'I think the congressman is flat wrong,' Steele said of Farenthold's claims. | AP Photos Steele: Impeachment talk 'asinine'

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said Tuesday that Rep. Blake Farenthold was “flat wrong” when he claimed there are enough votes in the House to impeach President Barack Obama, and Steele said doing so would give away the 2014 election to Democrats.

“I think the congressman is flat wrong. He wouldn’t get the votes in the House because I can’t think outside of a small pool of people who would actually tolerate that process to the point of a vote in the House,” Steele said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Hardball.”


Farenthold, a Texas Republican, made the remarks during a town hall with constituents, saying he could have the votes to impeach the president “tomorrow” in the House, but it would die in the Senate.

Steele said those who want to impeach the president can go for it and give the House to the Democrats.

“If you really want to give away the House, go ahead, start impeachment,” Steele said. “Because the fact of the matter is the republic, the public as a whole, would repel against that so much that it wouldn’t even be funny … you wouldn’t even bother with 2014. Just skip right to the next election.”

Steele said it’s up to the party leadership to speak out against “arcane, asinine” comments from some Republicans, because it “draws the party down.”

“I think the party needs to think beyond where it is right now and focus on how it can develop a message on the economy, on jobs, health care … and not how we look to you know make fun of the president or impeach him,” Steele said. “You can’t control the bad behavior, but you can certainly speak to it, and you can speak out against it. … I think the Republican leadership, not just the chairman of the party, but the House and Senate leadership will also, I think, vehemently begin to push back against stupid.”