ABC Political Punch chat with Saul Anuzis about the 'Race for RNC Chair'

Saul Anuzis on FOX News with Neil Cavuto, on Why He’s Taking On Michael Steele

TO:                        RNC Members

FROM:                   Saul Anuzis, MI-NCM

RE:                        Announcement for RNC Chairman

DATE:                   November 12, 2010

Congratulations on your success, nationwide and state-by-state.  Without the leadership you and our fellow members of the National Committee provide, we as a party, a conservative movement, would not have been able to rally America for the historic victory we achieved on Election Day.

This is an exciting time to be a Republican and, as leaders, we have an awesome task ahead of us.  The American people have given us a ‘second chance’ and that opportunity brings with it huge responsibility and challenge.

Now we turn our attention to 2012. America must elect a new President.  It is that hope, that necessity, that challenge, that draws me to announce my candidacy for the Chairmanship of the Republican National Committee.

I don’t take lightly the fact that I am challenging a friend and colleague for the Chairmanship. When Michael was elected Chairman, I was the only candidate who stepped forward to attend the next morning’s RNC breakfast meeting, agreed to join the transition team, and later took on several roles as a team player on the RNC…and have attended every meeting since.

Given my involvement and efforts to help over the past two years, it was not an easy decision for me to seek the post.  As someone who believes in loyalty, my natural instinct would be to sit this out.  But the simple fact is that the overriding challenge we face is winning back the Presidency in 2012 and we will not accomplish that objective unless there is dramatic change in the way the RNC does business.

We cannot be misled by our victories this year.  In 1994 we won the House and Senate yet just two years later Bill Clinton cruised to re-election.  As we’ve seen in the past two years public opinion can change with breathtaking speed.

We can’t rely on our wins in 2010 to carry us to success in 2012. We also can’t win in 2012 unless the RNC re-establishes itself as the powerful force that put us over the top in 2000 and 2004.

But to be a force, the RNC must change and that requires new leadership at the top. I am offering you an alternative, a choice, a different approach to the leadership and stewardship of our party.

Chairman Steele’s record speaks for itself.  He has his way of doing things. I have mine.

We will not win in 2012 if the RNC is not able to provide the financial resources we need to support the organizational efforts and ground games of our state parties.  Without a fully funded Victory program we will be overwhelmed by the efforts of the unions, the Obama campaign and all their allies.

Even though we won an overall victory in 2010 we lost some heartbreaking statewide races in places like Illinois, Colorado, West Virginia, Washington and Nevada, and countless congressional and legislative districts because the other side had a better turnout effort.

Think about your own state. Did some terrific Republican candidate work their hearts out, yet fall short by a handful of votes on Election Day? Now ask yourself: if the RNC had properly funded the Victory program in your state, would that candidate have been a winner? Would that candidate have benefited from a robust 72-hour program with ground troops sweeping in for the final weekend?

These are the stakes:

We will only win in 2012 if the RNC has the maximum level of resources it is allowed to spend on the GOP Presidential ticket.

We will only win in 2012 if the Chairman of the RNC steps out of the limelight and allows our elected officials and presidential candidates to be the face, voice, and agenda setter for Republicans.

And, we will only hold on to our gains–and expand them– if the RNC is able to provide the funding and leadership on reapportionment that is so critical.

Thankfully, in 2010 a group of alternative organizations emerged to help fill the void created by the RNC’s shortage of resources. They found support from many RNC major donors who had lost faith in the RNC. We need these groups and their support, but they can’t be expected to replace the RNC in a presidential year. We must rebuild the trust with our party’s major donors and bring them back to the table.

My philosophy of how the National Committee should be run is simple: to use a football analogy, I believe we should do the “blocking and tackling” for the candidates.

Today, we have many great potential candidates emerging as leaders of our country and our party.  Member of Congress, Senators and Governors now present the ‘face’ of the Republican Party. As our elected representatives, it is their job to set the public policy agenda.

As party leaders and grassroots activists, it is our job to make the calls, knock on the doors, organize our states and precincts and, most importantly, raise the money to help elect Republicans.

With those thoughts in mind let me outline what I will do if you choose to elect me as Chairman.

I will be a tenacious fundraiser who will make fundraising my number 1 priority as Chairman.  As the Michigan Republican Chairman during some of our party’s toughest times, I raised record amounts of money to make sure our efforts were funded.  I will commit a majority of my time to funding our efforts for this upcoming cycle.

I will NOT strive to be the voice or the face of our party.  Of course I will be happy to discuss politics and elections with the media, but I won’t be competing with valuable airtime from the men and women on our ticket.  Instead, I will work with our elected leaders around the country to give them maximum exposure and guarantee a consistent message that leads us to victory.

I will be a nuts and bolts type of Chairman, one who will concentrate on the fundamentals and ensure we properly develop and execute our ground game.  It will be my goal to create an unprecedented organizational base, fully funded, to make more phone calls, knock on more doors, mail more material and compete on the airwaves to get our message across.

I will work with our National Convention committee and ultimately our nominee for President to ensure an effective, efficient Convention that will showcase our party and launch our nominee into the general election campaign with momentum.  I will work diligently to ensure that we spend every dollar towards running the most efficient and exciting convention possible.

I will raise the funds needed to make sure we have a state of the art reapportionment program nationwide.  To take advantage of our 2010 state election victories we will need to buttress the efforts of our state parties and legislative caucuses to make sure they have the information technology, legal support, and data needed to win the redistricting war.

