Rudy, Newt Back Steele

With the cries for Michael Steele’s resignation growing ever louder, two notable allies jumped to his defense yesterday. Rudy Guiliani told CNN last night that Steele “should remain exactly where he is,” noting that Republicans had won elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts on his watch. Newt Gingrich meanwhile told NBC that Steele is “capable of taking us through the midterm elections,” and suggested appointing “a respected outside authority to review everything.”

But the pressure is mounting on Steele reports CNN. Top GOP strategist Alex Castellanos went on CNN after Guiliani to call for the chairman’s resignation, saying he’d stopped serving as an informal adviser to him because “I lost my ability to be of service to the RNC.” Elsewhere, RNC member Sean Mahoney resigned his position in protest, accusing Steele of having a “reckless disregard” for donor money. (More Michael Steele stories.)