Did Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele go after Rep. Barney Frank today because he’s openly gay?  That was the question after MSNBC’s  Hardball host Chris Matthews raised Steele’s reference to Frank today in a speech designed to relaunch his chairmanship of the GOP.  Steele, in listing those Democrats some say the party should target instead of President Obama, said:

“They suggest that instead we should go after Nancy Pelosi, whom nobody likes. Or Harry Reid, whom nobody knows. Or this Tim Geithner fellow, whom nobody believes. Or maybe even Barney Frank, whom nobody understands.”

Matthews then asked NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd whether he thought the reference had to do with the Frank’s sexual orientation.  Todd call it a “weird shot,” and added “others can draw conclusions” about what Steele meant by the reference.