I will run a tight ship and be a conscientious steward of our donor’s money.  I will engage both our donor community and the Budget Committee in a detailed review and supervision of how we allocate our resources.  I will be accountable for every penny spent. I will always be mindful that the RNC’s resources come from hard-working Americans who love their country and were willing to sacrifice to make it a better place.

I will be a team player and work cooperatively with the NRSC, NRCC and RGA to elect more Republicans across our country.  I will not take sides in the Presidential primary contest but will be a reliable player that the eventual presidential nominee will be able to depend on, and work with closely and cooperatively through the presidential campaign.

I will be available to you and the other Committee members and use your input and advice as we develop election targets and support programs.

I will be directly in charge of our Election Day programs and support efforts.  During the final days of the 2012 campaign I will be at headquarters 24/7, overseeing our national campaign and making sure that every call is made, every email sent, every piece of literature delivered and every Republican voter we can identify gets to the polls in order to achieve success.

Finally, I will ONLY run for ONE term, help elect our president and support his/her recommendation for our next Chairman.

We saw this plan work in Michigan this year. By raising the necessary funds and giving local parties the tools they needed, the Michigan Republican Party created an environment where our slate of great candidates cruised to victory, winning every statewide office, taking back the state house and Supreme Court,  increasing majority in the state senate and increasing our GOP Congressional delegation by two seats.

My agenda is very straightforward. I have no interest in running for office. I won’t be writing a book.  It is not my goal to be famous. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who will work harder, more diligently and be more committed to electing Republicans from the top to every township and city across this great country of ours.

Our Republican Party has a proud history as the Grand Old Party but we have an even brighter future as the Grand Opportunity Party that leads us into the 21st century with innovative solutions based upon our proven principles.

In 2012 one of two things will happen.  We will either win back the Senate and White House and set America on the right pathway forward, or we will squander this opportunity and allow President Obama to continue moving our nation to the left, to an era of unprecedented government growth and intrusion into our lives.

As an RNC member, the choice is yours as the outcome will be determined, in large part, by which party has the resources and the organizational program to prevail.

If you believe that what we have seen at the RNC the past two years is good enough to provide us a victory in 2012 then by all means you should stick with our current leadership and direction.

But if you agree with me that victory in 2012 requires a new set of priorities and new leadership I hope you will consider supporting my candidacy for RNC Chairman.

Grading the RNC Chair Candidates’ Young Voter Outreach Plans

Grading the RNC Chair Candidates’
Young Voter Outreach Plans

by Aaron Marks

With the RNC Chair election rapidly approaching, I wanted to take a look at how each candidate plans to appeal to young voters. Specifically, I will be referencing each candidate’s plans and platforms as outlined on their respective websites, along with their responses to the question regarding youth voters at the RNC Chair debate hosted by Americans for Tax Reform. Based on these past remarks and platforms, I will then grade each candidate’s overall plan for increasing the Republican Party’s appeal to young voters.

Chip Saltsman Grade: D+

At the ATR debate, Saltsman insisted that young voters are not the future of the Party, but instead the “heart and soul of the party” because “they are involved in every campaign we run.” Saltsman recalled how he was inspired by Ronald Reagan, and how Reagan inspired to people to know that “we were the shining city on the hill,” and he stated that “we need to make sure that we inspire all people across all age groups to let them know that we are a great country.”

Saltsman’s Republican Plan for Victory insists that “Republicans must also develop a new game plan to connect with younger voters” so that they don’t “become habitual Democratic supporters.” In terms of technology, he argues that “we need to rethink our online tactics and strategy,” as the 2008 election cycle taught many lessons, including “the growing political significance of self-organizing citizen activism; the speed at which viral information travels through the blogosphere and other digital media; the power of online fundraising; the extent to which younger voters rely on and demand online information and interactivity; and the peril of a strategy blind to these irreversible developments.”

My Take: Saltsman is correct that Republicans must find a way to connect with and inspire young voters. However, his plan offers virtually no substance as to how to accomplish this. After the GOP’s devastating 2-to-1 national defeat among young voters, this is simply inadequate for someone striving to be the leader of the Republican Party’s future.

Ken Blackwell Grade: D+
(This is OKGOP Chair Gary Jones pick)

At the ATR debate, Blackwell repeated his call that, “We have to bring [the College Republican National Committee] back into our structure,” and he also advocated Rebuild the Party’s “40 under 40″ strategy. He noted that he believes it is necessary to include “young folks at the policy level, the organizational level, and the service level — at every level of government.”

In his Conservative Resurgence Plan, Blackwell insists that Republicans must draw “contrasts with Democrats regarding these principles, values, and ideas.” He also argues that the RNC has been “negligent in the development of young candidates and operatives through the College Republicans and Young Republicans.” Overall, he states that, “We will work to make changes necessary to strengthen the relationship between College Republicans and the RNC, allowing us to work together electing more Republicans.” Technologically, Blackwell identifies the need to establish a CTO as senior level RNC staff. He also proposes “rolling out a social network which will serve as the foundation of a new Republican online movement.”

My Take: Blackwell’s plan strives to enhance the relationship between College/Young Republicans and the RNC. He (correctly) points out that the RNC has largely neglected developing young candidates and operatives, although he fails to propose a specific solution to this problem beyond offering RNC “funding for a national field program of well-trained College Republicans.” In the end, what he proposes may certainly solidify the RNC’s collaboration with existing young Republican voters and institutions, but it offers insufficient substance as to exactly how to accomplish this. More importantly, his plan offers little in terms of proposals for bringing new young voters into the GOP.

