This is the state of the nation’s two political parties: the Democrats are led by a young, dynamic, and popular president. The Republicans are locked in a power struggle between a rambling radio host and a maundering party chairman.

After trashing the McCain campaign, Rush Limbaugh is now actively cheering for Obama to fail and having a war of words with inept Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. The spat is all over the media with The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and others devoting coverage to the implosion that is now the Republican Party. When Rush isn’t busy hoping Obama will fail, Steele is promising to reach out to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings” with an “off the hook” campaign. At one point he even criticized Rush, arguing the Sacred Large Cow was merely an entertainer and not the true leader of the party.

Unfortunately, cowardice won over courage.

There are plenty of articulate voices that could be leading the dialogue. New York Times columnist David Brooks is a far better choice from the media than Limbaugh. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has also now felt the need to kowtow to the hard right. Instead, right now we have Steele pledging to win over “one-armed midgets.”

So thank you, Michael Steele, for ruining things for all Republicans ever. Anyone up for re-forming the Whig Party?