'She could have done a Valentino'

The Michael Steele interview with GQ is on-line, and it is so full of mouth-watering goodness that it could keep me busy for a week. Here are some of my favorite bits. Michael on music he likes other than his ubiquitous hip-hop: I like Sinatra. I like old-school. You know, Bing Crosby, Sinatra, Dean Martin. Love Dean Martin. He was one of these guys who just didn’t give an F. He just didn’t. Life was a party, and you either want to party or you don’t. But yeah, I like those. I’m a big Pack Rat. I love the Pack Rats from the 1950s—Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, those guys. The fabulous Pack Rats, with their ringleader the nefarious Dino, a gangsta who just didn't give a fuck. Here's Michael talking about the way to deal with the nay-sayers and stone throwers. How do you deal with the criticism? I just pray on it. You do? Oh yeah. And I ask God, “Hey, let me show just a little bit of love, so I absolutely don’t go out and kick this person’s ass.” Michael Steele's gonna hit you like a ton of bricks, sucka! On the importance of Starbucks in the black community: I mean, I know a lot of Democrats. I’ve had the conversation—I live in a black community, I hang out in Starbucks there, and there are people who have that concern. You mean your Starbucks hasn’t closed yet? No, my Starbucks has not closed. And it better not! You cannot close a Starbucks in a black community. We’ll riot! Okay, just one more snippet, although it pains me to skip over the way Barack Obama has snubbed poor Michael, even though he's "reached out brother to brother". But I've got a big finish with Michael Steele, fashion critic. [On watching the Oscars] I’m looking for who’s got what dress on, you know? I’m looking at the dresses. I’m lookin’ at what they’re doing with the hair. I’m lookin at the fellas. Now, you know, guys are wearing black and white, and I get that, but there’s some style points I could share with some of these brothers out there who just ain’t gettin’ it together. What do you think of Barack’s sartorial skills? I… You know what? [drumming fingers on his desk] The white tie at the Inauguration was not working. That was wrong. I’m sorry, white tie only goes with tails. Sor-ry! Wear the tails, bro. Get the waistcoat and the tails. And the studs—you can play around with the studs if you want, but c’mon, bro, don’t do the white tie. Did Not Work. And it did not complement what she wore. Yeah, how do you think she’s doing? Oh, I lo— [stops himself] I think she’s doing great so far. But the inaugural dress, I wasn’t feelin’ that. No? Nooo. Didn’t like the cut. It was not flattering to her. All the little puff things on it—what was that all about? She should have been there in a, you know—she could have done a Valentino, but she’s a little more hip than that. I just thought it was a little bit [pause]…not her is the only way I can put it.