House Republicans, bullish on midterms, plot return to power

By FARNOUSH AMIRI
The Associated Press

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Republican lawmakers gathered at a retreat in Florida this week to plot out strategy for this year’s midterm elections. The conference needs only a handful of seats to win the House and they are exceedingly confident in their chances. They see former Speaker Newt Gingrich, who swept away four decades of Democratic House rule with the “Contract With America” in 1994, as a model. He spoke to House Republicans Wednesday night in Jacksonville, Fla. Gingrich’s message to them was simple: offer a contrast to what he called the failing Democratic agenda.