DNC's new caucus plan riles N.H.

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic National Committee yesterday moved closer to introducing an additional caucus before the 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary, leaving some Granite State leaders crying foul at the possible erosion of their prized first-in-the-nation status.

The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to add a new caucus between the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, and an additional primary following New Hampshire.

The plan, which will be considered by the full DNC in August, is meant to broaden racial and economic diversity among early voters in the presidential race.

``The goal is to expand diversity at every level of the nominating process," said Stacie Paxton, a DNC spokeswoman.

Both Iowa and New Hampshire have small, overwhelmingly white populations. Democrats are considering several states to host the planned early caucus and primary, including Arizona, South Carolina, and Hawaii.

The Republican National Committee has made no effort to alter its nominating process, leaving open the question of whether a new early caucus or primary would include the GOP.

New Hampshire Democratic leaders have traditionally worked to protect the state's standing in the early election schedule. Though the DNC proposal would allow New Hampshire to retain its position as the nation's first primary, Governor John Lynch said in a statement that the DNC recommendation undermined ``a presidential nominating tradition that has worked well for 50 years."

He also took a swipe at DNC Chairman Howard Dean, ``who never would have had the opportunity to be considered a serious presidential contender without the New Hampshire primary."

Dean supports the additional caucus and primary.

The DNC's recommendation may also interfere with a New Hampshire state law meant to ensure the Granite State's top spot on the primary schedule.

Under that law, the New Hampshire primary can be rescheduled for at least a week before any other ``similar election."

Whether the new caucus falls under that designation is up to New Hampshire's secretary of state, William M. Gardner .

The DNC did not specify whether the additional primary would be within a week after New Hampshire's.

``I fully expect that Secretary of State Bill Gardner will consider the actions of the DNC, and others . . . to determine whether they infringe on New Hampshire's primary tradition," Lynch said in the statement.

According to the governor's spokeswoman, Gardner will have to determine whether an extra caucus ``is similar and infringes on New Hampshire's primary tradition."

Gardner could not be reached for comment last night.

Kathy Sullivan , chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, said Gardner will have to consider both the DNC recommendations and similar proposals for early primaries currently being floated in other states, including West Virginia and California.

Sullivan said the DNC's proposed changes would not adequately increase diversity among early voters, and would only serve to exacerbate the primary season's ``front-loading problem."

``The purpose of the whole discussion was to have a process where all the candidates would be looked at and vetted by a cross-section of voters from across the country," Sullivan said. ``Instead you're going to have candidates picking and choosing a couple of states where they think they'll do well."

The DNC rules committee rejected an earlier proposal to add multiple caucuses between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. The committee will meet again in July to consider which states would host the additional caucus and primary.