GOP Co-Chair Not Worried About Troubles Facing Party

Those recent troubles experiences by the Republican Party don’t seem to bother the Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Ann Wagner, who also serves as Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, is painting a rosy picture of the GOP’s future. Wagner concedes the party is concerned with Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords’ decision to leave the party, with the loss of power in the U.S. Senate, and with differences between President Bush and some Congressional Republicans. But she believes the Jeffords’ departure will benefit the party because it will rally the base for next year’s elections. She also believes Democrats, who now control the Senate, would be making a mistake to bottle-up Bush Administration nominations – especially judicial nominees. Wagner says there are vacancies which need to be filled and blocking nominations could cause a public backlach against the Democrats.