Boehner Backs Maria Cino

House Speaker John Boehner is backing Maria Cino for RNC Chair, according to the Daily Caller. I've previously written about how much I think of Maria. She'd make a fabulous RNC Chair. So at first I was delighted to hear that Boehner was calling national committee members to support her.

And then I remembered Kentucky's U.S. Senate primary.

Here's hoping that Boehner's endorsement does not boomerang -- like Mitch McConnell's endorsement of Trey Grayson did in his primary against Rand Paul. A few Tea Partiers are criticizing Maria as too much of an insider. Republicans need to keep in mind that people like Maria -- or Trey Grayson -- can work tirelessly for the party and still retain their conservative principles.

Maria Cino for RNC Chair

Maria Cino is running for RNC Chair. This is fantastic news for the party, and I hope the national committee members will quickly rally around her. The party is extremely fortunate that she is willing to undertake such a job after the mess Michael Steele has made of the RNC.

I met Maria years ago, at the RNC during the second Reagan administration. She is one of the funniest, nicest most competent people I met in Washington (or anywhere, for that matter).

She has no ego. None. She will not use the RNC Chair as a stepping-stone -- something that has been a big problem under the Steele regime.

It is not possible to find a more motivational boss, particularly for an institution where morale has suffered in recent years. Maria knew everyone at the RNC, and everyone loved her. She has this creative energy and passion for conservative politics that makes everyone around her want to work as hard as it takes to not only get the job done, but to achieve excellence in the process.

As the Daily Caller notes, her resume is unparalleled. The 2008 Republican National Convention ran like precision instrument under her leadership (she was convention CEO). She has taken troubled organizations in the past and turned them around. She has Midas touch for fundraising -- again, exactly what the RNC needs at this juncture.

And Maria has integrity. Anyone who has ever met her knows that immediately. What makes Maria such a rarity in Washington is that she is completely forthright. Moreover, she has proposed specific changes to prevent a recurrence of the scandals that have embarrassed the RNC under Steele.

The national committee members have a rare opportunity to hire someone who has proved, over the course of three decades, that she can do the job. Indeed, she has proved that she can do most any of the jobs on the RNC staff personally, if necessary. There is no other candidate who can claim that.

The notion that her experience makes her too much of an insider for Tea Partiers is laughable. Maria is a Reagan conservative. She comes from the union, Catholic background that Reagan brought into the conservative fold, and without which Republicans cannot win.

Move to Dump Steele Grows

Kentuckian Mike Duncan is still being mentioned as a possible replacement for RNC Chair Michael Steele. There are many other names, as well: Wisconsin Republican chair Reince Priebus, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (who will run for president, if he runs for anything), Saul Anuzis from Michigan, to name a few.

Steele's gaffes are to numerous to list. Time for him to go, and the RNC is fortunate that Mike Duncan is willing to step up again, particularly given what bad shape Steele has left the place in.