GOP launches effort to attract younger group
BOSTON – The Republican Party launched its latest effort Thursday to sell itself to a more diverse segment of the population, acknowledging a glaring weakness in the GOP’s ability to attract new voters in a country whose demographics are rapidly changing.
Some prominent Republicans expressed immediate skepticism at the party’s plans to shine a spotlight on its younger, minority up-and-comers. But Republican leaders say they can help broaden the party’s appeal by changing the faces of the GOP’s primary messengers. At stake is the Republican Party’s ability to compete against Democrats in elections for years to come.
“We have this stereotype of Republicans being old, white, Anglo-Saxon men. But there’s people like me that have been out there working for years,” said 30-year-old New Hampshire state Rep. Marilinda Garcia, one of four people featured in a “Rising Stars” panel at the RNC’s summer meeting in Boston. “So they’re like, ‘Why not have her talk about our values instead of Newt Gingrich all the time? “
GOP leaders say it’s an unprecedented effort.
CIA admits Area 51 exists in documents
LAS VEGAS – The CIA is acknowledging the existence of Area 51 in newly declassified documents.
George Washington University’s National Security Archive obtained a CIA history of the U-2 spy plane program through a public records request and released it Thursday.
National Security Archive senior fellow Jeffrey Richelson reviewed the history in 2002, but all mentions of Area 51 had been redacted.
Richelson says he requested the history again in 2005 and received a version a few weeks ago with mentions of Area 51 restored.
Officials have already acknowledged in passing the existence of the facility in central Nevada where the government is believed to test intelligence tools and weapons.
Richelson believes the new document shows the CIA is becoming less secretive about Area 51’s existence, if not about what goes on there.
Special prosecutor to review Perry charges
AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas judge said Thursday he plans to have a special prosecutor review allegations that Gov. Rick Perry abused the powers of his office and broke the law over a veto that cut funding for state public corruption investigators.
Judge Robert Richardson said he expects to select someone in the coming days to look at a two-page complaint filed by a watchdog group, Texans for Public Justice.
The special prosecutor could quickly deem the complaint meritless or decide it warrants further investigation.
Perry’s office denies wrongdoing.
The complaint stems from the April drunken-driving arrest of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, whose office houses the Public Integrity Unit that is the state’s criminal ethics arm.
Lehmberg pleaded guilty after her arrest and served half of a 45-day jail sentence. But she refused calls from Republicans to resign, including from Perry, who publicly said he would eliminate $3.7 million in annual state funding if she did not step down.
Associated Press
