about social security. brandon roberts will be here as well. now we go to "newsmakers." ♪ [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] .

>> joining us from st. louis is anne wagner, one of a half dozen canned daylights for the national republican committee and here for the questions in washington is casey hunt. national politics reporter with politico and phil elliott.

thanks for being with us. let me begin by asking you, what sets your candidacy and your race apart from your competitors'? >> well, i think there's multiple things that i'm running on and i'm traveling all over the country meeting with members of the republican national committee, talking with them on the phone, interacting with them on our website and all of our multiple social media nuances and opportunities out there. but i think what sets me apart is probably three or four different things. and it's rooted in experience. it's rooted in over 20 years of political service to the republican party and to public service out there. i'm looking for a new direction. new leadership. a turning of the page at the republican national committee. and i believe what i can offer to the r.n.c. is a strong fundraising base. we must be fully funded at the r.n.c. in order to institute the kinds of programs that are necessary in 2012.

i plan on putting forward a very aggressive fundraising plan that really lifts up and reinstates and reinvigorates our major donor programs out there. i want to get out there as of day one and talk to our major donors, talk about our plans for the future, talk about our vision going forward, to win back the white house in 2012, and to win the united states senate also. we began this in 2010, it's time to finish the job in 2012. fundraising is key here. we have to raise presidential trust money, we have to fund the victory offices and efforts at all of the state levels. we also have to get out of the debt that we are currently carrying at the republican national committee. there is much to do in terms of fundraising. i think also i offer some real political savvy. when i in my 20 years of experience -- i have served at the most grassroots level, i was a three-term chairman of the missouri republican party, the first and only woman to do so.

and during tough election cycles, when i took things over in 1998 here in missouri, we had nothing but debt and we built back, winning a governor's race, united states senate race, three congressional seats and the crown jewel, i think, was the missouri legislature. it was a great day when we won the missouri senate and the missouri house of representatives. so i know how to win elections, i know how to win them in tough battle ground states like missouri and have had great success in doing that. most recently after returning from my u.s. ambassadorship in luxembourg, i signed on to chair roadway blunt's senate campaign and that was a marvelous 14-point margin victory. kind of unheard of in a state like missouri. "politico" named us as one of the top 10 in the nations, along with some democrat rations in there, too. that was a marvelous opportunity for me to get back in and do what do i best which

is win races for the republican party and for the g.o.p. candidates out there. so it's fundraising. it's political savvy. it's also management skills. you have to be a good crowe in order -- in order to run the national republican kevment i've had great experience doing that. i come from a business background. i'm the daughter of a small business owners out there, i have worked in the business field before entering politics and you've got to be a good c.e.o. you have to put in the kinds of checks and balances, transparency, ethical leadership, the people that work with and for you are only as good as the very top leadership. i think c.o.e. skills are very important in this race and i think i've got a number of great skills in that regard also. so it's fundraising, it's political savvy, it's management skills and communication. i think in the next election cycle we really are going to have a tremendous field of nominees for our presidential race out there, to showcase and

to -- and for the american people to see. so we need to put our candidates forward we need to put our new republican leadership forward, we also need to put some of our wonderful new rock star governors forward i think also for the public to see and talk to. but to the extent that you have to put a face forward to the media or the public, i have got a lot of great experience doing that in the last 20 years in terms of being a spokesperson. and communication isn't just about the press and the public, it's also about the grassroots out there. it's about bringing in all of our existing and new coalitions out there and groups that are interested in good, strong, conservative leadership. so what i'm hoping that i can bring is a breath of experience , turning the page on a new day at the republican national committee and rooted in good fundraising, good management skills, political savvy and some communication

opportunities and background there too. >> let me jump in on those points. casey hunt, any question from "politico." >> sure, you're running against five other folks. of those you're one of the only ones who has not either worked for or supported current chairman michael steel. do you think that's an asset? does that make you more trustworthy to r.n.c. members? >> i hope what it does is kind of echoes the sense of a new day and a new leadership. i think it makes me a good honest broker, a good advocate on behalf of the states which is what i've done throughout my political career. i wasn't just a chairman of the missouri republican party in a tough battle ground state, i was also co-chairman of the republican national committee. i have a great love and appreciation for the institution and the kind of work that only the r.n.c. can do. whether it's coordinating with the state parties and funding those victory programs, whether it's putting together the presidential trust, whether it's putting on a nominating

convention, all of those things are important and i do think i've got an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective, kind of the perfect insider-outsider, perhaps, to come in and guide the ship. i know the r.n.c. well because i worked there in the building for four years when i was co-chairman, and obviously served on the committee for seven years when i was a g.o.p. chairman here in missouri. so i'm hoping it's a benefit. i think our party's ready for new leadership. it's important that we do this, to instill the kind of credibility in our donor base, in the public and also with our members on the committee. >> ok. if i could follow up on that. what do you think that chairman steel meant when he said yesterday that who you select as your next chairman will speak volumes about your willingness to truly be the party of lincoln? >> well, you know what? i think that really we are a strong party of lincoln and we're a strong party of tremendous conservatives and a coalition that is built on so