Katon Dawson Grade: F

Like Chip Saltsman, Dawson invoked Ronald Reagan’s name and vision in his response at the debate. He pointed out that “it didn’t matter that [Reagan] was 60-some odd years old, the youth came out everywhere and voted across lines.” Based on this, he concluded that “it’s the value of our candidates, how we recruit them, and how we energize it…it comes from the quality and the value of the people we put on the ground.”

The Dawson Plan states that, “The Republican Party was once known as the party of small business, entrepreneurship and enterprise. That mantle was lost when our leaders promoted big government, big spending, and more mandates and regulation.” It briefly touches on the problems that the GOP is encountering with young voters when Dawson writes, “Meanwhile, young voters 18 to 29 voted for Barack Obama by a margin of 2-to-1.” The plan proposes a four-pronged “Operation eGOP” to enhance the Republican Party’s use of technology. The three components are: first, creating regional eCampaign Directors to work with state and local parties; second, for the RNC to “invest in new technology to build a platform so multiple vendors can use RNC technological and information resources for candidate websites and tools”; third, for the RNC to invest in building a “robust and open” social network; and fourth, to commit to recruiting 5 million new online activists. Interestingly enough, Dawson is the only candidate who hasn’t endorsed the Rebuild the Party plan.

My Take: Dawson recognizes the importance of candidates that appeal to young voters, but neither his plan nor his debate response address what he will do as RNC Chair to ensure that these sort of candidates run and are given the resources to be elected. Not only does Dawson fail to provide any specifics as to how he would appeal to young voters, but he has not even endorsed the Rebuild the Party plan which offers a number of ideas in terms of ways to do this.

Michael Steele Grade: D-

In response to the question at the ATR debate, Steele argued that approaching the problem with young voters through a “national footprint” is not enough; instead, he spoke about “something that’s in your backyard.” Michael suggested that if Republicans “want to have a face-to-face with young people, then you need to be on the college campuses. You need to help them organize. You need to be in their neighborhoods and their communities speaking directly in their language on the issues that are important to them.” Overall, he insisted that we must “actually put them in the game and let them play the game. That’s when you’ll start to attract folks.”

None of Steele’s Blueprint for Tomorrow addresses the issue of increasing the GOP’s standing with young voters, and it is fairly vague in terms of plans for improving the Republican Party’s use of technology.

My Take: Although Steele’s response drew an astounding round of applause at the debate, I find it worrisome that he provides no specifics as to how to accomplish his goals, and even more discouraging that he does not address winning over young voters in any way in his Blueprint for Tomorrow. While his points from the debate may be accurate, they are far too vague and lack any clear direction or plan.

Mike Duncan Grade: C-

At the debate, Duncan proposed three points to increasing the GOP’s appeal to young voters. First, he stated that the GOP must “make sure we attract young people with ideas,” which he believes can be produced by his proposed Center for Republican Renewal. Second, he pointed to technology as a place to appeal to young voters, noting that the RNC must communicate with them “on the home pages, on the Facebook, with the Twittering.” Finally, he insisted that the GOP needs to have role models for younger voters, such as the newly elected Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock. He also highlighted his opposition to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which prevents the RNC from funding organizations like CRs and YRs.

Duncan’s Plan for the Future states that the Republican Party must improve its standing among many demographics, including young voters, “while maintaining our support among our traditional base.” Duncan argues that “we must identify those who share our principles but don’t trust our Party, [and] … gain, or re-gain, their trust by offering real solutions to issues they care about.” Finally, he insists that the RNC must persuade people that “our ideas are the path to a stronger, safer, and more prosperous America.”

My Take: Duncan’s recognition of the importance in electing new young Republicans as “role models” is excellent, but he generally fails to identify specific initiatives that could accomplish this. That said, the Center for Republican Renewal is a concrete solution that could be useful in finding new ideas to increase the Republican Party’s appeal to young voters. His statement about “the Facebook, the Twittering” suggests a possible lack of awareness of these arenas that are crucial in appealing to young voters. Finally, even though eliminating the barriers of the campaign reform act may be valuable, increasing funding to College and Young Republicans will be unlikely to convert many non-Republican young voters into Republicans, as these organizations primarily serve to appeal to existing Republicans.

Saul Anuzis Grade: B-

At the debate, Saul insisted that it is necessary for “Young Republicans, College Republicans, and Teenage Republicans to have a seat at the table.” He cited a study that suggests that “70% of the kids in high school today want to be entrepreneurs,” and argues that the GOP can appeal to this sense of entrepreneurship by re-establishing itself as “a party for free markets and free minds.”

On his website, Saul states that as RNC Chair he would “hold frequent meetings with young leaders,” such that “they will lead our outreach efforts and will have honest funding to do so effectively.” Saul has also been noted as a leader in embracing the sort of technology and openness that is crucial in appealing to young voters — indeed, he even announced his intentions to run for Chair on Twitter. In his Blueprint for a GOP Comeback, Saul writes that, “We will seek input and ideas specifically from … younger groups and leaders to help ensure we are not forfeiting a generation of voters.” In addition to endorsing Rebuild the Party, Saul also proposes a “60 under 40″ plan, in which “Only 60 individuals under the age of 40 will be chosen each year.” These individuals “will travel to Washington for leadership training, media training, and fundraising training.” Finally, Saul advocates practices such as “Best Web Ad” contests that he will aim specifically at younger Republicans “to encourage … creativity and passion.”

