At RNC meeting, a showing of top 2016 contenders
As the Republican National Committee (RNC) works on rejiggering operations in the wake of a disappointing 2012 electoral season, they've invited a slew of rising GOP stars to its quarterly finance meeting next month - showcasing the talent that many expect to be potential contenders in the next presidential showdown.
Among those speaking at the event, at the posh Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, include former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Ted Cruz, R-Tex., New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, the RNC confirmed to CBS News.
The weekend event, which will take place on March 9-10, is a prime opportunity for top donors to mix and mingle with the party's most prominent names. It's also just a week before the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which functions as an opportunity for some of those same big names to workshop potential platforms and show off their rhetorical skills.
One big difference between the speaking rosters at the two events this year: Christie, who will appear at the RNC meeting, got shut out of the conservative conference amid a philosophical rift between CPAC organizers and Christie over issues such as gun control.
