Any way to soften the goo from the original steering wheel so it can be cleaned off the steering column? I was hoping NOT to remove, sand and paint.

goo gone. (seriously, there is stuff called goo gone, but do you know what your goo came from?)

Its the stuff from the steering wheel. You can see where it dripped in the heat and moved down. Now that I crack open the coffin, it has hardened like a rock.

Lowe's sell "Goof Off". It is amazing at cleaning up the toughest stains and greasy messes.
It smells like varsol, but wow, it works.