My Take: Saul identifies a number of concrete proposals for appealing to young voters, and his understanding of and willingness to embrace technology could help the GOP make inroads among these voters. However, his decision to limit training to 60 individuals each year is disheartening. Saul’s belief in including young voters at the table and using their guidance could be immensely valuable — but for this to be a success, these young voters must be diverse, not just “members of the choir.”

Conclusion

The lack of substantial and comprehensive plans for increasing the Republican Party’s appeal to young voters from the majority of the candidates for RNC Chair is rather frightening.

Despite the fact that the surge in the percentage of the youth vote received by Barack Obama played a huge role in his victory, most of the RNC Chair candidates seem content to preserve the status quo — working with College Republicans, Young Republicans, and other existing young Republican groups and folks while failing to outreach to new young voters.

If the Republican Party wants to win elections and be the party of the future, our next RNC Chair is going to have to do much better than that.

Anuzis favored to head RNC

Anuzis, Dawson favored to head RNC
Ralph Z. Hallow
Thursday, January 8, 2009

Incumbent Mike Duncan probably will get the most first-ballot votes for election as Republican National Committee chairman, but eventual victory likely will go to one of the other two RNC members running for the post in the election scheduled for Jan. 30.

Several members attending a first-ever special meeting of the national committee on Wednesday told The Washington Times that they expect either Michigan party Chairman Saul Anuzis or South Carolina party Chairman Katon Dawson to emerge as the party's top national official.

"I think Duncan wins the first-ballot plurality, but not the next ballots," said Maryland RNC member Joyce Lyons Tehres, who supports former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, an accomplished public speaker, for national party chairman. She said she thought Mr. Steele continued to lead the field after the Wednesday meeting, but others saw a trend.

"I sensed it was catching on, the idea that the next chairman should be a member of the committee, not a former member," said Curly Haugland, a North Dakota rancher and committee member.

He was one of the 50 members of the 168-member Republican National Committee spending a cold, dreary day in Washington grilling their national chairman candidates on how to make the old party grand once again.

Those 168 people will vote for one of the six candidates Jan. 30, but in the likely event that nobody wins a majority on the first ballot, the committee members will keep voting until one hopeful does command a majority. The usual course of events is that candidates with no apparent chance at winning then throw their support to others and thus a majority coalition develops.

Several members who initially tagged Mr. Duncan or Mr. Steele as the front-runner changed their minds after all six candidates presented their respective cases and fielded questions on Wednesday, the end of an unprecedented three days of candidate self-advertisement.

The new view of these members is that the contest probably will go to either Mr. Anuzis, a technology-hip, motorcycle-riding son of Lithuanian immigrants, or Mr. Dawson, who has amassed a winning record for Republican candidates in his state.

"Saul showed his saviness and had the best grasp of the latest in communications tools," North Dakota Chairman Gary Eminent told The Washington Times after the RNC member-only meeting at the Capitol Hill Club.

"But on his winning record in South Carolina and articulating the national party's message, Katon looked pretty strong.

"Dawson was very folksy, very passionate -- made the case that he knows how to build a winning party," former RNC General Counsel David Norcross said.

"Saul talked about relying heavily on Republican governors."

"Duncan, Steele and [former Ohio Secretary of State Ken] Blackwell led before this [week] got started -- they had more organized commitments. But I saw lot of momentum from Dawson," Mr. Eminent said. "Whether people had been released from their past commitment in order to support him, I don't know."

Mr. Duncan, a Kentucky banker who raised record sums of money for the Republican Party in 2008, argued during the closed meeting that he has run the national committee for two years and knows best how to bring change and set the party apparatus up to win upcoming gubernatorial and congressional elections.

"Duncan argued, 'I am ready from Day One' and gave the best performance I ever heard him give," Mr. Norcross said.

Members who remained in their respective home states as well as those who journeyed to Washington said they detected sentiment building to elect one of the three fellow RNC members as the next national party chairman, rather than one of the three nonmembers also vying for the post.

While it is widely agreed that Mr. Steele would make the most telegenic party spokesman for a time that the party will not have the bully pulpit of the White House, some members said they were looking for someone with skills that go well beyond the ability to come across well on television.

"I think we need something more than a national spokesperson -- who can actually run the national party and take it technologically and organizationally to where we need to be to win elections," said Colorado Republican Party Chairman Dick Wadhams, who has been following the three days of RNC Washington meetings from his home in Denver.

None of the members interviewed were ready to bet money on the outcome - some recent RNC contests have run five or more ballots, but a general impression was emerging.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the next chairman will be new face, a member -- Katon or Saul," said Mr. Haugland.

United We Stand

Michigan Republican Party created this to instill that we are ONE nation under God. Politics stops at the waters edge. The Dem's have taken a complete vacation from responsibility.

The Michigan Republican Party understand how to use 'New Media', its very sad that Gary Jones and Oklahoma Republican Party are so far behind in 'New Media'

And its not like Gary has NOT been ask by people to let them help him in this !

