Steele Tells NewsBusters Campaign Coverage 'Has Been a Joke'

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Yesterday NewsBusters caught up with GOPAC chairman and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele at the Xcel Center, site of the Republican National Convention.

Steele told us the coverage of the campaign so far has "been a joke," and that "if the shoe were on the other foot, [media] would be scrutinizing the heck out of a black Republican or a Hispanic Republican" running for president.

Some excerpts of that interview are below, starting with Steele's reaction to the disparity in scrutiny of Sens. McCain and Obama (video available here):

It's been a joke, quite frankly... there's been a coronation, there's been facilitation of his [Obama's] agenda, but there hasn't been any serious scrutiny of where this two-term state senator comes from, what makes him tick, what he really believes, what is his philosophical orientation, and it's, I think, rather unfortunate. [...]

I just look at how they chewed up Hillary to get to Barack. And so, you know, what they were trying to figure outwho's the best player to go up against the Republican establishment.... Certainly the race issue would be one of those landmines that they figured the party would have to deal with. So I think in terms of how the media has approached this more broadly speaking has been pitiful.... You know as well as I do, if the shoe were on the other foot, they would be scrutinizing the heck out of a black Republican or a Hispanic Republican [running for president].

How true.