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Romney campaign briefs Republicans

Posted Aug 5, 2011 by William March

Updated Aug 5, 2011 at 03:39 PM

The Mitt Romney campaign is the only presidential campaign with any significant presence at the Republican National Committee’s quarterly meeting taking place in Tampa this week, and held a strategy briefing for RNC members today—but like most events at the meeting, it was closed to the press.

Some RNC members said they were surprised at the lack of candidates or campaign presences at the gathering, considering that Tim Pawlenty was in Florida Tuesday and Wednesday and Jon Huntsman’s headquarters is not far away in Orlando.

“I’m shocked,” said Saul Anuzis of Michigan. “We want to meet the candidates.” By this time prior to the 2008 race, he said, all the candidates had made appearances before the RNC.

Campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho wouldn’t talk in detail about the presentation to the RNC members, but said it included “our 50-state strategy,” fundraising and organization. The purpose, she said, was “just to let the RNC members know what we’re up to.”

But even the Romney campaign is well behind where it was in 2008 in building a campaign staff in Florida. It currently has one paid staff member in the state, compared to about half a dozen then.