Republicans tour Tampa, plan strategy before convention

More than 300 high-level Republican Party activists and backers from around the nation descended on Tampa on Wednesday for a preview of the city where they'll hold their 2012 national convention.

The event is a three-day, quarterly meeting of the Republican National Committee, being held here so the Republicans can "scope out the area," said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus.

They'll tour the city – concentrating on restaurants, hotels, recreation and meeting facilities -- and pick venues for the vast numbers of receptions, parties, fundraisers and other gatherings the convention will include.

Many restaurants and other businesses are already getting reservations, a year in advance, for convention parties.

"I hope everybody puts their best foot forward – a lot of business may be done" during the week, said Paul Senft of Haines City, one of Florida's RNC members.

But when the convention rolls around, Florida Republicans themselves may have to take a back seat at the event their state is hosting.

Priebus said the party will strictly enforce its rules against early primary dates next year, penalizing states – possibly including Florida – that set too-early dates.

Angling to give the state more influence in picking the Republican nominee, Florida Republican political leaders want a convention in the first few days of March or earlier, but the national rules say no earlier than March 6.

That means the state could lose half the 99 convention delegates and 96 alternates it's allowed, and the delegates could lose convention perks that normally would go to the host state -- prime convention floor seats and housing in the most desirable hotels.

Florida's 2008 primary also broke those rules, but John McCain, whose Florida primary win helped make him the nominee, allowed the Florida delegates to attend without voting and get all their perks.

Priebus said his inclination is that shouldn't happen again.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott will be in Tampa for all three days of the GOP quarterly meeting, his office said. Wednesday night, he gave a speech to a closed gathering of attendees, and he'll attend other events.

Most of the quarterly meeting's schedule is also closed to the press or anyone other than RNC members. The meetings deal with some internal party business such as party rules and the platform but will also include political strategy and discussion of issues including "election integrity," the debt ceiling debate and presidential debates.

Besides Scott, U.S. Rep. Allen West also got a prime speaking spot in a private gathering at the meeting where he'll speak to the group tonight during a reception at the Tampa Museum of Art. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will give an open-press speech at a lunch today.

In a news conference Wednesday opening the session, Al Austin, chairman of the local host committee for the convention, said his committee has raised more than $15 million of the $50 million or more it hopes to raise to help put on the convention.

That doesn't include a commitment from a corporate sponsor for a $5 million contribution, said Austin, a Westshore-based real estate developer and a long-time financial backer of the party and GOP candidates.

Despite the shaky economy, which has made political fundraising difficult, "We're confident that our fundraising is on schedule, on target," he said.

That's partly because the committee's mission is non-partisan, to showcase Tampa's hospitality before thousands of visitors and an international press corps, and it's classified as a charitable organization that can accept tax-deductible donations.

The local host committee includes some of the most prominent Republican fundraisers in the Tampa Bay area, plus a few Democrats. John Schueler, president of Florida Communications Group, which owns the Tampa Tribune, is a member.

The political side of the convention is being handled by the party, mostly with public campaign financing money, along with an anticipated $50 million in public money for security.

"I ran for chairman of this party for one reason, and that is to make Barack Obama a one-term president," said Priebus. "This convention is the culmination of all that work."

Priebus said the convention "is probably the biggest event the Tampa Bay community has ever put on … This is a Super Bowl times four."

He said the convention will draw more than 45,000 people to Tampa for more that a week, and they're expected to spend $175 million while they're here.