"Bailout" Commentary on Michigan Matters by Saul Anuzis

Saul Anuzis speech to 08 CPAC: "Grassroots to Convervatives: We've Got Your Back"

Chairman Saul Anuzis
Conservative Political Action Conference
Washington, DC
Provided by Michigan Republican Party
February 8, 2008

“Grass Roots to Conservatives:
We’ve Got Your Back”

I bring greetings from Michigan, the state where the Republican Party first nominated our greatest conservative president, Ronald Reagan and produced America’s leading conservative mind, Russell Kirk, who gave American conservatism an identity and a genealogy and helped spark the postwar conservative movement.

I remember the 1980 Republican convention like it was yesterday.

Reagan’s acceptance speech was fantastic. Do you remember how he ended the speech? After noting it wasn’t part of his prepared text, Reagan looked out over the delegates and spoke from his heart to millions of Americans. He said:

“Can we doubt that only a Divine Providence placed this land, this island of freedom, here as a refuge for all those people in the world who yearn to breathe freely: Jews and Christians enduring persecution behind the Iron Curtain, the boat people of Southeast Asia, of Cuba and Haiti, the victims of drought and famine in Africa, the freedom fighters of Afghanistan and our own countrymen held in savage captivity.

“I'll confess that I've been a little afraid to suggest what I'm going to suggest -- I'm more afraid not to -- that we begin our crusade joined together in a moment of silent prayer. [PAUSE…]God bless America.”

Reagan’s words first changed a nation. They then changed the world.

Reagan certainly inspired me and my family.

My family emigrated here from Lithuania. I didn’t learn to speak English until I was about 6 or 7.

My father worked the line at General Motors in Detroit for 32 years as a skilled tradesman. He was in the UAW; I was a Teamster. In 1980, I was loading trucks to help pay my way through college. I was trying to figure out what I believed in… What I was willing to fight for.

Reagan gave us just what we needed – a rock solid vision for a better America and a better world.

Now, nearly 30 years later, it is an honor to join so many conservative activists, gathered here in Washington. In fact, isn’t it funny, to most conservatives, Washington is the enemy, yet everybody wants to come here, at least to CPAC!

But seriously, when conservatives get elected and get comfy in the halls of power here in our nation’s capital, some lose their way. Some forget who sent them here and why.

Some begin to believe that somehow “Washington knows best.” Some commit the cardinal sin of forgetting the values and principles of the conservative grass roots who did the hard work of actually getting them elected.

Well, I’m here with a simple message – the grass roots are watching, the grass roots are listening, and the grass roots will be voting. And I can assure you of this: The grass roots will not be forgetting their values and principles when it comes time to vote.

And we will hold you accountable – not just in November, BUT IN EVERY ELECTION!

I think that when historians look back on this election campaign, they may pinpoint one week last September as a turning point. That was the week John McCain visited Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina on his “No Surrender Tour.”

What a great message. No backing down. No matter the odds. No matter the viciousness of the enemy. No matter the efforts of some in Washington to legislate defeat.

And I give Senator McCain credit – this is a man who risked his life for our country in Vietnam and put his political life on the line over Iraq and the War on Terror.

This is a man who says what he believes and believes what he says and will not back down.

For him, surrender is NOT AN OPTION!

This fall, that’s the message we need to take to the American people.
No surrender to our enemies!
No surrender to defending the dignity of every human life!
No surrender on securing the border!
No surrender on conservative judges!
No surrender on slashing porkbarrel spending!
And NO surrender on CUTTING TAXES.

To the candidates who run with this message and this philosophy, I make this promise from the conservative grass roots of the Republican Party: “We’ve got your back.”

Let me cut right to the chase.

Electing the next Republican president won’t be simply about moving moderates into the Republican column. It will be about moving conservatives of every stripe – or no stripe at all – to vote for our nominee.

That’s what Reagan did, and that’s what we can do if Republicans rebuild our party as the champion of limited government and a strong defense, lower taxes and less regulation, more freedom and maximum opportunity.

These principles are nonnegotiable.

There will be NO surrender!

Over the past couple of days, the pundits have been debating whether the campaign for the Republican nomination is now a three man race, a two man contest or a one man show to win the hearts and minds of all Republicans and America.

Well, as usual, the pundits miss the point.

This is a race to 50 percent plus one on Election Day this fall. And give or take a few million votes, that means the winner on November 4th will have to win the hearts and minds of about 65 million Americans.

My job is to help win about two-and-half million votes in Michigan.

Sadly, it might even be less than that, if still more unemployed workers and families flee our state to escape the burden of higher taxes and the Democratic disaster called Governor Jennifer Granholm.

Remember just a few years ago when Michigan’s Governor Granholm was the darling of the Democratic Party? Her supporters wanted to change the U.S. Constitution to let foreign born citizens run for president.

You don’t hear much about those ambitions anymore, but you do hear about Granholm escaping Michigan to join a “new” Clinton administration in Washington.

As the mother of the biggest tax hike in Michigan history, Granholm will certainly fit right in with the tax raising plans of the Democrats. Bonded in what I have called “holy taximony,” Clinton and Granholm share the belief that bigger government and higher taxes will erase Michigan's single-state recession or the highest-in-the-nation unemployment.

Yes, you heard that right, a single state recession, and the highest-in-the-nation unemployment.

So what did the Democrats in Michigan do to try and turn this dismal economic situation around?

What steps did the Democrats take to create more jobs and create more opportunities so our young people won’t have to leave the state in search of jobs?

What steps did the Democrats take in Michigan that might be an indication of what Democrats would do in Washington if a Democrat becomes President?

They raised taxes one-point-three billion dollars.