many constituencies out there. we have to do outreach in so many of these areas, whether it's in minority areas, whether it's in -- with the new tea party and patriotic groups that are out there. i've had tremendous success with the roy blunt for u.s. senate campaign and after the freedoms forum i participated in. in reaching out, engaging and recognizing i think the true, authentic nature of this grassroots movement. you've got to engage, you've got to listen, and you have to respect the views of all those that want to be a part of moving forward with good conservative leadership toward 2012. >> phil elliott of the a.p. >> thanks. you bring up the tea party. is the tea party part of the republican party as you see it if you were the chairman? >> well, i don't think they're part of the republican party. i think they're very much an independent voice. i do think that they're interested obviously in the institutional efforts and

limited government and many fiscal mats that are are important. i think they played a tremendous role in this last election and i think they'll play a tremendous role going forward. and one has to recognize the independent nature of this patriot group tea party, grassroots effort out there and they must be engaged, they're always welcome to have a seat at the table to talk about candidates, to talk about policy, to talk about how we win elections. i think that they differ vastly from state to state and from community to community. but i applaud their efforts and they're welcome to be a part as we go forward of the dialogue and hopefully toward winning the white house in 2012. >> would you welcome a tea party presidential campaign? or is it your role as chair to prevent a third party splinter tea party nominee? >> well, you know, i believe in

our two-party system. obviously this is a great democracy and i think that all views ought to be brought together. i think it's the job of the republican national committee chairman to bring people together and to listen and to dialogue and come to some level of consensus moving forward. sometimes in our democracy and our political system, that's possible. sometimes it's not. i'm going to try very hard to get all the support we possibly can garner from the new and existing coalition groups that i would consider a part of this conservative movement to support our republican nominee, whoever he or she may be and i think we're going to have a great opportunity in the coming year, year and a half, to showcase our nominees for president out there. and i know that this grassroots movement, whether you call it tea party, patriot, whatever it might be, is going to play a major role in this. >> you talked a lot about fundraising and the importance

that it's going to play this time around. in 2010 we saw the rise of all of these outside groups like cross roads, the american action network. do you think donors are going to be willing to come back to the r.n.c. and how are you going to talk them into doing that? >> i think so. remember the republican national committee doesn't take soft money. we take hard money and there are limits in terms what have one can give individually to a national party committee. and i think it's important that we get out there and get out there early. and put forward to our donors some kind of a business perspective. i come at this from a business background, showing them a plan, a pathway to victory, how we're going to get there, what the results will be, what good government will mean under republican leadership, and lay that vision out for them in a very specific manner. we have to make the ask then, we have to keep our donors in the loop in terms of giving them good information, having them vested truly in the

program. but mainly you've got to go out there and work hard and meet with them. i say wherever two or more are gathered, whether it's one-on-one in round table groups, in evening party, whatever it take, i want to be able to put something tangible in front of them that the r.n.c. can do. and there are things that only the r.n.c. can do from a fundraising standpoint, especially during a presidential year. we have the presidential trust money which is somewhere around $25 million that must be raised. there's a convention that must be put on and there is coordination that only the r.n.c. can do with the states out there in terms of get out the vote and grassrorororororort that needs to be funded also. i welcome the 527 groups out there. they can take money now since citizens united on a much larger and different scale. and i think they can enhance our efforts. i think we can all work together to get things done. but it's important that we get out and talk to these donors,

reinvigorate them, reengeage them, most importantly, in this process. and i plan on doing that from day one. >> how would you specifically assess the tenure of michael steele over the last two years? >> michael, i've worked with him when he was a chairman in maryland, i think he's a great patriot, a wonderful man. i thank him for his service at the republican party, i campaigned for him when he ran for lieutenant governor even. we're grateful for the work that he's done and the great victories that we had in 2010. but i think we need some new leadership and a new direction going forward. one that focuses much more on fundraising and the needs that the party has in that regard. so i'm hoping that i can bring those kinds of skills, whether it's fundraising, whether it's winning elections, whether it's the kind of experience that i've had over 20 years, in the public and political arena. i'm hoping i can bring a new direction there.

