New Hampshire Today, Nov. 9

In New Hampshire today Republicans hit the campaign trail in the state. Candidates John McCain, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are all in the state today. Tomorrow Mike Huckabee and Democrat Dennis Kucinich will join them.

McCain begins his trip with a press conference in Concord this morning with former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Paul talks to students in the Seacoast and Mitt works his base in along the border with Massachusetts.

But all of this politicking will matter a little less. The Republican National Committee voted yesterday to punish New Hampshire and four other states for holding early primaries by taking away half of their delegates to the national convention next year. Republican leaders shrugged their shoulders and considered it a cost of doing business. They know full well candidates want to win New Hampshire for other reasons that just the delegates.

Yesterday Democrats were flooding the state. Senator Clinton was in the Mount Washington Valley and while Bill Richardson and Joe Biden were in Manchester.