Barbour urges GOP to run on economy

SACRAMENTO, March 20 (UPI) -- Republicans should focus on the economy, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told partisans in California.

Speaking at the state party convention in Sacramento Saturday night, Barbour tried to cheer up state Republicans, who lost in November as the party triumphed elsewhere, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"President Reagan used to say that California was the wind tunnel of America. Anything that worked in California, people would try everywhere else," said Barbour, who was political director in the Reagan White House. "That works in the other direction too. … What works in the rest of America will work in California if y'all try hard enough."

In the 2010 elections, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman lost to Jerry Brown in the governor's race despite vast spending, Carly Fiorina failed to unseat Sen. Barbara Boxer and the party picked up no House seats.

Barbour said "every policy of the Obama administration makes it harder for the economy to grow and harder to create jobs." He urged corporate tax cuts, no tax increases and slashing federal spending.

Barbour, who is expected to announce soon whether he will run for president, did not comment on immigration and offshore drilling, major issues in California.