Steele: GOP no longer looking back

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md., May 19 (UPI) -- The Republican Party is done with feeling sorry for itself and is ready to look ahead, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Tuesday.

"We are at a crucial juncture for our party, and more importantly for our country," Steel said in remarks at the RNC Chairman's Luncheon in National Harbor, Md. "Simply put, America needs us now more than ever before. It's time to rise to the occasion. It's time to make our voices heard. It's time to serve our country as the loyal opposition."

The time to remain silent is over, he said.

"Today we are declaring an end to the era of Republicans looking backward," he said.

The party suffered defeats during two successive elections, he said, prompting some collective soul-searching to determine what went wrong and to acknowledge deficiencies and mistakes.

"This has been a difficult, yet healthy and necessary task for our party," Steele said.

"The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over," he declared. "It is done."

The Republican Party will become the party of new ideas, the RNC leader said. More importantly, the honeymoon for Democratic President Barack Obama is over.

"We are going to take this president on with class," he said. "We are going to take this president on with dignity."

During the coming months, Republicans will be "bold" in their approach, offering real solutions "aggressively and without apology," Steele said.

"Our Renaissance has begun. Our opportunities lie before us," he said.