Last year, Governor Granholm and her Democratic economic wizards in the state legislature rammed a one-point-three billion dollar tax increase down the throats of Michigan’s taxpayers late last year.

Virtually every Republican opposed the tax increase.

Virtually every Democrat supported it.

Virtually every Republican supported reforming government to cut wasteful and unnecessary spending.

Virtually every Democrat opposed reform.

And when Governor Granholm threatened to shut down government, Republicans stood up to oppose such an irresponsible and unnecessary step designed to scare the people of Michigan.

So we went on the air with a radio spot, taking our message to the people.

I want to play this radio spot for you because I want conservatives to know that the coming tax fight we are going to have in Washington has already been underway in Michigan. I want conservatives to know that we are only going to win this coming tax showdown in Washington if we are willing to stand up and fight.

Let’s play it…we called it “Showdown”:

[play Showdown]

Legislators felt the heat.

Several Democrats even refused to cast a vote at all. Then it got ugly.
State House members were actually held hostage, kept in session for seven straight days and seven nights, not able to sleep or touch base with their constituents.

Rumors began to circulate that certain legislators were being “bought off” by special interests working with the Governor.

And in the end, Governor Granholm got her way, despite the fact that 70 percent of Michigan voters said to cut spending and reform government first.

So we went back on the air to reinforce that message.

Here the next ad we called “We Told You So”:

[play Told You]

And then we sealed the deal with the people of Michigan with this final spot.

[play Soap Opera]

Today, the Governor is singing a different tune, saying she’ll never raise taxes again, because, in her words, “it’s just too hard.”

And despite plans by the Democratic Speaker of the House to raise the state gas tax, Granholm said:
"I think raising the gas tax now is impossible, because people are hurting."

Now, with recall campaigns sprouting statewide, the Governor called for a “cease fire” to foster bipartisanship in the legislature.

Trouble is, the Democrats have done all the shooting, putting even more holes in Michigan’s troubled economy with their partisan bickering.

And the voters are figuring out that for the governor, “bipartisan” is just a code word for spend more and tax more.

What has happened in Michigan is surely a foretaste of the coming tax fight here in Washington. And note these lessons.

If you stand with the taxpayer.

If you stand with the grassroots.

If you are prepared to explain again and again that lower taxes creates more jobs and more opportunities, then you can win the argument about taxes with the voters.

But it won’t be easy. You will even get some pushback like we did from your own side for being too vocal in the fight against tax increases. Apparently, some Republican politicians don’t want to hear from the grass roots.

They are happy when we write checks, make phone calls and put up signs, knock on doors, deliver their literature, but then we’re apparently supposed to go away and keep our opinions to ourselves, while they govern in our name.

Well let’s just say, not in Michigan. Not on my watch. In Michigan, we will speak out and speak up for the conservative grass roots. And we will push the tax fight with all the voters, no matter the heat some members of our own party may feel.

Everywhere I go in Michigan, our grass roots are telling me that we need to return the focus to our Conservative principles and LOWER taxes.

This past summer in Michigan, this choice was made abundantly clear.
Democrats will raise taxes, and have. Republicans will cut them.

This fall we Republicans need to make this choice equally as clear for the entire nation. It is how we will put a swing state like Michigan in play. And it doesn’t matter if Senator Obama is their candidate or Senator Clinton.

Listen to what Senator Obama said on Super Tuesday… “Our time has come. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

What Obama is really telling us, is give me the credit card, I’ll pay you back for waiting patiently all these years.

Like Senator Clinton, Obama has a big-government solution to every problem and the tax hikes to pay for them.

And you think Charlie Rangel has big tax increases in mind? Just wait for Barack Obama.

Apparently, when Barack Obama declares “yes, we can” there are three more words that remain unspoken – “yes, we can -- raise your taxes.”

As conservatives, our mission must be to stand up together and speak with one voice to say…

“NO…YOU…WON’T!!”

Senator Obama may speak eloquently about the American people’s desire for change, but it was Ronald Reagan and conservatives who first changed the culture in Washington.

And we can do it again.

Remember,
- when conservatives put more money in mom and dad’s paycheck...
- when conservatives promote and defend the culture of life…
- when conservatives inspire America to be that shining city on a hill...

And when conservatives candidates stand together on values and principles, be assured that the grass roots will support you.

Because as I’ve said, WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK!

Saul Anuzis and Michael Steele - Two Different Approaches

Hat Tip to Cato @ Delmarva Dealings

Who should be the next
RNC chair?

Some have their favorites.

Some of us are undecided.

Unfortunately, too many Republicans don’t care.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this race.

A great chairman can do GREAT THINGS for the GOP. Just remember the fantastic job done by former chairman and current Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

Until the debate on January 5th, we’ll be stuck with getting bits and pieces from the candidates … and the usual opinion from people like me and my Red Maryland colleague Brian Griffiths. However, we do have two larger bits of info from two of the top tier candidates - former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis.

Thanks to our fearless Red Maryland leader Streiff, we have this interview given by Steel to CNSNews.com. You can also watch an interview with Steele on PJTV.

RedState has given a set of of ten questions to each candidate. Anuzis is the first candidate to return his answers. You can read them here.

I encourage you to read both Steele’s interview and Anuzis’ answers carefully.

I believe that you’ll find two distinct approaches.

While they may be close on most issues, Anuzis comes off as more forceful … and forthcoming.

With all due respect to Steele, he appears more concerned with offending someone than on getting it right (pay close attention to the PJTV interview and the Meet the Press interview).

