through the books that you learn in the classroom; how we empower a generation to stand on its own two feet, to become the generation that not just has the opportunity to sit at the lunch counter, but the opportunity to own the diner. That's an important lesson that we must to pass on and an important opportunity that we have to create, and education is one of the cornerstones of that. And finally, when you get beyond family and education, it's the individual. Individual responsibility, taking control of your life, standing on your own two feet, you know, getting those shots that come at you and then giving a few shots of your own I think is important and that's where the strength ultimately comes from. When you can combine the love and support and encouragement of the family and education you get to stand on your own two feet as an individual, particularly as an African American, and look the world in the eye and say, "Here I am. Now, let's get busy," it's a very powerful moment. KFF: Absolutely. Now, on to policy. In one of your ads you state, regarding Washington, that the whole system is broken and they've lost all respect for things important to us. So, let me ask what are some of the policies you think are important to the family's quality of life? STEELE: One of them I just mentioned is education. I think when you look at the Black community in particular, it is a very entrepreneurial class. We are the people who invent things, we are the people who create things, we are the people who build things. We built this country. We sustain it, we grow it, we expend on it, we do all those things. So that wealth creation mechanism is very important for small business owners to achieve. And so to the extent that it doesn't work, that the connections aren't connected, that our small business and entrepreneurs are stifled in realizing their dreams, that hurts us, that slows us down, and that delays our progress as a people. And I think it takes away from us the dream that Dr. King had that went beyond just Black and white together, but really African Americans having a foundation, a stake in this grand experiment we call the United States. So that's a policy for me, that in the United States we need senators who appreciate what it's like to get up every day, turn on the lights with the expectation and the hope that today will be better than yesterday. So that's important to talk about, that's important to act on. I think another policy again that's going to be important for us going forward is when we look at our health care system and our Social Security safety net, how we care for the current generation and how we care for future generations in their retirement, in their health care and in meeting the needs that they have. And the Black community is not immune from the pressures that we see often times afflicting our communities. So empowering them to take greater ownership and control of their health care decisions, empowering them to take greater control and ownership of their retirement decisions, of their savings decisions I think are very, very important for future generations as we move forward from where we are today. So just a few of the things that I think where I feel members in Congress are kind of out of step with where people are. They're looking for leaders who are at least willing to engage in this debate and put some new and fresh ideas on the table, and that's what I’ll try to do. KFF: Now, your motto is "Turning hope into action." How does that translate into the things that you're talking about? STEELE: Well, I've been in so many places over the years and heard so many politicians get up and talk about hope is on the way, keep hope alive, hope you have a nice day. My attitude is enough of the talk. Let's figure out how we can turn hope into action. It's not enough to hope for a good education for your kid. You turn that into action by actually turning around our public school system, empowering teachers to teach, empowering principals to run their schools and, most importantly, giving kids the tools they need to learn. Why is it that in our urban centers it's always the minority kids who suffer the most in education? They're always the ones falling behind in test scores, they're always the ones in dilapidated buildings, they're always the ones who seem to have been forgotten. It's up to the community to empower itself, to take the hope of educating that child and putting it into everyday action in a way that empowers that kid, that enables that community to teach and to learn. So that for me is just an example of some of the things we need to be doing in terms of turning hope into action for our neighborhoods. You know, you can talk about "I hope this is a safe neighborhood. I hope someone is doing something." Well, what action can we take to ensure that this community is safe, that this community is secure? We're putting a lot of resources in protecting and defending freedom around the world. I want to see some of those resources in Watts, in Southeast D.C. and in urban communities where we need to protect the citizens who have built families and homes in those communities. KFF: That's the sentiment of a lot of people right now. Now, in your agenda you advocate a ban on all gifts to Congressmen as well as a four-year waiting period before any retired Congressman or their staff can become lobbyists. Why are these reforms important to you and how do they affect how well Washington works for voters? STEELE: I think they're important because