WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- Newt Gingrich has angered some members of the U.S. Republican National Committee by telling them on national TV that they have big egos.
The former speaker of the House and architect of the Contract With America was responding to a question about a resolution to limit Republican Chairman Michael Steele's ability to spend committee funds. Steele, Gingrich said in an interview recorded on C-Span, "probably has not yet learned the art of massaging the egos of RNC members."
"Newt needs to take a breath," David Norcross, an RNC member from New Jersey and backer of the resolution, told CNN.
Steele, the first black chairman of the RNC, has had a tumultuous time since winning a hotly contested election three months ago. On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, facing a tough challenge in next year's Republican primary, announced he was switching parties.
RNC members who support Steele were sympathetic to Gingrich's remarks. Others were not.
"Forming circular firing squads only gives aid to the Democrats who are doing quite nicely in undercutting the public trust in our government," said Robin Smith, the Tennessee party chairwoman.