We need a Chairman
who will LEAD!

Conservative ideas can still win

By SAULIUS "SAUL" ANUZIS

The Republican Party must shift toward the center say some pundits. Others urge a tilt to the right. The right answer is that our party must move forward as a party of ideas, innovation, and – yes – conservatism.

The first step is admitting that we were "thumped" in two straight elections not because of ideology but because of hypocrisy. What had been a party dedicated to the power of the American dream and individual freedom lost its way, mired in pork barrel spending and Wall Street bailouts.

Barack Obama seized on this opportunity and won many Americans to his side by promising to deliver on our broken promises.

Rebuilding the Republican Party means reclaiming that vision of hope and opportunity for all, one idea, one neighborhood and one email at a time. For too long, our party has simply focused on finding voters who already agreed with us and getting them to the polls, but somehow we forgot about delivering a compelling message that inspired new members to join our cause. To win, we must do both, and here's how:

One idea at a time. Republicans lost the presidency and seats in Congress on Nov. 4, but our ideas didn't lose. After all, Obama won with a Republican idea as the centerpiece of his platform – tax cuts. To be successful, Republicans must present bold, conservative ideas that deliver on a promise of less government, more freedom and strong national defense.

For example, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) has proposed taking the $350 billion pledged to the Wall Street bailout and instead funding a two month tax holiday for all Americans. That's two months of no income taxes, Social Security or Medicare taxes. That's thousands of dollars to pay mortgages, buy cars or invest in starting a new business that creates jobs. Newt Gingrich takes Rep. Gohmert's idea one step further, suggesting that instead of adopting Speaker Pelosi's dream of a $700 billion stimulus program, the tax holiday could be extended to a full six months. Now, that's what I call the mother of all stimulus packages!

While tax cuts remain central to economic renewal, what's important here is that our message must be more than just “Republicans are tax cutters.” We must talk about other issues that matter to moms and dads sitting at the kitchen table with an overarching theme that "Republicans are problem solvers." That means talking about education, health care, and the environment just as much as we talk about taxes and national security.

The place to find common sense conservative ideas is in the states.

Consider Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who beat his Democrat opponent by nearly 500,000 votes on the strength of a bold agenda that included leasing the Indiana Toll Road and privatizing government services. Now, Gov. Daniels will continue on the reform path, fighting to permanently cap property taxes, streamline government and make college more affordable for middle- and low-income families.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush made education his signature issue and recently offered this advice to help our children learn: "We need to pay for performance for teachers. We need to eliminate tenure. We need much more accountability, we need more school choice." Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is taking that advice and running with it. He is an education pioneer, promoting a merit pay plan that links teacher pay to student performance and urging more rigorous teacher training.

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal continues to build on an already impressive reform record with a sweeping proposal to revitalize his state's health care system. Jindal's plan expands access to high quality, affordable care with a commitment to efficiency, transparency and accountability.

What makes Gov. Jindal an ideal messenger for our party is that is has walked the walk, successfully battling for much-needed ethics reform and commanding his state's response to Hurricane Gustav. As the son of immigrants, I connect with him because we share a passionate belief that the American Dream is still alive, that God has a place in our society and that our best days are yet to come. That's a message to inspire more Americans to join our Party.

One neighborhood at a time. Just as our ideas must come from the 50 states, the comeback of the Republican Party must begin with the grassroots in neighborhoods from coast to coast. Right now, there are too many neighborhoods where you are more likely to find a unicorn than a Republican. So our comeback strategy must concentrate on being a party of inclusion.

That means reaching out to all states and all regions of the country, all ethnic, racial and religious groups, and all ages, especially young voters. The bottom line: If we only speak to white men over 40 in states we are already winning, like the many in the south, our comeback will fall short.

The path to majority runs through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan. For example, conservative Republican John Engler won three terms as Michigan's governor by delivering on his bold promises to improve schools, cut taxes, "right size" government and reform welfare. Voters may not have agreed with everything he stood for, but they appreciated his commitment to solve problems and get things done. Following Engler's lead, we must get past endless debates about process and focus on results – because that's what voters care about most and that's how we build a new winning coalition.

Being a party of inclusion also means recruiting candidates with more diverse backgrounds. For example, African American Republicans won seats in the Michigan state House representing the largely white and middle class suburbs of Kalamazoo and Flint.

As a native of working class Detroit where union membership was a way life, I was inspired by Ronald Reagan to become a Republican. So I refuse to accept the idea that any neighborhood or any demographic group is out of reach – that means I refuse to accept the self-fulfilling prophecy that Republicans cannot win in states like New York, California, Illinois, or Washington.

Obama's campaign mantra "Yes, we can" is actually more appropriate to capsulate the Republican message of personal responsibility, individual freedom and commitment to achieving the American dream. In fact, Obama’s agenda is exactly the opposite – less personal responsibility, more government intervention and a commitment to government as the solution. It's time for Republicans to show America that our way of solving problems is not only more effective but in line with their values.

One email at a time. To be successful, the Republican comeback must be driven by a commitment to innovation and to use of the Internet – not just as a tool to communicate our ideas, but as a tool to organize, fundraise and manage every aspect of party operations.

We must learn from the Democrats’ success in 2008 and create a virtual community to carry our message across the nation. I’ve embraced the tools of the digital age, put them to work as a state party chair, challenged traditional media and communicated directly with the public. I blog and Twitter, and Facebook. The Republican Party needs a leader who understands how communities are built and nurtured on the web and knows how to lead our comeback online.

