Two States Join IA & NH in 2008 Primaries

According to the AP:

Dems to Add Contests to 2008 Calendar

WASHINGTON - Democrats trying to change their party's presidential primary for 2008 agreed Saturday to allow at least two other states to join Iowa and New Hampshire in voting during the opening days of the nominating campaign.

That expansion, debated before a commission considering changes in the primary calendar, is intended to provide more racial and geographic diversity to an opening process now dominated by Iowa and New Hampshire. Those states, representing about 1.5 percent of the country's population, have residents who are mostly white.

The additional states, expected to be named later, were likely to include a smaller state from the South and a smaller state from the Southwest or West.

Democrats agreed that it is critical that the early part of the voting be dominated by the personal, door-to-door politics that allows candidates to compete without a huge amount of money.

This is an interesting twist:

However, Democratic consultant Steve Murphy warned that it is critical they make no changes that help Republicans. Murphy and Iowa Democratic activist Jerry Crawford said Democrats should avoid stepping on the leadoff roles of Iowa and New Hampshire because they could anger voters in those states and make GOP victories there very likely in the general election.

I guess this was a topic of discussion at the DNC Presidential Nomination Commission today. Personally, I think that's a pretty stupid reason. I don't care about angering Iowa and New Hampshire voters--this whole being first thing is pretty childish. I think the idea of ending the influence of the Iowa caucus is pretty appealing. (Anyone else having some Dean flashbacks?)

Fortunately, Sen. Carl Levin agrees:

"I do not think we should make the assumption that Iowa and New Hampshire should always be in the group" of states leading off the voting, said Sen. Carl Levin, the Michigan lawmaker whose complaints about the current calendar prompted the formation of the commission.

But the final plans are still a bit up in the air:

Longtime Democratic activist Harold Ickes of Washington questioned whether those changes will help the party's chances because the current calendar moves too quickly. Ickes noted that Democrats worked for a faster selection process of a Democratic nominee in 2004. By March the party had all but nominated Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

"We wanted to shut down the system and get our candidate out early," Ickes said. "If ever there was a foundering ship that was it. The longer we went on, the lower we went down in the polls. If we'd had a year we'd have been down around zero."

And we all know how well that worked out.

Other people have put their thoughts on the table in response to Barack Obama's hit-and-run post yesterday at Kos. Here, here, and here.

It's simple IF you ignore the complexity posted this on the front page of My Left Wing. I encourage you to read it, especially if you're a Mel Brooks fan.

Libby Hearts Judy.

"I have in my hand a list..."

Josh Marshall says we shouldn't miss this post about Bill Bennett and his values.

They never learn: Push-polling against Bernie Sanders.

I have just started reading firedoglake by Jane Hamsher. Did anyone miss this too? Jane has also offer up some interesting thoughts here. Scroll up for today's diary by Jane but be warned--the image that accompanies it is not family-friendly.