Republicans to launch national charm offensive

US Republicans, on their heels for much of President Barack Obama's first 100 days in office, are launching a vast national campaign to revive and rally the party, sources familiar with the plan have said.

The initiative, dubbed the "National Council for a New America," will center on town hall-style meetings featuring high-profile party members -- including 2008 White House hopeful Senator John McCain and former Florida governor Jeb Bush -- taking questions from small audiences, sources said.

The campaign, due to be unveiled on Thursday, is to launch this weekend with an event for 60-70 people at a family restaurant in northern Virginia, an area that helped swing the once reliably Republican state into Obama's column in 2008.

Jeb Bush, 2008 White House hopeful Mitt Romney, Representative Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House of Representative, and other senior party members will headline that event, according to a source familiar with the effort.

Former president George W. Bush, Jeb's brother, is not listed among those involved in the effort, which comes amid alarm among top Republicans after losing the White House and slumping further in the minority in the US Congress.

But it will include the first Indian-American US governor, Bobby Jindal, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, as well as the party's House and Senate leadership.

"Since January, the President and the Democratic Majority in Congress have -- rightfully so -- put forward their plan for the future," according to the letter announcing the campaign, which was obtained by AFP.

"Now we must listen, learn and lead through an honest, open conversation with the American people that will result in building policy proposals that will yield the best results for our nation's long-term success," it said.

The letter underlines that "this is not a Republican-only forum" and promises "this forum will include a wide open policy debate that every American can feel free to participate in."

One source familiar with the campaign, who requested anonymity, stressed that it aimed to reach mixed audiences of Republican, Democrats and independents on issues like national security, the economy, and energy.

"You're not going to see just a group of Republicans on a stage preaching to people. This is going to be an honest conversation with the American people, and not just to entirely friendly, Republican audiences," said the source.