WASHINGTON (CNN) – The campaign to determine who will lead the Republican party into the era of Obama took a series of unexpected turns Wednesday, beginning with the removal of non-party members from a highly-anticipated “special meeting” of the Republican National Committee.
...Inside the Capitol Hill meeting — a first-of-its-kind event, intended to give RNC members a chance to speak directly with the numerous candidates seeking the party’s top-post — Republicans quizzed the candidates on issues ranging from Second Amendment rights to the role of new technology, according to people in the room.
...The open-and-closed-door meeting was followed by another surprising development: Florida Republican Party chairman Jim Greer, once thought to be considering his own bid for RNC chair, arranged a press conference to throw his support behind former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.
In announcing his endorsement, Greer commended Steele’s skills as a consensus builder and a communicator who understands not only “conservative values and principles,” but also the kitchen table issues that affect middle class Americans.That awareness, Greer said, will help Republicans win elections in his own swing state of Florida....
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