It's good to know who wears the pants in the Republican Party. This from Democratic Party chair Tim Kaine will clarify:
I was briefly encouraged by the courageous comments made my counterpart in the Republican Party over the weekend challenging Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the Republican Party and referring to his show as 'incendiary' and 'ugly.' However, Chairman Steele's reversal this evening and his apology to Limbaugh proves the unfortunate point that Limbaugh is the leading force behind the Republican Party....
Intellectual consistency is important.
By the way, I do think the Republican Party will return to being a force of moral and political authority someday, as they were in the 1850s and 1860s. And when that happens, I'll be happy to explain the historical irony to my great-grandchildren.