RNC chairman snaps at NPR reporter

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/08/rnc-chairman-snaps-at-npr-reporter/

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele doesn't like tough questions.

At least not from NPR.

In an exchange with National Public Radio's Steve Inskeep, Steele grew upset when Inskeep questioned the apparent contradiction in his arguments -- Steele has argued that the government shouldn't have a role in health insurance and that the government should have a role in regulating insurance.

"So what," Steele snapped. "Wait a minute. Hold up. You're doing a wonderful little dance here and trying to be cute. But the reality of this is very simply. I'm not saying the government doesn't have a role to play, I've never said that. The government does have a role to play. The government has a very limited role to play."

The "testy" repartee occurs about 4:45 into the clip. The session was spotlighted by Sam Stein.

This isn't the first time Steele has slipped up on the issue. Recently, when asked who his healthcare carrier was, he struggled to recall.

"Blue Cross Blue Shield I believe," Steele quipped. "Or maybe not. I think it is Blue Cross Blue Shield."

Steele's slip about his own insurance carrier is captured on a YouTube video, which follows the transcript of his NPR interview.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112281170