It doesn't pay to be a minority in the racist party. They only treated him with respect as long as he danced to their tune.
Actually,
it can pay quite well, if you're willing to play by the rules. Personally, I would not take this route, as I like being able to look at myself in the mirror without being overwhelmed with shame, but I guess it's all about the money for some people.
I'll admit I was never very clear on why Steele joined the GOP, but given his Catholicism, I can take a guess. And while he can definitely be corny when talking to people much younger than him, that's really true of most politicians so I don't really care.
Seriously, though, as soon as he became RNC chair, the position was stripped of nearly all spending power, the GOP proceeded to whine and complain about how he did nothing even as he broke fundraising limits, they then booted him right after they took over the House, gave his replacement the powers they had stripped from him, and not only refused to honor him as a "great RNC chair" at a recent ceremony, they
didn't even invite him to the event, which he attended as a guest of MSNBC.
Frankly, it's disgusting to treat anybody in that manner, but given Steele's race, it's not a surprise that the GOP treated him like that.