I think we're all sick and tired of seeing people enriching themselves at the expense of the public trust. I think we're all sick and tired of seeing members of Congress and of Senate go to Washington and forget why they're there. It is an honor and a privilege to be sent in the first place. The perk in the job is the job itself. To be a member of the United States Congress or Senate is an incredible honor. Why would you taint that by sticking money in a refrigerator or cutting a side deal on legislation to get a little piece of the action? That just undermines the entire process. So my attitude as a United States Congressman is I can pay for my own lunch, I can pay for my own air fare to a location. I don't need that perk, that gift from in a lobbyist or some other group. And for members who leave the Congress who wrote the laws, who legislated the laws, to then come out of Congress and turn around and lobby against those laws and make money lobbying one way or the other, to me that's not what it's about. It's not about a financial benefit to you. This is public service. This is a sacrifice that people are asking you to make. So yes, you should wait, take a little time. It doesn't mean you can't earn a living. It doesn't mean that you can't provide for your family. It just means that you can't come back to the body that you were just serving and lobby members who are still there. KFF: That makes a lot of sense. All the moms and dads I've come across are simply busy trying to make a living, raise their kids, keep them safe, educate them and enjoy a decent quality of life. Why is it that the priorities inside the beltway and those outside of the beltway seem so vastly different? STEELE: Because they are disconnected from those very people you just described. They are so disconnected. They don't have a clue. The sticker shock of education today -- I'm about to send my kids off to college and I'm looking at how much I have to pay for one year. I'm going "How do we do that?" But like my mother before me and generations before other families, you'll find a way to make it happen. You look to leadership to at least appreciate that this is a struggle. Whether you live in Potomac in the wealthiest part of our state, or some of the poorest parts of our state, you're living paycheck to paycheck and you're trying to make the ends meet. The end of the day you look at the money and say, “where did the money go?” I still have to take care of my kids. I have obligations I have to meet. So you want leadership to at least appreciate what some of that is like, and if they did, then they would be a little bit smarter on how they plan health care policy, a little bit more astute in planning education policy and you wouldn't have the situation where you forget the least among us in a national disaster like Katrina. We can't afford for government leaders to fly at 30,000 feet. They need to be on the ground with the rest of us. KFF: That is so true. Now, we've seen so many candidates over the years that promise to turn things around and to make reforms and then they get into office and never make that happen. How do you actually translate your action plan into realty? STEELE: Well, I'm going to jump up and down and scream and shout till someone pays attention. I'm not going to go into in his "good ole’ boy" network and say, "Okay, I'll be quiet." No! I've got six years of United States Senate. That's all the people give me to get it done. Nothing is guaranteed. So you have to make sure you bust your behind and get it done on behalf of the people who sent you there in the first place. So when I run into the road blocks, the obstruction, the nonsense, you better believe I'm going to speak out about it, I'm going to jump up and down. And if it means embarrassing a few folks that may have been there too long in the first place, then that's what happens. The reality is the expectation is you're interested in getting something done. And if you're not interested in getting something done, then don't go out for the job. Because I'm not taking the hits, I'm not having political enemies call me everything but a child of God just to go to the United States Senate just to say I'm a United States Senator. I intend to get something done one way or the other.
So I don't win every battle I get into, but I at least fight long enough to grab a little victory somewhere for the people who entrusted me through their vote. KFF: You know, I have to ask this question, because there are many, many African Americans and others that are not African Americans that really feel that African Americans should not be Republicans, for whatever reason, and there is a very strong sentiment. And if my grandmother was alive today, God rest her soul, she would just throw a fit. "Why are you interviewing him? He's a Republican." What can you say? STEELE: Well, people have a view of the party that I think in some sense is justified. We walked away at a very critical moment from the African American community. Martin Luther King was in jail, we didn't respond. The Civil Rights Initiative, though we voted for it and got it passed in the Senate, we didn't believe in the cause on the ground. We didn't fight the cause on the ground with the African American community who had been with us up till that time voting the way they vote for democrats today. They voted 90/10 Republican. And now it's 90/10 Democrat and that's because we failed in re-establishing and in continuing to re-establish that link with the community.
