More on the Conservative Steering Committee

Monday's USA Today seems to know something that I (and most people) apparently didn't:

Duncan has scheduled a meeting and straw poll Tuesday for candidates and about 80 RNC members. North Dakota Chairman Gary Emineth calls that "a vehicle for somebody to manipulate." He and Steel set up a Wednesday candidates' meeting open to all RNC members.

As a digression, I also agree heartily with this sentiment by Haley Barbour:

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former RNC chairman, says Duncan performed well, but "the question is the symbolism."

Barbour says he's "not for anybody or against anybody," but he acknowledges there is a regional question. "There are some people that want to attack us as being too Southern. I don't think we ought to make it easier for them to do that," he says.

Cat's out of the bag with regard to the Conservative Steering Committee, I suppose.

Or is it? The Washington Times, Monday, reported this:

First up is a debate at the National Press Club at 1 p.m. Monday, open to the public and the press and sponsored by Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform.

Then comes a Tuesday morning session by the 90-member Conservative Steering Committee - an event closed to the press, public and RNC members not specifically invited. But the group represents more than half the 168-member RNC and was formed to head off victories by Mr. Steele or Mr. Duncan at the national chairman's election at the end of January.

Finally, at a hastily called meeting of the whole RNC on Wednesday, the chairman hopefuls will assemble to take questions from committee members without the public or the press present, though it is not clear whether even a quorum of members will show up for that meeting.

Well, one paper is reporting that the Conservative Steering Committee was set up by Duncan. The other is reporting that the Conservative Steering Committee was formed in part to prevent Duncan from retaining the post of RNC chairman.

Which is it?