RNC Political Director Resigns, Blasts Steele

The political director of the Republican National Committee quit Tuesday, blasting RNC chairman Michael Steele and detailing the organization's fundraising problems in a testy resignation letter.

"If left on its current path, the RNC will not be a productive force in the 2012 campaign to deny President Obama a second term, retain our House majority, and elect a Senate majority," Gentry Collins wrote in the letter to Steele.

Collins' resignation comes amid increasing chatter among some GOPers about replacing Steele as chairman. Former Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis officially announced his plans to run for the top job this past Friday, and several other names have been whispered around town as well.

Steele hasn't yet indicated whether he'll run for another term as RNC chairman, but his position is precarious. Some members of the Republican party believe he should step down, citing decreased fundraising, poor management and the tendency to fumble in press interviews as reason. Steele, however, also just presided over a significant GOP takeover in the House.

In his letter, Collins details how, he says, the RNC raised "far less money than normal" in this election cycle and poorly managed the money it did raise - tapping out credit lines, under-funding key campaigns, wasting money on non-essential activities and leaving bills unpaid. Collins also attributed much of the GOP's success in this election cycle to a "very good political environment' and the efforts of the Republican Governors' Association, and not to the RNC itself.

"As we consider the 2012 cycle and the importance of denying a second term to Barak Obama," he wrote, "we cannot rely on this help again."

In order for the GOP to be successful in 2012, he writes, "We must dig out from huge debts, be focused and disciplined about spending wisely, only spend to win elections, and adopt a laser-like focus on the hard work of reviving our major donor fundraising network."