MICHELE NORRIS, Host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Michele Norris.
ROBERT SIEGEL, Host:
But first, here in a Washington-area hotel ballroom, the Republican National Committee chose a new chairman. He is Reince Priebus, the head of the Wisconsin Republican Party. And after his election, he spoke - and he quoted Ronald Reagan.
NORRIS: Our nation is that shining city upon a hill, and we must work to keep it that way. We recognize that the Democrats have taken this country on the wrong path. We must lead the way to a better committee and a better America. And you've seen my plan to move this committee forward, and it starts right now, on day one.
SIEGEL: NPR national political correspondent Don Gonyea was at the RNC meeting and he joins us now. Don, tell us about Reince Priebus.
DON GONYEA: Of course, it was a big Republican year, but nowhere was it better than it was in Wisconsin. And people are hoping he can bring some of that to the national stage as 2012 looms already.
SIEGEL: This is a man from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Does he think he's ready for prime time?
GONYEA: First, he says, the party has great leaders - and great, visible leaders. And he points to, you know, John Boehner and Eric Cantor. But he also says hey, Wisconsin has been a swing state, a battleground state, one of those fiercely contested states for so long. And he looked around the pack of reporters - you know, most of us from Washington - standing there, asking him questions after his victory. And he said, I've seen most of you in my office in Wisconsin. So it's not like I'm not used to people coming and asking me questions, and meeting the media.
SIEGEL: Now, the election of Priebus' RNC chair ends the Michael Steele era. He'd hoped it would continue; he sought re-election. Just briefly, how do we describe Michael Steele's tenure as Republican National chairman?
GONYEA: And Michael Steele had trouble raising money. The RNC is $20 million in debt, which they have to pay off - not to mention other controversies and stories that have dogged him from the beginning. So they wished him well today but they did, essentially, fire him.
SIEGEL: OK. Thank you, Don.
GONYEA: Thank you.
SIEGEL: NPR's Don Gonyea.