Steele's Expenditures

Below, Jillian updates the accounts -- being denied by the RNC -- about Michael Steele's expenditures in a questionable club.

But other parts of the original story discussing Steele's spending

are unfortunate, as well:

Once on the ground, FEC filings suggest, Steele travels in style. A February RNC trip to California, for example, included a $9,099 stop at the Beverly Hills Hotel, $6,596 dropped at the nearby Four Seasons, . . .

RNC trips to other cities produced bills from a long list of chic and costly hotels such as the Venetian and the M Resort in Las Vegas, and the W (for a total of $19,443) in Washington. A midwinter trip to Hawaii cost the RNC $43,828, not including airfare.

So how is the money being spent, and is the process transparent? Openness, of course, is essential if the RNC is to attract donations for its primary purpose . . . defeating Democrats.

At a time when regular Americans are struggling to make ends meet, burdened by ever-greater burdens imposed upon them by Democrats, it strikes me that a little humility and discretion are in order on the part of Republicans, especially those serving as party leaders.

Accountability, after all, isn't just for Democrats.