More than 200 tribal leaders are in San Diego to discuss the shift in power to Democrats in Washington, D.C.

On Monday, tribal leaders heard from former Congressional staffers who said Democratic gains could help Indian Country. But Eric Eberhard, a former staff director for the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, said the real focus is the 2008 presidential elections.

Heather Dawn Thompson, the government affairs director for the National Congress of American Indians, said tribes need to educate new lawmakers about their issues. "We need to give them a broad overview on what Indian country is like,� she said, The San Diego Union Tribune reported. "They don't want to hear about just gaming."

The American Indian Resources Institute organized the forum to help tribes understand how Democratic control of the House and Senate affects them.

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Tribes need a focused political strategy, expert says (The San Diego Union Tribune 1/9)

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