In Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Eastern News, the editorial board praised Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele for taking a stand and criticizing conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh during an interview Sunday night on CNN.

At the time, it seemed Steele was taking some initiative by speaking out against Limbaugh, who is often referred to as “the voice of the Republican Party.”

Tuesday’s editorial called for Steele to stand by his comments and show some backbone, which has been missing from the Republican Party for some time.

It’s too bad that was not the case.

On Monday’s edition of “The Rush Limbaugh Show,” Limbaugh blasted Steele for “taking the bait,” claiming although Steele is head of the Republican National Committee, he is not head of the Republican Party.

After the show, Steele contacted Limbaugh via telephone and apologized for the comments he had made.

“I went back at that tape, and I realized words that I said weren’t what I was thinking,” Steele said in a telephone interview with Politico. “It was one of those things where I thinking I was saying one thing, and it came out differently. What I was trying to say was a lot of people … want to make Rush the scapegoat, the bogeyman, and he’s not.”

And so, once again, we have another Republican bowing down to a radio host who in the past has made outrageous, inflammatory remarks aimed to enrage and put down those whose views differ from his.

Steele’s apology is even more disturbing given Limbaugh’s views on the current administration.

In January, Limbaugh notoriously said he hoped that President Barack Obama