SOURCE: Union Leader

By GARRY RAYNO, New Hampshire Union Leader Staff

Michigan's challenge to New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary will cost the Great Lakes State all of its delegates to next summer's Democratic National Convention.

Yesterday party officials granted New Hampshire a waiver allowing the state to keep its 30 delegates to the national convention while stripping Michigan of its 156 for moving its primary ahead of the Feb. 5 opening of the party's nominating calendar.

Under a timeline approved by the Democratic National Committee, New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina had been allowed to hold contests before Feb. 5. Michigan and Florida then moved their primaries into January to be among the first states in the selection process, forcing New Hampshire and the other three states to move their contests even earlier than had been allowed.

Meeting in Vienna, Va., yesterday, the DNC's Rules and ByLaws Subcommittee voted 28-2 to strip Michigan of its delegates, while granting New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina a waiver by the same 28-2 vote.

Nevada does not need a waiver because it is holding its caucus on the day set in the Democratic schedule, Jan. 19.

Michigan scheduled its primary for Jan. 15 and Florida for Jan. 29. Democratic officials voted in August to strip Florida of its delegates.

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said yesterday: "I'm very pleased we were able to settle the issue of whether the New Hampshire delegation would be seated at the (national) convention. Now we can move on and have a great primary and plan for Denver."

The convention will be held in Denver from Aug. 25 to 28.

State Sen. Martha Fuller Clark of Portsmouth, subcommittee member and state party vice chairman, said, "By granting us this waiver, the committee endorsed New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary and acted in the spirit of the early nominating calendar."

Secretary of State Bill Gardner set the New Hampshire presidential primary for Jan. 8 after the Michigan Supreme Court approved that state's Jan. 15 primary.

By state law, the New Hampshire primary has to be held at least seven days before any similar event. Gardner had to hold off setting a date until Nov. 21, the day of the Michigan court's decision.

The major Democratic candidates agreed earlier not to campaign in Michigan or Florida because they violated party rules. In Michigan, not all of the major candidates' names will appear on the ballot. John Edwards, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson and Joe Biden have withdrawn their names, while Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dennis Kucinich, Chris Dodd and Mike Gravel remain on the Democratic ballot.

With Michigan and Florida moving up the dates of their contests, South Carolina and Iowa moved up their dates to retain their traditional positions on the primary ladder.

At yesterday's subcommittee meeting, Michigan officials defended their early primary, saying it helps provide geographic, racial and economic diversity early in the primary season.

"I think it is unconscionable that we continue to grant special treatment to some states in this process," Michigan party Chair Mark Brewer told the panel.

Alexis Herman, co-chair of the DNC rules panel, said party leaders worked for two years to create a primary calendar that respected the historic roles of Iowa and New Hampshire, while adding geographic and racial diversity by allowing Nevada and South Carolina to vote early.

Both political parties have struggled to control their calendars as the selection process has become increasing front-loaded, with the nominees likely to be known early in February. For New Hampshire, the Democrats' action stands in contrast to what Republican national party officials did recently.

In October, the Republican National Committee voted to strip half the delegates from New Hampshire, Florida, South Carolina, Michigan and Wyoming for scheduling primaries and caucuses earlier than Feb. 5.

Republican rules also do not allow states to hold nominating contests before Feb. 5.

The GOP, however, does not bar candidates from campaigning in states that violate party rules.