Republicans Regroup, Refocus

Republicans at a town hall meeting in Michigan seemed delighted to talk about something besides impeachment, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

"Actually, what I believe in is less government from Washington, less taxes on the people and more freedom," said Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss.

Republicans are desperately regrouping after a difficult year pursuing the president's impeachment.

Many worry they're now at serious risk of losing their congressional majority.

Political analyst James Thurber says the party must move toward the middle, away from the far right social conservatives who pushed hardest for the president's ouster.

But that won't be easily done.

"It's tough for Republicans to moderate, though," Thurber said, "when they have a well organized right wing in their party pulling the party further to the right, where the voters don't exist."

Moderates like Sen. John McCain, meeting in Florida over the weekend, are well aware of their party's challenge.

"It's not an accident that this was the lowest turnout ever for 18 to 26 year olds," said McCain. "You think it's some kind of aberration?"

For now, the game plan is to hammer home traditional conservative goals like tax cuts and the return of power to local governments.

"We want to get those decisions and that money out of Washington back in the states and local level where the decisions are really made," Lott said.

The party's right wing will continue to apply pressure on social issues like abortion.

They may be a minority, but they're powerful fund-raisers and that gives them the influence to shape policy and dominate the Republican agenda.