'We Built It': Michael Steele's Take

(The Root) -- During the Republican National Convention last week in Tampa, Fla., The Root's Keli Goff caught up with former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, who is also an MSNBC analyst and a regular contributor to The Root. In part 1 of their interview, they discussed whether the government had a role in civil rights gains. Steele also weighed in on President Obama's "you didn't build that" comment about the role of government in supporting business, which inspired the GOP's new "We Built It" slogan.

Steele, who admitted he is "not an antigovernment Republican," said that nonetheless, "When you look at the context of what [President Obama's] saying, in addition to his policies, we believe that they tend to be a little more obstructionist than open-minded."

Hear what else he had to say in the video below, and look for part 2 of the discussion, which touches on the role of race and racism within the GOP.