KFF: That's so important. Speaking of leadership, you're obviously a very busy man, especially now. How do you manage to keep your family first? STEELE: It's hard. It is so hard. I was laughing with my wife. We were up in New York visiting NYU (my son is going to be going to school) and I was laughing at the fact we got to actually spend some time together, but we had to do it out of town, you know. It's been a very busy life, it's been very hectic and we try to find those quiet simple moments where you kind of connect and spend some time, but it's hard. That's where the love of the family comes in and the faith that you have in them and they have in you, that they know when push comes to shove, when it's time for daddy to be home, daddy's going to be there. When it's time for the husband to come in, he's going to come in. And I try to be faithful to that as much has possible. And it's one of the stresses and strains of public life. It's very hard to be a public official and try to meet the needs of five million people and at the same time be focused on and tuned into the needs of the two or three people you have at home who are there everyday waiting for you to come in. So it's a balancing act, it's a tough act, sometimes I slip and fall in my effort and my wife is there to quickly remind me that I am just a husband. It doesn't matter if you're lieutenant governor or not, you're still a husband. So take out the trash, fix the lock on the door. “Would you strip the wax off the floor.” So we know what's up at the end of the day. KFF: That's great. How do you recommend moms and dads get more involved in policy decisions and how can we promote activism in our children as well? STEELE: I think it's the value of appreciating what service means and what public service is all about. But more important, what your role as a citizen is. My mom instilled in me an appreciation for voting and appreciation of the power of voting. And so it's incumbent on parents to do the same for their kids. You don't have to get out and go marching or be a political activist, go marching or put a plaque in the window or join a campaign, but if you take the kid to the polls with you and let them see you do your civic duty, letting them see you participate, you've instilled in them a very important lesson that they in turn should do the same. And that's just some of the small steps that could be taken. And to the extent that you're an activist and out there and want to bring the kids, absolutely. They get to see the full array of craziness that goes into politics and campaigns and policy and all of that. But at the end of the day, not everyone has the time or the inclination, but they should have at least the commitment to share in the ideal and the importance of voting and participating that way. And most importantly, standing up for their community through their vote and electing leadership that is responsive to them and not to others outside of their community. KFF: Absolutely. Speaking of electing leadership, how can we learn more about and get involved in the Michael Steele for U.S. Senate campaign? STEELE: We would love to have folks come and learn more about what we're doing— the ups and downs, the highs and lows and the incredible fun time of this campaign. They can got to www.steeleformaryland.com. And on there you'll see pictures and sights and sounds of the campaign, learn how to volunteer, how to support us, find out where I stand on some of the issues that's important to you and if it's not listed, write us and we'll respond back. So it's a very interactive relationship. I'm very excited about it. This is going to be a fun campaign and I'm inviting people to come along for what will be one heck of a good ride. KFF: We thank you so much for spending your time and we wish you the very best in your Senate bid. STEELE: Thank you very much, and I'm looking forward to speaking again with you along the trail here. KFF: Great. Copyright ©2006 by Keeping Family First. Visit Michael Steele's Website Check out his plan to turn Hope into Action: View the Russell Simmons/Cathy Hughes Endorsement: |
Welcome to the Keeping Family First family policy issue. In this issue we're examining some of our nation's policies from the perspective of how family-friendly they are. Joining us today is the Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and candidate for U.S. Senate, Michael Steele.
KFF: Were your parents involved?
STEELE: First and foremost, my family. Without a doubt it's my mother. My mother, the daughter of a share cropper who only had a 5th grade education, worked in a laundromat for 45 years, making minimum wage. But despite all the travails in her life and all the problems she encountered, she focused her energy on me and my sister to make sure that we would be presented an opportunity to do better— that we would, in our own way, fulfill the American dream for ourselves. That was her American dream. And that's a very powerful thing to have—a family that is willing to sacrifice itself up for the next generation. So I do the same now for my boys. I make the sacrifices, I do what I have to do to make sure that I'm raising young African American boys to become responsible African American men. So the family to me is a key component to this. My wife and I go through our ups and downs, but it's always about the legacy that we will pass on.
As I did as Lieutenant Governor, I set a goal to reform our small business community, and I did. I set a goal to take a look at and put recommendations on reforming our educational system, and I did. I promised that I would create a faith based initiative for our state, and I have. I fought for and got passed a charter school bill for our students who need charter schools in our cities and in our communities. I got it done.
So as I look at this campaign, my attitude is I can't fight this on “these and ours.” If I do, I’ll lose. If this is about whether or not I'm a Republican, then I'm going to have a problem. But if this is about someone who cares enough about the community and is concerned enough to argue for a strong affirmative action program, who cares enough to argue for uplifting the poor and empowering them to realize their dreams through home ownership and job creation; if I can convey in an honest way the lessons that I've learned from that sharecropper's daughter who raised me for the first 18, 20 years of my life and instilled in me the values that I carry with me— if I'm able to do that, then I think I'll be all right and folks will see that at the end of the day it's not whether this person is Democrat or Republican, it's whether or not they're a leader and whether or not they're the kind of leader that I want to lead me when its crunch time—who is going to stand and fight and argue and make sure that I have a seat at the table.