A very, very tough choice. Both men would do better for the party but there can only be one chair. Newt definitely has organizational experience and, as Allah notes, is among the few in the party with new policy ideas. Steele, on the other hand, would bring a fresh face and new ideas to the party.

Republicans close to each man say they are intent on ousting Mike Duncan when his tenure ends in January and to insert themselves to articulate a counter-agenda to President-elect Barack Obama´s administration.

A bevy of backers for each man, neither of whom is an RNC member, have been burning up the phone lines and firing off e-mails as they try to sway the 168 RNC members in the wake of the second consecutive drubbing of Republicans at the polls.

“The Republican National Committee has to ask itself if it wants someone who has successfully led a revolution,” Randy Evans, Gingrich confidante and personal attorney based in Atlanta, told The Washington Times on Monday…

“Steele is a good guy,” Mr. Gingrich said in an e-mail response to The Washington Times. “There are a number of good guys.”

Actually, as I write this, Allah updates with this. Huckabee has his own idea for the chair: Chip Saltsman, his former campaign manager. Yeah, uh, no….