For example, I strongly endorse the 10-point plan developed by Republican activists at www.rebuildtheparty.com. In particular, I agree that “winning the technology war with the Democrats must be the RNC's number one priority over the next four years.” We can have great ideas and show our commitment to inclusion, but without a state-of-the-art technology platform to communicate, organize and fundraise, we can't get the job done.

From recruiting an online army of five million online Republican activists to opening up our technology ecosystem so that entrepreneurs can compete and promote new tools, the Rebuild the Party plan is a blueprint for a complete transformation of how our Party operates – building from the grassroots up, not from Washington on down.

This plan includes a commitment from the RNC to train 25,000 dedicated Republican activists over the next four years and to help recruit and support candidates not just for 435 congressional seats but for state legislatures and local offices, creating a great "farm team" for the next generation of Republican leaders.

Most importantly, the plan calls for reorganization of the RNC based on the principle that an e-campaign division is not enough; innovation and the Internet must "pervade everything the committee does."

What I really like about this strategy is that it recreates the Republican Party not just as a political force but as a civic institution that voters are passionate about and will invite their friends and neighbors to join.

What's next? Right now, voters don’t quite know what to expect from the Republican Party. But we do know what they expect from President Obama. Voters expect tax cuts, spending restraint, secure borders and strong national security. They also expect Obama to respect our nation's values and traditions and to restore our economic strength, not strangle it with excessive regulations and government intervention. Republicans must support President Obama when he meets those expectations, and we must oppose him vigorously when he doesn't.

But to be successful, our party must be more than a loyal opposition. Simply opposing the Democrats will guarantee another four years in the wilderness after Obama's re-election in 2012. We can build our new majority one idea at a time, one neighborhood at a time, and one email at a time. By sticking to our core values and focusing on delivering results, we can start our comeback and show America that Republicans are once again a party that keeps its promises and solves problems.

Saul Anuzis is chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and a candidate for chairman of the Republican National Committee.

A Great GOP State Chairman, too BAD HE NOT FROM OKLAHOMA !

Too BAD,
OKLAHOMA GOP
IS AWOL ON THIS !

Michigan GOP chairman
relishes the game of politics
BY DAWSON BELL
FEBRUARY 19, 2008

Saul Anuzis, the effervescent chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, knows how to do modern politics.

He blogs, he texts, he podcasts and micro-targets. But he also knows there is a timeless and nontechnical side to politics -- fun.

It was an early lesson, learned on the campus of the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the 1970s, where he discovered that a surefire way to interest college students in politics was the same tactic used to interest college students in anything else -- offer free beer.

Thirty years later, his methods may be more sophisticated (at least a little), but Anuzis still appears to be having a good time.

Clearly, he loves the attention. Anuzis, now in his fourth year as chairman, never ducks an interview or a question. He can wisecrack nonstop. And he is almost unflappable, even when assailed from both sides.

For someone who presided over a Republican bloodbath in 2006 and faces the prospect of another in 2008, a good sense of humor is indispensable.

Anuzis -- the son of Lithuanian immigrants who learned English as a second language -- never graduated from college and was a successful entrepreneur before returning to professional politics. Good humor seems to be part of his makeup.

He is a completely partisan Republican, who grew up in a working-class family in Detroit, was a member of the Teamsters in college and assumed his political identity when he realized Ted Kennedy might win the Democratic nomination for president in 1980.

He considers himself a classic Reagan Republican, an ideological movement conservative who happens to be working in a job most often filled by a technocrat. Anuzis said last week that his most difficult moments as chairman have come not in confrontations with Democrats but with fellow Republicans.

"A lot of people didn't like it too much when I started linking stories on my blog about Congress spending like drunken sailors," he said, "because it was our congressmen."

Anuzis also made some Republicans uncomfortable in 2007 when he was a relentless critic of proposals from Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other Democrats to fix the state government budget by raising taxes -- especially Republican lawmakers who were thinking about voting with the Democrats.

(MAYBE SOME PEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA SHOULD READ THIS)

He says he understands. The role of the party chairman is different when the governor's office is occupied by a member of the opposing party, Anuzis says. Everybody in the governor's party agrees with her, he said. But when the governor is of the other party, the out-of-power chairman's job is to disagree with the governor.

(MAYBE SOME PEOPLE IN OKLAHOMA SHOULD READ THIS)

It also makes the job pretty simple.

"Every day you get to get out of bed trying to figure out ways to beat Democrats," he said. "I really like that."

But back to the politics of beer. It didn't involve beating Democrats, just the people then in power in student government at U-M Dearborn. Anuzis and his colleagues in a tri-partisan (Republican, Democrat & Socialist) group called Students for Students set up a keg outside the polling station and offered free samples. Police removed the keg after a couple of hours, but Anuzis and his slate swept into office.

Later, he used beer again to attract the crowd necessary to clog the main campus thoroughfare in protest over the installation of speed bumps.

"We tried it without beer, and only three people showed up," he said.

Anuzis is still fond of gimmicks. He has been parading a Granholm Tax Hike Clock around the state, trying to remind voters how much $1.4 billion (the size of the tax increase) costs per minute.

Maybe not quite as much fun as beer. But you can be reasonably sure Anuzis is still having a good time.

Contact DAWSON BELL at 313-222-6604 or dbell@freepress.com