By Paul Hughes

LOS ANGELES(RushPRnews)15/11/08–As Republicans seek to shore up support for their party in the wake of their presidential defeat to Barack Obama, Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) on Friday announced his campaign to replace an Ohio congressman as leader of the House Republicans, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Lungren, former California attorney general who now represents portions of Northern California in the House of Representatives, announced in a letter to the GOP his challenge to House Minority Leader
John A. Boehmer. He said that Republicans risk becoming a permanent minority unless they “rediscover” their “conservative principles.”

A vote on the possible leadership change is expected to be taken by rank and file Republican members
on Wednesday when Congress starts its lame duck session.

Republicans lost control of the House to the Democrats in 2006 after 12 years in the majority.

The Republican Party must reach out to a more diverse base of people and be able to foster new ideas if it is to remain a relevant political force, a former CIA officer and writer told RushPRnews.

William Katz, whose varied career includes a stint with the CIA, author of 10 books and writer for comedian Bob Newhart, said the GOP must reach out more to Hispanics and other ethnic groups, particularly Asian Americans, if it is to remain a relevant political force in the coming years.

“It must reach out and nurture groups you rarely hear about politically, but will – like Asian Americans,
with their remarkable entrepreneurial spirit,” said Katz, who hosts a web site, which promotes conservative ideas.

As Barack Obama readies for a January 20 inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, opinions are varied as to what steps the GOP must take to remain relevant during the coming administration.

Bipartisanship will be key to the success of the party in the years ahead, said Carla Douglin, a
foreclosure prevention expert who supported Obama.

Both Douglin and Katz identified Tim Pawlenty, Republican governor of Minnesota, as among the GOP’s young rising stars and one to watch in the coming years. And Katz said that Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist are also GOP leaders to watch in the coming years.

“I believe American people are tired of the finger-pointing; both parties are going to have to work together to solve the crises that face our nation today,” said Douglin, whose web site, offers a dvd for sale that explains how to avoid foreclosure.

Katz said the GOP should be focused on developing positive, creative proposals to lift the country out
of the economic crisis it is in. And it must be able to easily explain these measures to the American
people.

With the United States facing its worst financial crisis since Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president in 1933 and the nation involved in two unpopular wars in the Middle East, all eyes of the world are sure to be on Washington, D.C. in the coming weeks and months as Obama, the nation’s first African American president-elect, prepares to take office.

Obama, one of the youngest men ever elected president, has so far chosen one cabinet member –
Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel will be his chief of staff – and, according to NBC News, is
considering Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton, his former rival for the presidency, to be secretary of state.

Speculation has been that the Obama cabinet will be a bipartisan panel, in keeping with his pledge to
unify a nation that has been divided over wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Obama’s going in on a wave of good will,” Katz said.

Yet, such support will be short-lived if another terrorist attack against the U.S. occurs or if Obama is unable to improve the economy, he said. He noted that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred within eight months after George W. Bush became president.

“I don’t think the American people have yet caught on to how serious this is,” Katz said.

LaTosha Johnson, a Chicago-based entrepreneur, thinks she does know and believes Obama’s intelligence, education and charisma make him well-suited to govern in these difficult times.

“Everything about this guy (Obama) is off the charts,” she said.

Johnson, president of market research firm TargetStars was among the more than 240,000 people present at Grant Park in Chicago on Nov. 4 to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. So many came to attend the Obama victory rally that the streets surrounding the park had to be used to accommodate the overflow crowd, she said.

Her solution to the unemployment rate would have Obama allocating resources to increase the number of small businesses in country. By enabling business owners’ greater access to grants and other financial resources, they would be able increase the number of employees and boost the economy, Johnson said.

Add to that additional incentives to encourage women and minority-owned businesses, and that would provide an additional jolt, she said.

While Johnson also said withdrawing troops from Iraq would also provide an economic boost, Katz said strengthening defense is something that should remain high on Obama’s list of priorities.

“He must move to strengthen the defense, not weaken it,” Katz said. “He’ll have people telling him we don’t have the money. He better find the money.”

Since Obama’s election, both parties have resolved publicly to work together to unify the nation and to strengthen the United States good will abroad.