Frank Rich, of the New York Times, stated that the book "attacks unnamed party leaders in its pages for forsaking conservative principles." Linda Feldmann, of the Christian Science Monitor, placed Steele's book within a number of conservative political manifestos “hoping to repeat Newt Gingrich's 1994 success in taking over the House with his 'Contract With America.'” Marta Mossburg, of the Washington Examiner, stated, "The book drips with hypocrisy. He claims Republicans 'reject identity politics' and that a 'lot of bad ideas flow from categorizing people as either victims or oppressors.' But as a Senate candidate and as lieutenant governor of Maryland, he championed minority business subsidies and affirmative action. In the book, Steele slams President Obama for sending his daughters to private school while rejecting school choice for poor Washington D. C. children. As lieutenant governor in Maryland, he headed a commission whose final report never mentioned school vouchers, a key component of any school choice platform. The report rightly endorsed expanding charter schools, but where was his outrage for Baltimore City children denied access to safe, effective learning environment." During a conversation with Eddie Glaude, the chair of the Center for African American Studies, Glaude asked Michael Steele about the intended audience of his book. Steele discussed the importance of both Democrat and Republican agendas and stated, "You want to be intellectually armed to talk to your opponents. So [the book] is written for you. You may not agree with it, but at least when you're done, you'll understand why I say what I say." The Hill reported that on January 7, "Republican staffers in Congress held a conference call with RNC staff," in which they discussed "reining in Steele, whose off-the-cuff remarks during a media tour to promote his new book have stoked GOP establishment dyspepsia." Steele responded during an interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network, "This book is a book a lot of those staffers who are trying to get the chairman on message or muzzle the chairman, it's a book they don't want you to read. They don't want you to read this book because a guilty conscience is a funny thing.” On January 8, the Washington Post reported that "Republican congressional leaders say they did not know that their party chairman, Michael S. Steele, was publishing a book until it was released this week, and they had no input in drafting what Steele is promoting as the blueprint Republicans should follow to win back power." The Washington Post reported that GOP congressional aides stated that "more than half a dozen Republican Senate and House leaders have been upset with Steele's remarks and the book.