Republican National Committee Chairman (RNC) Michael Steele has been under fire from various sub-groups of the Republican party, who are calling for him to resign. A group of Republican leaders have agreed to hold a side meeting at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference to discuss whether or not Steele should stay on as RNC chairman.

But while there are some who are requesting Steele's resignation, there is another segment of the party that believes Steele is doing a very good job. A majority of Republican State Party chairs have signed a letter supporting Steele, citing his achievements as national chair.

"The charge of any national chairman is to raise money and win elections," the letter said, signed by 29 state committees plus Guam and the District. "With over $100 million raised, victories in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, and victories in 29 of 37 special elections, Michael Steele has demonstrated that under his chairmanship the RNC has the ability, focus and drive to lead Republicans to a sweeping victory in November."Steele has mixed himself up with a lot of dirt during his time with the RNC. The most interesting of events occurred when it was discovered that the RNC claimed an expenditure of roughly $2,000 at a sex-themed nightclub in Hollywood.

"We're frustrated," said Arizona State Republican party chair Randy Pullen. "It shouldn't have happened. But it did happen so there's a lot of focus on it. The donors have a right to wonder where the money's going. We have a fiduciary responsibility to donors to spend their money the way they expect us to spend their money, which is to win elections."

While I am not a fan of Republicans out of either Louisiana or Arizona (who are known for their racism), I think that Pullen and others might have a point when it comes to Michael Steele. One can easily argue that spending thousands of dollars in a sex-themed nightclub takes the party away from it's family values platforms and makes the RNC look incredibly hypocritical. Additionally, Steele has not made it easy to understand his lavish spending style, which includes limos, private planes and other perplexing financial choices. Many former RNC supporters have informed the group that they no longer plan to give to the organization.

All the while, it must be acknowledged that Steele has done a reasonably good job as RNC chair, helping the Republicans win 29 out of 37 special elections and raising over $100 million dollars. The challenge, however, is that this was an especially excited political climate for the Republicans, and it is not clear what kind of job Steele might do in normal conditions.

I don't like Michael Steele's politics, and in some ways, he is an especially weak and ineffective leader. His public lashing by Rush Limbaugh reminded us of the racism of the Republican party and their inability to truly respect people of color. In fact, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell recently stated that he wishes to celebrate the confederacy, whose entire foundation was built on the idea that blacks are inferior to whites. At the same time, I am not sure if the public reaction to Steele has been one based on respect, since Steele is not nearly as incompetent as some of his own party members seem to think. It'll be interesting to see how this one evolves.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the new book, "Black American Money." To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.