>> as you know the r.n.c. is facing a debt. what were the mistakes of michael steele? >> i won't judge his mistakes or talk about them in any way, shape or form. i think we're grateful for the kinds of work and efforts that he put forward. i do think that there neededer to more -- to be more focus going forward on major donor programs. you can't just raise money through telemarketting and direct mail efforts. you've got to go out there and engage our major donors. i've spoke within many of our donors out there in the last campaign season certainly and in the last five to six weeks fairly intensity and -- intensely and with a member of our former finance chairman, to engage at the r.n.c. at the chairman's level. it varies. everything from maybe they requested whether their investment is going to be spent

wisely they questioned why they haven't been approached to be supportive and to throw their investment and their resources in the cause of the r.n.c. you know, there are so many tremendous people out there that want to invest and -- in conservative candidates and causes. we need to bring them home to the republican national committee. there are certain things that the r.n.c. can do and do well and wisely and especially during a presidential cycle. it's difficult sometimes to in this last cycle, to communicate with all of the outside groups out there and to kind of be flying blind when you weren't sure if you were going to have the resources from the republican national committee to get the job done. i think going forward we need to be much more focused on fundraising and re-engaging this donor group and i intend to do that very vigorously. >> thanks. you talk so much about fundraising here, funding the trust, funding victory

operations, paying for a convention and paying at least $15 million in debt that we know of that chairman steele has racked up. am i ac rate in describing your view -- accurate in describing your view on chairwoman of being fundraising on steroids and leaving very little time for anyone else -- anything else? >> you have to be able to multitask. one thing i can definitely do as a busy woman and a woman who has been juggling all her life, believe me, i can do all of those things and do them, i hope well, and with great energy and passion and vigor. and yes, while fundraising is probably one of our most immediate needs, you have to manage the building and we've got to get more transparency and accountableability. there need to be checks and balances. i've called for the reinstatement of a comptroller. some kind of electronic accounts payable and accounts receiveble program out there

where you have actual check and signoff of individuals, whether it's the payment of expenses, whether it's any of our expenditures going forward. we have to bring overhead down. people need to know that the cost of the investment that they're making, that the costs are as low as they possibly can be with the republican national committee. i think vendor contracts have to be overhauled and completely reviewed. one of the first things i would do from a financial standpoint when i hopefully become chairman of the republican national committee, would be to do a full audit and to look at kind of talent that we have and the kinds of things going forward that we need to do from a finance and budgeting standpoint. i also have to look at the talent in the building. you have to put some great operatives in place in order to do your political plans. there's a coalition building, there's communication, there are so many different areas of the r.n.c. there's also listing up the

state pearts. i want to reinstate finance directors in the field out there, to help the state parties, help themselves raise money. there are a number of things that i want to do that aren't just solely focused on fundraising. i would say it's our most immediate need but also retooling and remanagement of the building is going to be important. because i think that will also lend itself to donor confidence out there, public confidence in the republican national committee, which is important, and then ultimately it's our job to win elections. and i do believe, though, you can have the greatest plans and programs in the world and if they're not funded they're just on a piece of paper and that's what we can't have had -- happen. but winning elections, having the state parties get there in terms of turnout efforts and helping their candidates is what's very important going forward. i think i can handle the communications, the political, the management, while still getting out there on the trail to do the kind of retail

fundraising that's going to need to be done. >> casey hunt. >> you talked a little bit about messaging and strategy. what do you view the r.n.c.'s role as -- in those two things? in the messaging side and the strategy side, especially considering the rise of the tea party and the fact that they have their own agenda but it's one that resonates very much with your elect rat? >> absolute -- electorate? >> absolutely. messaging is something that we should be coordinating and working on i think all together. whether it's with our different coalition groups out there, if it's with new organizations like the tea party and patriot groups that are across this nation. i think we can set up regional meetings to talk about these kinds of things, i think it will be very important for the next r.n.c. chairman to bring together our leadership in congress. to bring together our other national party organizations, to bring together some of the leadership within the executive board of the republican national committee and its officers. to sit down and talk about

messaging and to coordinate everything from fundraising to candidate recruitment, messaging, redistricting, all sorts of important things. really it's about communication. and it's about bringing people together. i've never been one to shy away from taking anything from criticism to good advice and i don't believe in reinventing the wheel. i believe in coordinating and working together as a team on -- as much as we possibly can going forward. so i think messaging is going to be very important and we're going to need to coordinate with our candidates, with our leadership, with our states, and with the leadership of the republican national committee. and i plan to bring them together along with our grass roolts organizations and -- grassroots organizations and field operations out there as much as possible. >> you say you don't want to reinvent the wheel, what has the r.n.c. done right this cycle and what would you keep onboard from chairman

steeleambings' ten sure >> i think some of the communication to the membership has been terrific and i would want to continue with the members-only-type session so members can speak freely and openly with each other, whether it's through conference call, whether it's at our multiannual meetings that are out there, i think that's important. i think some of the outreach in the grassroots has been very important. also that chairman steele and that the r.n.c. has been a part of. getting out in the field, being helpful and lifting up all 50 states. there are things that the r.n.c. can do from a support and resource way, whether it's through education, whether it's through information, whether it's through your regional political directors or finance directors, to sit down and go through fundraising, budgeting, messaging, communication, education, in terms of political and g.o.p. schools out there, to train our candidates. there are those kinds of things

