Now we have Michael Steele taking on Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh – the true GOP leadership:

RNC Chairman Michael Steele endorsed moderate Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava (R-NY) in the NY-23 special election before national conservative leaders — like Dick Armey, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin — forced Scozzafava out in favor of right-wing candidate Doug Hoffman. Following Hoffman’s defeat, Steele struck back at firebrands within his party, telling reporters earlier today that the opinion of conservative outsiders “really doesn’t matter much”:

STEELE: If you don’t live in the district, don’t vote there, your opinion really doesn’t matter much.

Blitzer later asked about Limbaugh and Palin directly and Steele didn’t really back down much:

So should we start the countdown until Steele goes on Limbaugh’s show to apologize?