Presidential Primary Leapfrog

Some states don't seem to give a damn about Iowa and New Hampshire being the first and so influential in the nominating process and have set their 2008 primaries even earlier.

The Democratic Party has declared that it will refuse to seat delegates elected in these "leapfrogging" primaries; and that is partially correct.

What should happen is for Congress to legislate a rotating regional primary system that has a compact group of states voting the same day. Another compact group of states in another region would vote at a later date; and remaining groups of states would follow in turn. The order of voting by region would rotate so that no one region would always be first.

Tennessee's U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander actually has such a bill, but it exempts Iowa and New Hampshire. To Hell with that exemption!

From today's Washington Post:

“We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process,” Patti Solis Doyle, the Clinton campaign manager, said in a statement.
. . . .
Mr. Edwards, who has said his candidacy cannot be successful without a strong performance in Iowa, said the four states chosen by the national committee “need to be first because in these states ideas count, not just money.”

Oh bullshit. My state isn't unique and special? Ideas in my state don't matter?