“His statement speaks volumes about the kind of party the GOP has now become. Sen. Specter’s voting record may not please many Republicans all the time. But you can’t avoid the fact that he’s been re-elected four times—his votes clearly mean something to the people of Pennsylvania. Steele also ignored the real opportunity Specter’s decision presented. The chairman could have dealt with the real issues plaguing the GOP, perhaps by saying something like this:

“It is unfortunate Senator Specter has decided to leave the Republican Party he has called home for decades. It’s also unfortunate that he most likely did so for political purposes. But we will use this as an opportunity to acknowledge today’s GOP has its work cut out for it. We clearly need to work on defining who we are, not just by our words, but by our actions. This is how we will reverse the shrinking of our ranks and invite old and new members to the table so that Republicans’ core goals can help lead America once again.”