Republican leaders in the US House want to revamp the party image in order to stave off a Democratic landslide this year. San Diego Republicans say the agenda is just fine. Matt Laslo reports from Washington.
House Republicans unveiled their campaign plan for 2008. What stands out most is what isn't there: social issues. The campaign leadership wants the party to focus on economic plans that will appeal to independent and female voters. Some ideas are paid comp time, fully deductible medical expenses, and cracking down on internet predators. House Minority Leader John Boehner says Republicans need a new identity.
Boehner: "This election is about change and if the American people don't see us as an agent of change, well, they're not going to vote for us."
This image makeover is coming after 3 Democrats recently won special elections in what were thought to be safe Republican districts. That has caused finger pointing in the Republican caucus. Wyoming Republican Barbara Cubin says the party's platform is okay. She says Boehner and the other House leaders are just incompetent.
Cubin: "I think the fact that we don't have an agenda, that people in America don't know what we stand for, what we believe in, what we wish to accomplish, has been devastating to the party. And I think that shows a lack of leadership."
Congressional aides say their bosses are unhappy with the leadership, but lawmakers themselves are holding their tongues. Boehner recently shook up the Congressional Campaign Committee. He established an advisory board to oversee its chairman, Tom Cole of Oklahoma. California Republican Brian Bilbray says the leadership isn't to blame. He says Democrats are winning by running as Republicans.
Bilbray: "In fact most if not all of the Democrats that have won recently have run to the right of what the Republicans were running unto."
Democrats swept into the majority in 2006 by targeting Republican districts with moderate candidates of their own. That is how Pennsylvania Democrat Patrick Murphy won his seat. He says the Republican Party is struggling to find a way to address Democrats like him.
Murphy: "The scare tactics that they used in the past campaigns, that we are gonna take their guns away and everything like that, and then I whip out my gun permit and it's a pretty compelling argument."
Pollsters are not expecting many seats to change parties in California, but they do expect Democratic upsets nationwide. About 30 Republicans are retiring, which puts more Congressional seats in play than usual. Republican Duncan Hunter of Alpine is one of them. He's been busy campaigning for his son who hopes to take over his seat. Democrat's prospects look so good nationwide because President Bush is so unpopular. Bilbray says he thinks the California Supreme Court's recent ruling upholding same sex marriage will help Republicans in the state.
Bilbray: "I think that when you talk about in California, the issue of gay marriage, its gonna be a huge issue. Because I think you are seeing the social issues that are being pushed are so far to the left that a whole lot of moderate democrats won't be able to stomach it."
That may be true for Bilbray, but polls show voters are worried most about the economy. Republican Darrel Issa says his party is on the right side of the issue. He says Democrats haven't lived up to their fiscal promises.
Issa: "The fact is at some point people have to see a disconnect between what they see and what they do. We're not more fiscally conservative. The leadership has tried to have multiple tax increases and called them other things, but they are tax increases."
Leaders in both parties recognize voters are eager for change. So far Democrats have shown they can capitalize on that. The GOP now has about five months to retool its message or rank and file Republicans will start looking for new leaders.
From Capitol News Connection in Washington, I'm Matt Laslo FOR KPBS News.