that i think have been ongoing and that will definitely continue in a chairmanship of mine at the republican national committee. i think those kinds of things are very, very important. but as i said, unless you've got the resources to fund these programs, it's just all for astronaut. >> as you look ahead toward building the party outward over the next decade or two decades, what do you think the r.n.c. needs to be doing to reach out to some of the fastest growing constituencies like latinos in the united states? >> that's very important. we knee to lift up the members of -- we need to lift up the members of these communities. it's important to get into the communities and to talk to them about what their needs are, what they, you know, i always

say, if people voted like they lived, they would vote republican. and i think we need to sit down and dialogue. more communication the better. whether it's with the latino vote, whether it's with women in the suburbs, it's a listening process, it's an inclusion process that is very, very important out there and something that we have got to remember as the demographics change in our nation and the demographs of the electorate change and grow and it's also among youth, you know. i think we've got tone gauge young people in this process -- got to engage young people in this process. we certainly did in the last campaign that i served with, in roy blunt's u.s. senate campaign. when he so many people that were involved, whether they were going door to door, whether they were involved in some of the known social media networks that are out there. there are many ways to reach constituencies where they live, where they go daily, whether

it's on the internet, in their places of work, in their homes or their communities. we need to go to them and reach out and become a part of their efforts, i think. >> phil elliott. >> you're a veteran operative, you know the numbers, you have to get the majority of 168 numbers. what is your path to 85 members of the r.n.c. to become chair? >> my path is what i've been doing for the last five weeks which is talking and engaging members one-on-one. you are quite right, phil. this is endorsements and press and all of these things can be a part of the process. at the end of the day what really matters are the 168 members of the republican national committee that are voting. and what i'm find something they're taking it very seriously. for the viewers what you have are three members from each state, one chairman, one national committeeman, one national committeewoman from all state and from the

territories out there, that adds up to 168 votes. ivepk been phoning and calling, i've been going to meet with them when i can. my only regret is that there's just not enough days before the election to get to everybody, to sit down one-on-one. i've got a relationship with a good number of people on the committee from my four-year tenure but there are new people that i need to reach and to bring my message to. we've tried to do this on the website, with video that's been out there. i've tried to do it when i participated in a free works forum some weeks ago. i'm looking forward to the for thalm grover is putting together on january 3 and i think there are several co-sponsors of that debate or forum. so we're trying to reach the people, where it's wun anunwun, whether it's by phone, whether it's through the camera lens, however i can touch these individuals and talk about my background and experience and my vision going forward, that's

important. it's also important, i think, to listen. this is a two-way dialogue with the members out there. and whether they log on to the website to give me some of their ideas or thoughts or whether we talk about them one-on-one on the phone or in person, that's a very important part of the process. and what i have been so gratified by is the way that the majority of these members are taking this task very, very seriously. knowing that we have the inclusion of the hoiles here and the christmas season and new year's and kind of a truncated process. usually our vote for chairman is at the end of january and there have been two weeks kind of sliced off at the end and it makes it difficult to reach everyone but i'm going to try very hard to at least speak with at some level every member of the r.n.c. >> clearly there will be a series of votes, nobody will get the majority in the first round. you can walk us through the dynamics and your strategy to get to what phil elliott said, the majority?

>> it depends on how many actually -- at the end of the day what you have to have are a majority of members nominating you from three states. so you have to have at least two members of any given state times three nominating you. so we'll see on election day, which is january 14, how many candidates actually end up being able to complete that process and become nominated and then the votes will be taken and you're right, sometimes there are three or four ballot, sometimes there are eight or nine ballots, you know, i'm committed to new leadership at the republican national committee, i'm committed to building whatever coalitions that are necessary to advance my chairmanship, knowing that what is important is new leadership. and i have made a commitment to that and will stand by that and the balloting should be interesting, it's a very interesting dynamic and process and i would ask your viewers to watch that. i'm sure that c-span will be

covering the r.n.c. election and it's an interesting political snapshot that's a little different. majority doesn't win, people can stay in for as long as they'd like in the balloting, the person that gets the fewest votes does not necessarily drop off. but there's usually a natural progression. there are people in the race that will realize when they've hit kind of their high water mark in terms of support and then generally that support can be shifted to other candidates, it can be -- it can go to multiple candidates out there. it's a fascinating process and one that i've followed over the last two decades and very great -- varies greatly from election cycle to election cycle. >> we will be there covering in mid january. anne wagner, the candidate for the chair for the republican national committee. thank you very much for being with us. >> my pleasure. thank you for having me.