Tallahassee -- House Republicans and their family members gather at a Gulf Coast retreat today for a party-building retreat.

The four-day gathering at the WaterColor resort in Sandestin includes a motivational speech by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who wrote "Team of Rivals," a look at Abraham Lincoln's leadership style.

 There also is a keynote dinner with John Maxwell, author of such books as "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," "Failing Forward" and "Developing the Leader Within."

The Republican Party of Florida is picking up the tab for the retreat, the cost offset by contributions by lobbyists who are underwriting some of the dinners.

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