NYT : Democrats Set Primary Calendar and Penalties

Democrats Set Primary Calendar and Penalties

by ADAM NAGOURNEY | August 20, 2006

CHICAGO, Aug. 19 — The Democratic National Committee voted on Saturday to penalize 2008 presidential candidates who defied a new nominating calendar designed to lessen the longtime influence of New Hampshire and Iowa, the two states that have traditionally kicked off the nominating process.

The sanctions will be directed at candidates who campaign in any state that refuses to follow a 2008 calendar of primaries and caucuses that was also approved Saturday. Any candidate who campaigned in a state that did not abide by the new calendar would be stripped at the party convention of delegates won in that state.

The party adopted a broad definition of campaigning, barring candidates from giving speeches, attending party events, mailing literature or running television advertisements.

Iowa would continue to start the voting process, with a caucus on Jan. 14. But under the new calendar, there would be a caucus in Nevada on the Saturday between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 22. South Carolina would hold a primary at least one week after New Hampshire.

The penalties were adopted in response to threats by New Hampshire officials, who said they might defy the new Democratic calendar and schedule their primary earlier in the year or in 2007 to retain their long-held influence over the nominating process. The New Hampshire secretary of state has the authority to move the primary earlier to make sure it complies with a state law requiring that no state hold any kind of nominating contest within seven days of the New Hampshire primary.

Kathy Sullivan, the leader of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire, warned that the calendar vote would create strife for the party and “rob presidential candidates from doing what they need to take back the White House.”

“Mark my words, in 2008 when our presidential candidates start to introduce themselves to the American public, the changes in the primary calendar will continue to take attention away from where it should be — on their visions for this country,” she said.

The calendar and penalties were adopted by what appeared to be an overwhelming margin in a voice vote. The decision, which embraces the recommendations of the party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, marks the biggest shift in the way Democrats have nominated their presidential candidates in 30 years.

Despite the vote, the fighting over the calendar may not be over. A number of potential 2008 contenders — including Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts; John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina; and Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana — have expressed support for New Hampshire.

Several Democrats said candidates might make the calculation that it is worth losing delegates — assuming New Hampshire defies the party and the party penalizes candidates — to get the attention that might come from an early New Hampshire victory.

A spokesman for Mr. Bayh, Dan Pfeiffer, said that the senator had asked the Indiana Democratic delegation to oppose the rule change, and that he intended to campaign in New Hampshire.

“Senator Bayh, should he decide to run, intends to stand by his commitment to New Hampshire,” Mr. Pfeiffer said. “At the end of the day, the D.N.C. and the various states will set the final calendar and all Senator Bayh can do is compete in the contests as they come — and that includes New Hampshire.”